I decided to post this chapter too. Hope you like it. Oh and because I keep forgetting, the songs in the last chapter were What's up Lonely by Kelly Clarkson and Where you want me by Blue. Now read…

"Hello?" Seth walked into the house with Summer following him. She loved his house. It was so warm and welcoming. Very unlike some of the houses in Newport.

"Seth!" his mother rushed into the room and embraced him. Seth patted her awkwardly on the back.

"Well uh hey mom. I didn't miss you that much"

"Sorry sweetie" She pulled away. She moved forward to hug Summer who gladly accepted, touched by the gesture.

"You two both ok?"

"Yes mom we're fine. I'm gonna shower. I'll be right back" Seth walked to his room hoping that Summer and his mother would be fine alone.

"Come in Summer. Have you had breakfast?"

Summer smiled. Kirsten was so nice. It was so hard not to like her.

"Yeah I have actually. Seth made me breakfast"

Kirsten looked surprised as they both made their way to the kitchen.

"Seth made you breakfast?"

Summer nodded as she took a seat. "Eggs and everything"

Kirsten smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. "He's just like his father. There was this one time when I was pregnant with Seth and I was so sick of being fat. He surprised me with dinner and everything supposedly was fat reduced. We ended up pigging out on ice cream after"

Summer smiled again feeling a little pang in her heart. What had her parents been like before she was born?

Kirsten put her cup down noticing the withdrawn look on Summer's face.

"So how are you feeling?"

Summer looked up from the countertop, surprised by the concern.

"Uh I'm ok. I guess"

"If you want to talk…" Kirsten looked at her questioningly.

Summer shook her head.

"I want to show you something"

Kirsten walked out of the kitchen. Summer followed her and found Kirsten picking up a photo album.

"Sit" she said patting the space next to her.

Summer sat down wondering what Kirsten was going to show her. Kirsten opened the album and there was a photo of a young Kirsten and Sandy laughing together. Kirsten was sitting on Sandy's lap. The looked so happy.

Summer smiled politely wondering why the hell she was showing her this.

"Don't worry about this one. For Seth this is blackmail material. He always has something to make fun of in this one"

She turned the page to a photo where Kirsten was standing next to a girl her age. It looked remarkably like the picture she had of her mother.

"Is that…"

"It's your mother. That's her in the picture"

Summer felt her heart stop for the second time that morning.

"That's my mom? You knew her?"

Kirsten nodded her eyes still on the photo.

"We were friends in Berkley. She was the one who set Sandy and me up in the first place"

Summer looked at her in revelation. They were friends?

Kirsten looked up as Seth walked into the living room, his hair still damp from the shower. He flopped down onto the couch and put his arm around Summer.

"What are we looking at? Oh the stone age pictures. Mom. Are you sure you want to show these to Summer? She might have a heart attack. Your clothes were so not in fashion then"  

"Seth you're mom knew my mom"

Seth looked over at his mom.

"You knew Summer's mom? How come you never told?"

Kirsten watched as Summer flipped the pages of the album, mesmerised and completely oblivious to the conversation that Seth and his mother were having.

"It never came up Seth"

"Even when we started going out?"

Kirsten took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you but it just never seemed like a good time"

"I think now seems like a good time"

Summer looked up from the pictures. The look in the girl's eyes softened her. Summer looked like the little innocent girl she was.

Kirsten nodded. "Ok"

She moved closer to Summer and flipped back to the first picture that Summer had seen.

"I met Nicole at Berkley in my second year. She was one of those people that everyone liked. She knew everyone but she was very private about her past. I wasn't like her. I was more into studying and she wanted to go partying every night"

Here Kirsten paused and waited for Seth to make a smart remark about her being a nerd. Surprisingly he said nothing so she continued.

"Nicole set Sandy and me up because she thought that someone completely opposite to me would help me go out more. Sandy and I hit off and that left her alone. As popular and beautiful as she was, she still hadn't found a guy yet. I got the idea that I would set her up with Ian even though you could say that he wasn't her type"

Seth interrupted, "So you being the blonde that you were thought the same thing would happen that happened between you and dad"

Kirsten ignored him and went on.

" Your mom and dad surprised everyone by announcing their engagement in our senior year at Berkley. I was at their wedding. It was so beautiful."

Summer kept her eyes on the picture trying hard not to cry. Oh God. Maybe I'm just like PMSing. That's why I'm being such a baby.

