Even though Marissa started to pack up before him, Ryan managed to
finish before she did. She double-checked to make sure nothing was left
behind.
"We got everything. Let's hurry before Seth gets any worse than he already is." Ryan mentioned.
"Yeah. The ride is going to be long."
Summer and Seth were waiting already for them down in the lobby and Seth was overjoyed to see that they finally finished.
"I'll drive us home." Seth said.
Ryan put some of the bags into the car while the people who worked in the place put in the rest. As soon as everything was in place, Seth stepped on the gas. Summer was shocked to see that he knew that a car can go that fast. Usually he drove like an old lady.
During one point in their trip back they hit some heavy traffic. Hearing Seth complain caused Ryan and Marissa to wake up in the backseat.
"You two are surely tired. What, you two did not sleep last night, or something?" Summer asked.
Ryan and Marissa both looked at each other knowing what the other was thinking. The grins on their faces gave Summer an answer without having them say a word.
"I don't need to know. Never mind." Summer said.
"We are not even moving! What is this?" Seth yelled.
"Chill Cohen. Things will be okay. We will make it eventually."
Luckily the traffic eased up after forty minutes and they were back to going over the speed limit. Everyone else was happy in the car to have peace and quiet from Seth's complaining. When they eventually arrived back at the Cohen house, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The house looked just as they had left it, and there was not sign from the outside that someone broke in, or any suspicious activity occurred. Ryan was now a little irritated that Seth probably freaked out for nothing.
"Okay I'll go in first. You three just stay in the car. I'll make sure things are clear." Seth said.
"You're not going in first. No offence, but I think you wouldn't be able to handle it if something was not right in there, or if someone broke in." Ryan mentioned.
"Maybe you're right. You walk in first."
Ryan opened the door and had a surprised look on his face.
"Surprise. Happy Birthday Ryan!" All in the house shouted.
"I uh..." Ryan just couldn't speak.
"I guess this plan worked. Happy Birthday bro." Seth said.
"I don't know what to say, but thank you and Seth I'm going to kill you." Ryan joked.
Ryan looked at Summer and Marissa suspiciously.
"Don't look at me. I had not part in this scheme." Marissa said with her hands up.
"Seth did not say a word either. You know I wouldn't be able to hold back from telling you." Summer spoke.
"This was all my plan I have to admit. Guilty as charged. When I found out when your birthday was I couldn't help, but plan this surprise." Sandy admitted.
"Thanks Sandy."
"I'm surprised Seth kept this for that long. I thought he would have spilled the beans." Sandy joked.
"Happy Birthday Ryan. I obviously have your gift at my house. I was going to give it to you when we got back." Marissa said.
"It's okay. You didn't have to get me anything. Last night was good enough for me." Ryan grinned.
Ryan hugged Kirsten for helping to throw this birthday party, but that wasn't the last of his surprise. She told him that someone was waiting for him outside by the pool. He asked her who it was, but she told him that he needed to see for himself. Ryan told Marissa that he would be back in a sec and she just sat down and conversed with the other people who were there.
When he opened the doors to the back of the house, he saw the one person he did not expect to see.
"Hi Ryan. Happy Birthday!" Dawn said.
"Mom."
"Your brother wishes he could be here. He sends his wishes."
"I don't know what to say."
"You know I had to see you on your birthday. I still love you, you know."
"I love you too mom. I'm glad you decided to come by and see me. I almost expected you to forget me altogether."
"It has been a long time. Sandy and Kirsten have been telling me how great you have been doing in school and everything else. I do miss you."
"I think about you sometimes, but I know things will never go back. I'm happy and I hope you are happy too. Are you?"
"Yeah, Ryan. I have a steady job now for six months and I am living with a friend of mine. Things are looking up finally."
"That's great."
"I could visit you more often here if you would like that. I mean now that I am getting my life back on track."
"I would like that very much. Let's go inside. I'm sure you're hungry and Kirsten probably has some good take out food for the guests."
