“Once you had put the pieces back together, even though you may look intact, you were never quite the same as you'd been before the fall.” 
― Jodi Picoult

The road had no even one car but it was not to complain. Taecyeon drove his vintage pickup truck along the road with Billy Joel's 'Vienna' playing on his old stereo, giving off that serendipitous feel. It has been a long ride yet the flutters in his stomach aren't gone still. He was on his way then to a house he haven't been to for years. Everything felt like it was just yesterday when his crying mother drove off with him after being chased out.

Few days ago, after recovering from his battered body, he visited his mom and told her he would want to meet his father. It was one of the things Victoria and him thought would be good for him to do to finally fix his life and move on. His father was one of those that tremendously caused his downfall.Maybe the only good thing the incident brought was awakening him from the dark and sinful life. Something inside him snapped the second he heard his best friend's honest confession and that made him decide that he would start anew. He would try to forget the things cannot be changed and fix the things that could.

He would see if he can still fix his relationship with his father and if not, he would just forget and pretend his visit never happened. Strange enough, his mom didn't even look shocked or suspicious. She just smiled at him and told him to take care and she would be waiting for his coming back. Like the man he was wanting to see was not the man who abandoned them and the man who chased them out his house when they tried to see and talk to him properly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" His father's harsh tone was unfamiliar to his ears. A ten-year-old Taecyeon and his mother was in front of a big luxurious house and it was really cold that day his body was shivering.

When he saw his father come out the big house, he wanted to run to him and hug him tight. He missed him so much after days of disappearance. But even before he could make a step, his cold demeanor shocked him.

"Don't ever come back again here, understand?" His father dragged his mother by elbow, him on tow.

"Go away. Far away and don't dare to come back" his mother was sobbing hardly while he was standing dumbfounded at her side.

"And bring that kid with you" Their eyes met and all he saw was how blank and cold his father's eyes were. It was very much different from the warm and loving eyes that looks at him all the time. The one his father had.

The man standing in front of him was a total stranger. It was not his father. He was not supposed to act that way. His father was caring and geniune, not cold and heartless. His father was always smiling, not a scary looking ajusshi... and lastly, his father love them and would never do such thing.
 

Now, there he is, pulling in front of a familiar gate. The black painted iron gates that stood adamantly tall slowly opened. Peculiar enough, it felt like he was expected.

He unbuckled his seat belt and slipped out the car, preparing himself from the big moment. Walking towards the cemented porsche, he felt a pang on his chest.

What if his father doesn't want him here? What if he chase him out or worse, what if his father remarried and he come face to face with his new family?

Taecyeon ran a hand of his hair and made up his mind. He would only have a small talk with him and then he's out. He'll just ask for an explanation and he's done with him forever.Pointing a finger towards the doorbell, the door opened and two polar opposite people faced him. One was an old looking man sporting a jet black hair that was unevenly parted in the middle and was wearing a butler's clothing. His eyes were so grey that it reflected the sunlight perfectly and he wondered if those were contacts.

The other one was a middle aged woman with an abudance of heavy make-up. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a tight and clean bun and she was dressed in a heavily furred leopard coat. A heavy chained gold medal hang on her neck like a fashion statement. A black cat was resting on her right shoulder and he thought it was unreal only that it blinked at him.

"Hi?" He awkwardly smiled, feeling odd under their stares.

"Right this way" The man spoke and turned away without even waiting for him, the clink-clanks of his shoes echoing. Pure hesitation enveloped him. He wondered if he should follow or not. Do they know him or his reason for being there?

"Mr Ok? You're Mr Ok Taecyeon, right?" The woman asked while the man was already steps ahead. She squinted her cat like eyes and seem to inspect him.

"Just follow and hesitate do not. We know who you are and why you are here" She winked and a smile crossed her lip.

Dumbstrucked and confused, he took his step and followed them. They walked around the house and it made him realise how huge it really was. The biggest house he had ever set foot on and not to mention all those expensive looking things that scattered in the house. Looking back, his father was not an opulent man or even close to being rich. Was this why he left them? For money? He just couldn't help but to think.

They stopped and entered a room. It had a very high ceiling with a crystal chandelier hanging in the middle while big glass windows covered one side of the four corners, bringing enough light for the room to appear luminous. A mahogany wood sofa lay above an oriental rug with a coffee table infront and few stacks of books scattered. The wall opposite to the window had various paintings he remembered his father crafted and all around the room, family pictures can be seen.

The biggest and the first you would see if you enter the room was the last picture of them before his father deserted them. His father sat on a chair fit for a king with a fierce and authoritative look on his face while his mother stood beside him with their hands entwined, looking gentle and beautiful. Taecyeon stood on his father's other side, a strong and big hand resting on his shoulder.

"Can I take it off now?" He asked with much irritation as he scratched the back of his neck. The vest was itchy and he got no idea why he was wearing it.

"Later, son" His father distractedly spoke as he fix his the big furry coat resting on his back.

"Why do I need to wear this again, father?" Taecyeon asked impatiently.

His father stopped what he was doing. He kneeled down to accomodate Taecyeon's child height and faced him.

"For everyone to see... for everyone" his father's warm yet intense cold brought him goosebumps but he shrugged it off immediately.

He just nodded without truly understanding his father's word and who everyone was.
 

His eyes scanned further and his eyes found another door across the one they used to enter. It was a large oak two-door with an image of a wolf  embedded on the middle. A glimmering black opal carved on the eyes of the wolf like a pair of piercing eyes.

"Right behind the door, my lord" The man bowed and went away right after, leaving a man all by himself.

Taecyeon took his first step without much of a thought and soon reached the adamant door.