"Your dad never really got along with Sandy. Ian was one of those typical frat boys. Sandy wasn't. But somehow Ian convinced Sandy that we should get married. We did and then we had Seth. Summer, you were born a few months later. No one had ever seen Nicole that happy. She looked as if she was walking on clouds everyday"

"Your dad however was spending more and more time overseas. Nicole and your father started having little arguments. Your mom was working and your dad was never around. No one ever wanted to say 'I told you so' but it was bound to happen. Their marriage just never worked. It seemed that Ian was scared of a family. Your mom couldn't handle work, you and her relationship. No one knew that she would run away. Sandy and I wanted to help. But Nicole wasn't one to ask for help"

"Sounds like someone else I know," Seth muttered.

Summer slapped him on the knee while still watching Kirsten.

"I contacted your mom a few times after she left. One way or another she assured me that her 'break' wasn't my fault. She said that she was just taking a quick vacation and that she'd get back to her life soon. Months passed. We didn't talk as much and I lost track of the places she went to. She was running away from something but I don't know what. All I can say is that she loved you Summer. When you were born she told me that she wished that her life could be this great everyday"

Kirsten paused and studied Summer. Had she said too much?

She reached out and touched her knee

"Are you ok?"

Summer shook her head as tears started pouring down her face.

Oh my GOD! What the hell is wrong with me? I cry in front of one person and now I cry in front of everyone?

"I have to go," She managed to choke out and ran towards the front door. After giving his mother a quick, worried glance Seth ran out after her, closing the door behind him.

Kirsten stood and watched as her son ran to the door. Great. She had said too much. Sandy walked out of the kitchen.

"What just happened?"

Kirsten didn't reply. She just kept watching the front door.

"Kirsten?"

"Summer wanted to know about her mother. And I told her"

"About Nicole?"

Kirsten nodded and turned to face him.

"I feel like it's my fault"

"It's not your fault Kirsten. You know that"

Kirsten nodded and crossed her arms. Sandy moved forward and enveloped his wife in a hug. She accepted the embrace and gave in to her own need of comfort.

"I love you"

"I know," Sandy murmured kissing her shoulder.

She moved back and closed her eyes as Sandy kissed her softly on the forehead.

"You ok?"

Kirsten nodded.

"I will be. Where's Ryan?"

"He went out. Somewhere"

"You didn't ask where he was going?"

"I don't think he wanted to tell me"

Kirsten pursed her lips.

"You should have asked"

"I know. I did. I think he went to Marissa's. Unless he's got another girl that we don't know about"

"Seth would know"

"Yeah but I don't think you're gonna get time to ask" Sandy gestured to the window where Seth was comforting Summer.

"It's weird seeing Seth being mature"

Kirsten laughed.

"What?"

"Well I just never thought that he'd get Summer in the first place. And now when she's being sensitive I'm just surprised he can handle it"

"Well way to be an encouraging father"

 "I am! All those times when I pointed out Summer so he could talk to her. And I gave him pointers. Besides. Summer thinks I'm cool"

"For your information all those times when you pointed out Summer you were embarrassing the life out of your son. And Summer does not think you're cool. You think you're cool"

"I'm a cool dad"

Kirsten shook her head and glanced towards the doorway again.

"I hope she's ok"

"She'll be fine. I can give Seth some pointers on how to handle over emotional women who are sick of their overbearing fathers"

Kirsten smacked Sandy on the arm.

"I was not over emotional and Summer's father is anything but overbearing. Especially to her. And I'm afraid those pointers would go to waste dear. He's been ignoring your advice"

"He has not. How do you think he ended up with the girl?"

"Ryan"

"Ryan?"

Kirsten nodded.

"The whole time he was taking guidance from Ryan"

"No he wasn't! I was helping him. I was being encouraging and…" he trailed off. Come to think of it Seth had never actually done what he had told him to do.

"It's ok honey. I don't think you're a failure"

"Who said I was a failure?"

Kirsten shrugged a small smile playing around her lips.

"I don't know. Maybe you should stop being so overbearing"

Sandy pushed her slightly.

"Alright you win"

"I always win"

"Not always"

"Always"

"Hardly"

Kirsten leaned close to Sandy so that his lips were a few centimetres from her own.

"I always win and you know it"

Sandy closed the space between them and kissed his wife gently.

"I should take you out to dinner"

Kirsten pulled away from him and smirked.

"Yes we do need some time alone"

"Well then it's settled. I'll make arrangements"

Sandy had begun to walk away when Kirsten called out to him.

"Oh and Sandy?"

He turned.

She smiled.

"I win"

He smiled wryly and walked away.

Being the only woman in the house had its advantages.

I wanted to finish the chapter on a lighthearted note. More about what Ryan does and what Summer says to Seth in the next chapter. In the meantime review please! Oh and tell me where you think this is going and what you would like to happen. And I'll see what I can do…