Thanks for all the great reviews. It's fun to see people's reactions… Will Ryan accept, should he change his name and what was up with Caleb at the Crab Shack? Everyone is so perceptive and it makes it exciting to write the next chapter. Keep reading. Keep enjoying and please keep reviewing.
Oh yeah, Usual disclaimers apply.
Ryan pushed the food around his plate not really eating anything, but hoping Kirsten would think he was. It didn't work. She eyed his plate suspiciously and asked, "What? Do you think I did the cooking? This meal was compliments of the grill king." She pointed her chin at Sandy. "I vowed that I would not cook in this house. I've been keeping my promise," she insisted.
"The food is fine. It's just that I met Marissa at the Crab Shack after my session with Dr. Acobas. I'm sorry. I didn't think it would kill my appetite for dinner."
"You don't have to be sorry, Ryan. I just noticed you weren't eating and wanted to make sure everything was all right."
"You've just been very quiet since – since we asked to adopt you," Sandy added.
"Sorry about that."
"You don't have to be sorry," Kirsten and Sandy cried simultaneously.
"I'm sorry."
They all burst out laughing.
The laughter dissipated some of the tension that had been building around the table. Ryan put down his fork and took the opportunity to tell the Cohens about his encounter with Caleb Nichol.
"So he asked me to work for the Newport Group this summer," he concluded.
"He did?" Kirsten asked, surprise in her voice.
"What was Grandpa doing at the Crab Shack?"
Kirsten and Sandy exchanged glances over the boys' heads.
"No idea. Could have blown me over with a feather. Marissa too. I thought she was going to bite his head off when he asked about her mother."
Sandy guffawed, some of the wine he had just sipped spluttering from his mouth. "There's a little of Julie in Marissa after all."
Ryan smiled. He couldn't deny that. Though thankfully that side of her didn't come out very often.
"I didn't know Mr. Nichol knew my name, let alone knew anything about me."
"He's your grandpa too, Ryan. If you'll let him be." Seth put a heaping forkful of rice into his mouth. "You just have to be open to the idea." He waved around his now empty fork. "Grandpa isn't that bad." Ryan raised his brows at Seth. "Oh, don't give me that look. You know what I mean."
"That's not –"
"Careful Ryan," Seth said out of the side of his mouth, though Sandy and Kirsten could hear perfectly. "The parents are in the room. They do control my future."
"Seth, it's no secret. I know how you feel about my father."
"He's my grandfather. I love him. He just scares me sometimes."
"He scares me too," Kirsten admitted. "Does he scare you, Ryan?"
He shrugged.
"Regardless, my father knows how much you mean to us. He wants you to feel as much a part of the family as we want you to feel."
Kirsten picked up her plate and Sandy's too. She attempted to take Seth's plate, but he cried, "still eating."
"I'll do the dishes," offered Ryan, getting up from the table.
When the boys were in their rooms and Sandy was busy on his laptop Kirsten dialed her father's number.
"Daddy."
"Hey Kiki. So did it work?"
"It made an impression. Thank you. I know how hard it was for you."
Caleb grunted.
"Tell me the truth Daddy, you're starting to like Ryan?"
"Honestly, Kiki, I barely know the kid. But I see you've fallen for him and he can't be any worse than that rogue husband of yours. At least he's young enough to be molded into something other than a bleeding heart liberal."
Kirsten chuckled. "Now I know you're starting to like him."
"Kiki…"
"Don't worry Dad, I'll keep your secret." Kirsten twisted the chord of the phone around her finger until it turned white. "I owe you one."
"Nah," said Caleb. "This one's a freebie."
She let Caleb veer the subject to business, but hung up the phone when she noticed Sandy standing behind her.
"I knew Ryan's encounter with Caleb sounded a little implausible," he said.
Kirsten chewed on her lip, trying to hide her guilty smile. "It was a little over the top. But it worked a little."
"I know. He seemed pleased that Caleb took an interest in him."
"So you're not angry with me?"
"I could never be angry with you." He kissed Kirsten lightly on the lips and said, "I'm going to take the garbage out. Tomorrow's collection day."
"You're so good to me."
"And don't forget it." He patted her on the ass and went outside.
