See info, disclaimer, etc in Ch. 1
A/N I don't hate Seth, really I don't. He is still dead though.
Chapter 2
Anna stood awkwardly next to Summer. She hadn't known where to stand, where in Seth's life she had fit in. There were no chairs and the service had been mercifully short. The rabbi was saying the final prayer and Anna couldn't shut her eyes. If she shut her eyes she would cry and her dignity would not allow Anna to grieve for Seth in public. That wasn't her right. Summer was Seth's girlfriend; she would be the one to cry for everyone to see.
Summer stood straight with her eyes closed. She felt Anna wriggle next to her. Summer wished she would go away. Seth had been Summer's boyfriend after all. He'd been a good boyfriend. Even if he was sort of a geek, he more than made up for it in the romance department. Summer let out a small mournful sigh and felt Marissa grab her hand in a gesture of support. Summer squeezed her friend's hand in a thank you.
Marissa held Summer's hand and wished it was Ryan's. She wanted to be with him right now, comforting him. Things were awkward though. Seth's dying hadn't automatically fixed that. Poor Seth, poor Ryan. She smiled at him standing with Sandy and Kirsten, trying to fill in for the son they'd lost.
Ryan caught Marissa's smile and quickly closed his eyes. She wanted to comfort him he presumed. So had Theresa when he finally told her what had happened. She had wanted to come today, but Ryan had asked her to stay home. He'd visit the hotel later today, maybe, she could comfort him then. Ryan heard Kirsten finally start to cry, she'd been sniffling delicately since the service had begun. Ryan wrapped an arm around her in an awkward sideways hug.
"Thank you," she whispered, crying a little harder. Sandy moved around Ryan to his wife's side. It had taken the loss of Seth to make them a family and somehow that was so sad.
Julie's family was separated throughout the cemetery. Jimmy stood with several people Julie hadn't recognized, she assumed they were from the restaurant. Marissa stood with Summer, comforting her. She was such a good friend. Caleb was here too, grieving the loss of his only grandchild. As offended as she'd been by his "booty call" maybe she would drop by tonight. Or not, she spotted Luke with his Water Polo buddies. He looked away as she smiled at him.
"Amen." The rabbi concluded, "The Cohen's request that you please join us for refreshments." The rabbi gestured at tables under a striped awning laden with food.
"We request that people join us for refreshments?" Ryan repeated. It sounded inane.
"It's polite," Kirsten explained, slowly opening her eyes, "and it keeps people from dropping by the house to talk."
"It's silly." Sandy stated. "Seth would think it's silly," he shut his mouth suddenly.
"No. You're right," Kirsten rested her hand on Sandy's arm. "He would."
"Seth would think this whole thing is silly," Ryan pointed out. "Look at all of these people. They aren't his real friends. They're just here, just here for the free food!" Ryan exclaimed. Sandy and Kirsten both chuckled softly.
"Maybe so," Kirsten acknowledged. "But they're still our guests and we need to mingle." She stepped away from Sandy and Ryan. "Come on," she prodded. They followed her to the awning.
"Ryan!" Marissa embraced him. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," Ryan resorted to mono-syllables.
"Are you sure?" Ryan nodded. "Well I'm staying with my mom for awhile so if you need me, I'm right next door," Marissa assured him. Seeing Summer talking to Anna out of the corner of her eye Marissa took her opportunity to escape.
"Summer," Anna approached her sometime-friend. "I'm so sorry for your loss." Summer smiled gently.
"He was everybody's loss, don't you think?" she pointed out. Anna smiled with relief.
"You're right. This isn't as weird as I thought it might be."
"Anna," Summer chided, "what could be weird about you and me chatting at the edge of Seth's grave?" Anna laughed.
"You spent too much time around Seth," Anna clapped her hand over her mouth as Summer's eyes filled with tears. "Oh god, I didn't mean it like that Summer!"
"Is everything okay here?" Marissa approached. Anna fled, leaving Marissa to comfort a grieving Summer.
Anna spotted Ryan standing alone in front of Seth's grave, picking at a plate of unripe fruit.
"Hey Ryan," she greeted him.
"Anna. How are you?"
"Not too well actually. You?" Anna inquired.
"The same," Anna nodded and began to walk away. "He loved you, you know."
"What?" Anna turned around.
"We were talking about it the other day. He loved you," Ryan repeated.
"He chose Summer," Anna pointed out.
"He wanted Summer. He loved you," Ryan told her.
"I loved him," Anna touched his headstone, her eyes filling with tears. "It doesn't matter." Ryan put his arm around Anna.
"He has a view of the sea," Ryan observed. "I was hoping he would."
"Yeah," Anna sighed. "It's a gorgeous day for sailing, I bet that's what Seth would be doing right now."
"Probably," Ryan agreed. "Do you thing there are oceans in heaven? Do you believe in heaven?"
"I don't know, but there are oceans here," Anna paused. "What do you say Ryan, join me in a Seth Cohen memorial sail?"
"I'm not a very good first mate," Ryan warned. "But if you'll have me?"
