Chapter 20
FRIDAY
"So I foresee a very fun rehearsal dinner. Dude, how'd you get out of going."
"I'm not part of the wedding party," Ryan can't help but gloat slightly, "so there's no point in me being there."
"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you still haven't made up with Marissa and you're avoiding her?" Seth questions. "Just an idea, of course."
"No, we haven't made up," Ryan responds. "I'll see her tomorrow."
"She's pretty upset you know," Seth adds.
"I know, I'll take care of it, and you should be getting ready for this rehearsal."
"I should, but why don't you let me feed and burp Aurora?" Seth suggests.
"Seth," Ryan laughs, "I'm not about to let you use my daughter as a means to get out of this rehearsal dinner.
"What?" Seth shrugs, "it was definitely worth a try."
"Can I come in?" Kirsten knocks on the doorframe to the pool house's bathroom, where Sandy was getting ready for the dinner. He was avoiding her and Kirsten was aware and couldn't blame him for it.
Sandy turns away from the mirror, "of course."
"I'm sorry," Kirsten begins.
"Kirsten, you don't have to apologize," Sandy states setting down his razor. "I should have been honest with you about how I was feeling about the baby in the first place."
"Yeah," Kirsten nods, "you should've but I was never actually mad at you."
"You weren't? Could've fooled me."
"I thought I was mad at you," Kirsten sighs as she sits on the edge of the tub. "But then I got to thinking why I was really upset."
Sandy sits down on the lid of the toilet and asks, "what's going on Kirsten?"
"When Ryan first came here I didn't want him to live here, I thought he was just some troublesome kid who was always going to be like a stranger in this house. But the longer he lived here the more I realized that he wasn't a stranger in the house he was my second chance to prove to you, Seth and the rest of this damned community that I could be a good mother. I actually got to thinking that I was a good mother, but this past summer proved that I wasn't. I let one of my sons leave the house because he had gotten a girl pregnant and while I was so concerned with that I let my other son disappear for the rest of the summer with nothing more than a note."
"Kirsten..." Sandy begins, but once he realizes that Kirsten still has more to say he shuts up.
"So when I thought I was pregnant I got to thinking that I would be a better mother, I would do everything right, you know be a real soccer mom. Be the type of mom Seth never had growing up and Ryan never had when he was living with us before. And when I realized that I lost that chance I just kind of lost it..." Kirsten takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry Sandy, I never meant to take it all out on you I just..."
Sandy moves so that he is straddling the tub and facing Kirsten, "you're not a terrible mother, Kirsten."
"How can you say that Sandy?" Kirsten demands wringing her hands and fighting the tears that are threatening to fall.
"I can't cook, I don't clean, I spent most of Seth's life devoted to the Newport Group..."
"Kirsten stop it," Sandy cups Kirsten's face in his hands, "you're going to drive yourself crazy. And I don't know how you can say you're a terrible mother, you willingly lost your job so that you could stay home and help Ryan recover and so that eventually he can go back to school and have a fairly normal teenage life. And who cares if you can't cook? Nothing's wrong with eating take-out, it keeps the family happy we can all have whatever we want. What's important is we sit down for family meals, we know what's going on in our boys lives, what more do you want?
"If you want a baby, then fine we'll have a baby, things'll be crazy but I know we can do it. If you need to have another baby to prove to yourself that you're a good mother, then we'll have another baby, but I don't think you should need a new baby to see that. Just look out our boys, that should be enough for anyone. Ryan left us because we've shown him what a real family is like and he wanted to be a real family for Aurora, even if it meant leaving his family and his comfort zone. And Seth, yeah he's a little crazy but he's a good kid."
Kirsten smiles through her tears, "I don't really want a baby, I know you were right about what you said. Besides, we have a granddaughter we can spoil."
Sandy nods, "there's good thinking. So are you okay now?"
Kirsten nods, "I think so. I love you."
Sandy leans forward and kisses Kirsten, "I love you too. How about we just hide out in the pool house for the next two days?"
"We can't," Kirsten shakes her head regretfully. "I'm Hailey's maid of honor and you're Jimmy's best man."
"Alright, alright, I get it lets go watch Hailey practice committing."
"Hailey."
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Hailey turns startled from the pool to face her father. "The rehearsal doesn't start for another hour."
"I know, I came over to talk to you before everyone else was around." Caleb responds.
"What is it?" Hailey asks nervously playing with her engagement ring.
"I just wanted to remind you that you can back out now, you don't have to go through this wedding to Jimmy Cooper."
"I have to marry him, Dad," Hailey responds. "I'm pregnant and..."
"That's not necessarily a reason to marry someone anymore, arrangements can be made."
"And," Hailey continues, "I love him. And that's exactly a reason to marry someone."
"You look great," Tate comments when Summer pulls the door to her house open.
"Thank you," she flashes him a bright smile.
"So you are you ready to go?" Tate questions.
"There's one little thing I have to take care of first," Summer responds.
"Sure, we have time, we're in no rush."
"Good," grinning Summer pulls Tate inside, shuts the door and kisses him.
When they finally break for a breath Tate adds, "yeah we definitely have time."
"Good, cause my parents are at a benefit and they won't be home until tomorrow morning."