A Picture's Worth

"You need to leave. Now."

He was pissed. I'm sure my laughing at what he said didn't help.

"Excuse me?" I asked. "I need to leave? This is my house, you son of a bitch!" I wasn't any happier about the situation than he was.

He actually had the good grace to look confused. "Your house?" The tone in his voice sounded genuine.

Is he insane? I thought.

"Are you insane?!" he yelled.

In perfect unison, we shouted, "I grew up in this house!" His face turned a deep shade of purple. I think he was on the verge of either a heart attack or homicide.

"Look, you nutcase." I pointed to the wall behind him. "Those are my family photos with my parents in my house!"

His mouth twisting into a sadistic smirk. "Really?" There was a hint of laughter in his voice. "Are you absolutely certain of that?"

As I opened my mouth to respond, my eyes fell on the picture just over his shoulder. The picture from my graduation. Only it wasn't me in that picture with my mother.

It was him.

What had I done to my past?