Dawn laughed and they went inside the house. Sandy and Kirsten were glad to see that they got to see each other again and that they were actually on good terms. Dawn let Ryan go back to Marissa, Seth, and Summer because she didn't want to hold him back from having a good time with his friends. She went back to talking with Kirsten about everything that has happened since last August.
Even Julie wished him a happy birthday and he was surprised that she did. He guessed she did have a heart after all. Too bad she only showed it rarely. There had been quite a bunch of people there. The only one that seemed to be missing was Caleb. He probably was in his office working and decided that his birthday was not a priority. Ryan didn't care much about that anyway. The support he got from Kirsten and Sandy was enough for him.
"So what did you mom say to you?" Marissa asked.
"She told me that she was doing good and that she was going to try to visit here often. I'm surprised that she has been doing well. I think now she is finally trying to make things right."
"That's so good Ryan. Even though you have the Cohens it is good to have your real mom there for you too."
"And I'm glad that you are here with me too. It took a while, but it is always worth it."
"I'll be there for you as long as you need me."
Ryan and Marissa kissed and held hands. He was happy that this happened to be the first birthday party where there were no fights, or cops involved. It was finally a normal party. In his childhood, the parties were more of a joke. The day was just like any other day and the only thing special about it was the hat he got at a local burger place. The only present he received was from his mother and it was usually an ugly shirt, which he didn't wear any way.
When Seth showed him the amount of presents he was getting today, Ryan couldn't help, but beam at the amount. There must have been at least thirty gifts in that corner. This was more than he expected to get in a lifetime.
"Somewhere in there is a gift from me. I hope you like it." Seth said.
"You didn't have to get me anything. Your parents didn't have to either. They have done enough for me to fulfill a lifetime worth of birthdays. Just taking me in was good for me."
"Well if you don't want it...."
"I'll still take it, but I'm just saying you didn't have to."
"Here comes the birthday cake. Ryan come over here." Kirsten yelled.
Everyone gathered around in the kitchen by the huge, blue, strawberry birthday cake.
"We got everything. Let's hurry before Seth gets any worse than he already is." Ryan mentioned.
"Yeah. The ride is going to be long."
Summer and Seth were waiting already for them down in the lobby and Seth was overjoyed to see that they finally finished.
"I'll drive us home." Seth said.
Ryan put some of the bags into the car while the people who worked in the place put in the rest. As soon as everything was in place, Seth stepped on the gas. Summer was shocked to see that he knew that a car can go that fast. Usually he drove like an old lady.
During one point in their trip back they hit some heavy traffic. Hearing Seth complain caused Ryan and Marissa to wake up in the backseat.
"You two are surely tired. What, you two did not sleep last night, or something?" Summer asked.
Ryan and Marissa both looked at each other knowing what the other was thinking. The grins on their faces gave Summer an answer without having them say a word.
"I don't need to know. Never mind." Summer said.
"We are not even moving! What is this?" Seth yelled.
"Chill Cohen. Things will be okay. We will make it eventually."
Luckily the traffic eased up after forty minutes and they were back to going over the speed limit. Everyone else was happy in the car to have peace and quiet from Seth's complaining. When they eventually arrived back at the Cohen house, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The house looked just as they had left it, and there was not sign from the outside that someone broke in, or any suspicious activity occurred. Ryan was now a little irritated that Seth probably freaked out for nothing.
"Okay I'll go in first. You three just stay in the car. I'll make sure things are clear." Seth said.
"You're not going in first. No offence, but I think you wouldn't be able to handle it if something was not right in there, or if someone broke in." Ryan mentioned.
"Maybe you're right. You walk in first."
Ryan opened the door and had a surprised look on his face.
"Surprise. Happy Birthday Ryan!" All in the house shouted.
"I uh..." Ryan just couldn't speak.
"I guess this plan worked. Happy Birthday bro." Seth said.
"I don't know what to say, but thank you and Seth I'm going to kill you." Ryan joked.