He didn't expect to see Ryan out front smoking a cigarette. "I thought you were studying," Sandy said as he watched Ryan scramble for a place to put out his butt.
Sandy leaned against the gate. "Thought you quit."
Ryan held up the extinguished smoke. "Would you believe this pack is still from Chino?"
"Is stupid tattooed to my face?"
"No. But I thought I saw it on your ear."
"So, how often do you smoke?"
"Not too often. Just when I need to calm my nerves. Like after a nightmare."
"And you expected me to believe that pack was left from your days in Chino?"
Ryan shrugged.
"Did you fall asleep over your books and have another nightmare?"
"No."
"Is it this adoption thing that's making you so nervous?" When Ryan didn't say anything, Sandy continued, "It wasn't supposed to be like this. Kirsten and I thought you would want to be adopted. But if this isn't what you want, you can tell us. Don't be afraid."
"I lied to Dr. Acobas," Ryan said suddenly.
Sandy leaned forward a bit.
"Lied? How?" he asked.
"I know I'm supposed to be honest in there and I try to be. It's not always easy," he explained quickly.
"You've been very good about the sessions, Ryan. We know you're trying."
Ryan sat down on the edge of the curb. "We were talking about the adoption and I explained that I was hesitating because I was scared to face my fa—Roger," he amended.
"Ryan, if you want us to adopt you, you don't actually have to go and see your father for him to sign over his rights," Sandy explained.
"But I lied. I'm not afraid to see Roger." Ryan kicked a pebble. "I- I'm afraid he will sign over his rights." Ryan wouldn't meet Sandy's eyes.
"I don't understand."
"Dawn kicked me out. She left me. But Roger he was put in jail. It's not like he left me on purpose."
Sandy sat down beside Ryan.
"It was so easy for Dawn to just say get out. I'd like to think that at least my dad wants to keep me around." Ryan looked at Sandy. "I know it doesn't make any sense. He hasn't been my dad for like eight years. Since you took me in, you've been more of a dad to me than he ever was. So why should it matter?"
"It does matter." Sandy put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "I didn't mean for this to happen. It wasn't supposed to be another pressure. It was our way of saying that you're part of our family and that nothing you say or do will change that."
"I want to be yours and Kirsten's son. I want to be Seth's brother. Stealing that car with Trey was the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Excuse me?"
Ryan laughed a hollow laugh. "I know it sounds crazy. But if Trey and I hadn't tried to steal that car, I wouldn't have needed a lawyer. My mom wouldn't have thrown me out. You wouldn't have taken me in."
"Okay, okay, I get it. It was fate."
"No one has ever cared for me like you have. I mean I'm still getting used to letting you know where I'm going and what my plans are. I don't have to forge my report card anymore, because there's actually someone who wants to see it and is sober enough to sign their name. Last week when I tried to run and you grounded me and started to chauffer me around like – like I was a delinquent, I liked it, because you gave a damn."
"I won't tell anyone that I heard that."
"I just don't know how to make it all work together. I can't have it both ways."
"So we don't adopt you or Kirsten can just adopt you. You'll still be our son. You'll still be part of our family."
Ryan put his head in his hands and Sandy rubbed his neck.
"Can't you just tell me what to do?" he asked.
"No can do. This is one is entirely up to you."
"Come on, you're always trying to tell me what to do. Why can't you do it this time?"
"I told you to quit smoking and you listened real well to that."
Ryan chortled. "I'm a teenager, I'm supposed to break the rules sometimes."
"You're nearly a man, Ryan. And this decision is yours to make. If this had to do with curfew or schoolwork, I'd be happy to lay down the law, but this is a personal decision."
Sandy stood up and wiped off the seat of his pants. "Kirsten will wonder why it's taking me so long to take out the garbage. You coming inside?"
"I think I'll sit out here a little while longer."
"Sure thing," Sandy said, stretching out his hands. "Just hand over those cigarettes."
Reluctantly, Ryan turned over the half empty pack of smokes. He had planned to light one up.
"And the one you put out but never threw away."
Ryan grinned as he handed over the last cigarette. It wasn't easy to fool Sandy and he liked that.