Out of the corner of his eye, Sandy saw movement from outside the window. His heart leaped to his throat and he almost dropped his coffee to run out when he saw that Rosie was outside alone. But she hadn't been alone. Sandy fought the urge to run out anyway and moved to the side and watched from the window as Ryan, Marissa, and Rosie played together.

It was too late for Ryan and Seth to run around the house playing with each other, but it was nice to watch them hang out and play video games. It was nice to watch Ryan and Rosie get along so well too. And Marissa… No, Sandy wasn't going to think about that. If Ryan wanted a relationship with Marissa, Sandy was sure he could get one. Ryan was not only playing nicely with Rosie, but with the older girl as well. Sandy watched as he spoke and smiled and laughed, only touching any of the toys when severely prompted by one of the girls.

It boggled his mind that the young boy could be so awkward and uncomfortable around everything from adults to toys yet be so charming – at least Marissa looked like she was charmed – around teenage girls. Not only did it go the opposite way with Seth, but Sandy was pretty sure it went the opposite way with most teenage boys. Most boys spent the first decade and a half around toys and adults only to be thrown off by a pretty girl. Had Ryan spent more time around pretty girls than sane adults?

Ryan heard a loud, exaggerated gasp from behind him and shrunk slightly. An incredulous voice sounded from the side of the house.

"Are you guys having a tea party?" It may have taken Ryan a little while to pick apart the sarcasm and the real from Seth's statements and even longer for Ryan to realize that he wasn't actually an asshole, but he felt he almost had it down pat. He had the urge to think of something clever to say, but couldn't think of anything.

"Yeah, but Ryan's bad at it!" Apparently loud, asshole-like remarks were a Cohen child trait. Ryan vaguely wondered if his mocking cruelness would ever come out. Instead, he just sat and watched the others interact.

Sandy watched Rosie run inside past him and heard her brother – brothers – following.

"…total asshole. She's only going out with him because they've been dating since we were like twelve. Seriously though, I doubt they'll last much longer. Summer's pretty sure he's cheating on her…"

"Who're you boys talking about?"

"Marissa!" Sandy smiled back at his son who wriggled his eyebrows playfully as his other son rolled his eyes. "Ryan's in love with Marissa."

"I never said that."

"Well," Seth lightheartedly slapped Ryan on the back and Sandy took notice that he didn't flinch and smiled even wider, "you never say anything. But that's okay. I can speak for you. Except around Marissa because apparently you're a regular chatterbox. Well maybe not chatterbox but you were speaking almost as much as a normal human being would. But really? How are you so cool around girls? I couldn't even talk to the opposite sex until I was, like, well I think it was last year. Dad. Ryan said words. Like, almost complete sentences."

"A great first step to becoming a full-fledged Cohen." Sandy smiled and resisted the urge to give Ryan a hug. He wondered how long it would be before Ryan would let him freely show affection. Even after Seth became self-dubbed "too old" for hugs and kisses, he would still succumb to them occasionally with minimal whining.

"Back to Marissa."

"I never asked for this." Ryan's voice was much quieter than Seth's. Sandy had to actually look over to him to see that he was talking to Sandy directly.

"Oh you asked with your eyes and you know it. Anyway…" Ryan broke out into a small smile. He had come so far in less than two weeks. When he had first come home, he looked like he was going to vomit out of anxiety every time he was in the room with anyone. Now, he was joking around with Seth. Sandy held his breath and took a plunge. He slowly brought his hand up and rested it on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan looked somewhat uncomfortable, but not too scared.

Sandy exhaled and smiled. "I wish you luck. With Marissa and with Seth."

"I never even said I liked her!" Ryan threw his head back and laughed. He was half annoyed and half exhausted from listening to Seth ramble on. Or maybe he was partly annoyed, partly exhausted, and partly enjoying himself.

Trey had been teasing Ryan about just about anything and everything ever since Ryan could remember. It may have been the fact that Trey was kind of an asshole and Ryan never talked much, but it seemed to be their main form of communication. Ryan wondered where Trey was and if he was okay. Maybe he could ask Sandy if it would be all right to see him. Or maybe just call? Maybe Sandy didn't want Ryan talking to him.

"Ryan. Ryan. Ryan. Ryan." Seth and Ryan's relationship had gotten to a point where Ryan would occasionally space out and not even pretend like he was listening and Seth would notice and impatiently wait for him to snap back to reality. Ryan laughed and looked back at Seth. "But come on! You and Marissa and me and Summer would be the greatest thing ever! It would be like a movie! A movie that ends with a sad, crying Luke sitting alone by himself while we drive away in a convertible or something."

"I don't know." Ryan shrugged. He was already too comfortable with the Cohens. He knew that it was all going to end soon but he had been ignoring that little voice that reminded him more and more every day. Getting attached to a girl, a really pretty girl, might be too much when it was all ripped away from him.

"Why not?"

"Fine. We'll see."