"Let's get out of here."
A/N I don't hate Seth, really I don't. He is still dead though.
Chapter 2
Anna stood awkwardly next to Summer. She hadn't known where to stand, where in Seth's life she had fit in. There were no chairs and the service had been mercifully short. The rabbi was saying the final prayer and Anna couldn't shut her eyes. If she shut her eyes she would cry and her dignity would not allow Anna to grieve for Seth in public. That wasn't her right. Summer was Seth's girlfriend; she would be the one to cry for everyone to see.
Summer stood straight with her eyes closed. She felt Anna wriggle next to her. Summer wished she would go away. Seth had been Summer's boyfriend after all. He'd been a good boyfriend. Even if he was sort of a geek, he more than made up for it in the romance department. Summer let out a small mournful sigh and felt Marissa grab her hand in a gesture of support. Summer squeezed her friend's hand in a thank you.
Marissa held Summer's hand and wished it was Ryan's. She wanted to be with him right now, comforting him. Things were awkward though. Seth's dying hadn't automatically fixed that. Poor Seth, poor Ryan. She smiled at him standing with Sandy and Kirsten, trying to fill in for the son they'd lost.
Ryan caught Marissa's smile and quickly closed his eyes. She wanted to comfort him he presumed. So had Theresa when he finally told her what had happened. She had wanted to come today, but Ryan had asked her to stay home. He'd visit the hotel later today, maybe, she could comfort him then. Ryan heard Kirsten finally start to cry, she'd been sniffling delicately since the service had begun. Ryan wrapped an arm around her in an awkward sideways hug.
"Thank you," she whispered, crying a little harder. Sandy moved around Ryan to his wife's side. It had taken the loss of Seth to make them a family and somehow that was so sad.
Julie's family was separated throughout the cemetery. Jimmy stood with several people Julie hadn't recognized, she assumed they were from the restaurant. Marissa stood with Summer, comforting her. She was such a good friend. Caleb was here too, grieving the loss of his only grandchild. As offended as she'd been by his "booty call" maybe she would drop by tonight. Or not, she spotted Luke with his Water Polo buddies. He looked away as she smiled at him.
"Amen." The rabbi concluded, "The Cohen's request that you please join us for refreshments." The rabbi gestured at tables under a striped awning laden with food.
"We request that people join us for refreshments?" Ryan repeated. It sounded inane.
"It's polite," Kirsten explained, slowly opening her eyes, "and it keeps people from dropping by the house to talk."
"It's silly." Sandy stated. "Seth would think it's silly," he shut his mouth suddenly.
"No. You're right," Kirsten rested her hand on Sandy's arm. "He would."
"Seth would think this whole thing is silly," Ryan pointed out. "Look at all of these people. They aren't his real friends. They're just here, just here for the free food!" Ryan exclaimed. Sandy and Kirsten both chuckled softly.
"Maybe so," Kirsten acknowledged. "But they're still our guests and we need to mingle." She stepped away from Sandy and Ryan. "Come on," she prodded. They followed her to the awning.
"Ryan!" Marissa embraced him. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," Ryan resorted to mono-syllables.
"Are you sure?" Ryan nodded. "Well I'm staying with my mom for awhile so if you need me, I'm right next door," Marissa assured him. Seeing Summer talking to Anna out of the corner of her eye Marissa took her opportunity to escape.
"Summer," Anna approached her sometime-friend. "I'm so sorry for your loss." Summer smiled gently.
"He was everybody's loss, don't you think?" she pointed out. Anna smiled with relief.
"You're right. This isn't as weird as I thought it might be."
"Anna," Summer chided, "what could be weird about you and me chatting at the edge of Seth's grave?" Anna laughed.
"You spent too much time around Seth," Anna clapped her hand over her mouth as Summer's eyes filled with tears. "Oh god, I didn't mean it like that Summer!"
"Is everything okay here?" Marissa approached. Anna fled, leaving Marissa to comfort a grieving Summer.
Anna spotted Ryan standing alone in front of Seth's grave, picking at a plate of unripe fruit.
"Hey Ryan," she greeted him.
"Anna. How are you?"
"Not too well actually. You?" Anna inquired.
"The same," Anna nodded and began to walk away. "He loved you, you know."
"What?" Anna turned around.
"We were talking about it the other day. He loved you," Ryan repeated.
"He chose Summer," Anna pointed out.
"He wanted Summer. He loved you," Ryan told her.
"I loved him," Anna touched his headstone, her eyes filling with tears. "It doesn't matter." Ryan put his arm around Anna.
"He has a view of the sea," Ryan observed. "I was hoping he would."
"Yeah," Anna sighed. "It's a gorgeous day for sailing, I bet that's what Seth would be doing right now."
"Probably," Ryan agreed. "Do you thing there are oceans in heaven? Do you believe in heaven?"
"I don't know, but there are oceans here," Anna paused. "What do you say Ryan, join me in a Seth Cohen memorial sail?"
"I'm not a very good first mate," Ryan warned. "But if you'll have me?"
"Let's get out of here."