Ryan looked at Summer and Marissa suspiciously.
"Don't look at me. I had not part in this scheme." Marissa said with her hands up.
"Seth did not say a word either. You know I wouldn't be able to hold back from telling you." Summer spoke.
"This was all my plan I have to admit. Guilty as charged. When I found out when your birthday was I couldn't help, but plan this surprise." Sandy admitted.
"Thanks Sandy."
"I'm surprised Seth kept this for that long. I thought he would have spilled the beans." Sandy joked.
"Happy Birthday Ryan. I obviously have your gift at my house. I was going to give it to you when we got back." Marissa said.
"It's okay. You didn't have to get me anything. Last night was good enough for me." Ryan grinned.
Ryan hugged Kirsten for helping to throw this birthday party, but that wasn't the last of his surprise. She told him that someone was waiting for him outside by the pool. He asked her who it was, but she told him that he needed to see for himself. Ryan told Marissa that he would be back in a sec and she just sat down and conversed with the other people who were there.
When he opened the doors to the back of the house, he saw the one person he did not expect to see.
"Hi Ryan. Happy Birthday!" Dawn said.
"Mom."
"Your brother wishes he could be here. He sends his wishes."
"I don't know what to say."
"You know I had to see you on your birthday. I still love you, you know."
"I love you too mom. I'm glad you decided to come by and see me. I almost expected you to forget me altogether."
"It has been a long time. Sandy and Kirsten have been telling me how great you have been doing in school and everything else. I do miss you."
"I think about you sometimes, but I know things will never go back. I'm happy and I hope you are happy too. Are you?"
"Yeah, Ryan. I have a steady job now for six months and I am living with a friend of mine. Things are looking up finally."
"That's great."
"I could visit you more often here if you would like that. I mean now that I am getting my life back on track."
"I would like that very much. Let's go inside. I'm sure you're hungry and Kirsten probably has some good take out food for the guests."
Dawn laughed and they went inside the house. Sandy and Kirsten were glad to see that they got to see each other again and that they were actually on good terms. Dawn let Ryan go back to Marissa, Seth, and Summer because she didn't want to hold him back from having a good time with his friends. She went back to talking with Kirsten about everything that has happened since last August.
Even Julie wished him a happy birthday and he was surprised that she did. He guessed she did have a heart after all. Too bad she only showed it rarely. There had been quite a bunch of people there. The only one that seemed to be missing was Caleb. He probably was in his office working and decided that his birthday was not a priority. Ryan didn't care much about that anyway. The support he got from Kirsten and Sandy was enough for him.
"So what did you mom say to you?" Marissa asked.
"She told me that she was doing good and that she was going to try to visit here often. I'm surprised that she has been doing well. I think now she is finally trying to make things right."
"That's so good Ryan. Even though you have the Cohens it is good to have your real mom there for you too."
"And I'm glad that you are here with me too. It took a while, but it is always worth it."
"I'll be there for you as long as you need me."
Ryan and Marissa kissed and held hands. He was happy that this happened to be the first birthday party where there were no fights, or cops involved. It was finally a normal party. In his childhood, the parties were more of a joke. The day was just like any other day and the only thing special about it was the hat he got at a local burger place. The only present he received was from his mother and it was usually an ugly shirt, which he didn't wear any way.
When Seth showed him the amount of presents he was getting today, Ryan couldn't help, but beam at the amount. There must have been at least thirty gifts in that corner. This was more than he expected to get in a lifetime.
"Somewhere in there is a gift from me. I hope you like it." Seth said.
"You didn't have to get me anything. Your parents didn't have to either. They have done enough for me to fulfill a lifetime worth of birthdays. Just taking me in was good for me."
"Well if you don't want it...."
"I'll still take it, but I'm just saying you didn't have to."
"Here comes the birthday cake. Ryan come over here." Kirsten yelled.
Everyone gathered around in the kitchen by the huge, blue, strawberry birthday cake.