Ryan didn't say much more on the ride home, although he somehow felt a little better. He still felt guilty, but it was nice to know that Kirsten didn't think he was just like Dawn. She could still be wrong, Ryan thought. He did, after all, abandon them when he went back to Chino, although Kirsten was right about one thing. His reasons for leaving were a lot different than Dawn's. He didn't mean to hurt them. That was an accident. A careless, thoughtless accident. And it wasn't because he didn't love them or need them. He just didn't understand that they could love him and need him just as much. He had been surprised when Kirsten actually admitted that she liked that someone would mistake him for her son. If that was true, it also made Ryan happy.

Ryan had hoped for some Seth/Ryan time when he got home. He wanted to apologize for the way he acted in the morning, and see if Seth wanted some friendly play station competition. Unfortunately, Kirsten had other ideas. After lunch, she banned Ryan to the den couch, with the threat that if he didn't relax and try to get some sleep, she'd make him go back up and stay in bed. She then banned Seth from going into the den. Ryan couldn't rest if Seth was there, so Seth went up to his room, to play on the computer and call Summer. Kirsten then went into the office to work on launching the all new Newport Residential Group, leaving Ryan, once again, alone to sleep.

But Ryan didn't want to sleep, not again. He picked up the remote control and ran through all the channels, twice. As he started to run through the channels again, he heard Sandy say, "So, you look bored."

"There's nothing on." Ryan told him as he turned off the television, "How was court?"

"Wow, you must be bored," Sandy laughed, "Court was court. I can't believe Seth hasn't set up the play station yet."

"He tried," Ryan said, "But Kirsten said no. Said I already had enough activity going to the doctor's, and if I wanted to stay downstairs, I had to lie on the couch and relax."

"Yeah. Well, she's probably right. You do need to rest." Sandy told him.

Ryan just sighed and shook his head. "That's all I've done for five days," he said, "The doctor said I can start moving around."

"No," Sandy corrected, "The doctor said you didn't have to stay in bed the whole time, but if you wanted to move to the couch, you could, provided that's all the moving you did. You forget you let Kirsten stay in the room."

"But I can still move." Ryan told him. He was trying not to sound annoyed. He wasn't annoyed at them, but he was definitely getting annoyed at all the lying around he was expected to do.

And either Sandy didn't notice that Ryan was getting annoyed, or he didn't much care, because he told Ryan,

"Sure you can move. From the bed to the couch, back to the bed. And that's it. If you're bored, read a book. You've got just over a month to finish the summer reading."

When Ryan just made a face, Sandy told him, "Wait, I've got something for you."

Ryan watched as Sandy went over to the bookshelf next to the television and pull out two books.

"Here," Sandy said as he handed the books to Ryan, "You might get a kick out of looking at these."

"Photo albums?" Ryan asked. He knew Sandy was leading up to something.

"Yeah. We were just looking at these when you guys were on vacation." Sandy told him.

"Vacation?" Ryan repeated. Sandy couldn't really believe that two months in Chino was a vacation.

"Well," Sandy laughed, "That's what Seth is now calling it. Anyway, we were just looking at these, and I think you'll really enjoy them, too."

Ryan knew that Sandy was definitely getting at something, but he just shrugged. There was nothing on television, he didn't want to work on his summer reading assignments, and he certainly didn't want to get any more sleep, so looking at the albums could be interesting.

Ryan opened the first album, and realized that it started with the first weekend Ryan was in Newport. The first page contained pictures of them at that fashion show the second night he was there, and they continued from there. Ryan didn't have much to say as he quietly stared at the pictures that depicted his first year with the Cohens. He had never stopped to realize everything they had all done together.

"I like this one." Sandy told him, pointing to a picture of Ryan during one of his soccer games.

"Oh, no," Ryan told him, "That one has to go."

He tried to remove it from the album but Sandy stopped him,

"Why? Kirsten loves that picture, too. That was a great game," he told Ryan.

"Sandy, I'm covered in mud." Ryan said, "I never thought it would all come off."

"Yes, one of the few really rainy days in Newport." Sandy laughed.

Ryan studied the picture for a minute remembering that day, before telling Sandy, "You guys stayed the whole game."

Sandy just shrugged, "Well, it was a good game."

Ryan continued to flip through the album, stopping every so often as Sandy commented on one picture or another.

Sandy pointed to their holiday photo before telling Ryan, "Now that's my favorite. Kirsten's too. Your first Chrismukkah. That was fun."

Ryan only nodded at first. Yeah, he remembered Chrismukkah. He also remembered what Sandy said to him back then. He didn't have to be the parent anymore, not as long as he was with them.

"What, are you going to tell me you didn't enjoy the whole Chrismukkah experience?" Sandy asked, interrupting Ryan's thoughts.

"I never said that." Ryan told him, "Chrismukkah was interesting. Definitely interesting. It was just a lot different then any holiday I'd ever experienced before. I mean, it was much better, but definitely different."

The final set of pictures in the album was from Caleb and Julie's wedding. When Ryan came to a picture of him and Marissa at the wedding, the night he left, he stared at it for a while before telling Sandy, "I think I should call Marissa."

Sandy nodded and told him, "I think she'd like that. I know she comes by at least once a day and she calls a number of times as well, checking to see how you're doing."

"Is she...?" Ryan started to ask and then corrected himself, "How is she doing?"

"She's okay," Sandy said slowly, trying to choose his words, "Better knowing that you're back home. I think she'll be even better once she can see you, talk to you."

"Yeah, I hope it helps," he told Sandy, "I should have called her sooner, tried to help her sooner."

"No, you needed to help yourself." Sandy told him.

"Ryan," Sandy continued, "Don't try to save her. Just let her know you're here, that you're home, and she can talk to you if she wants, but don't try to save her."

"I don't get it. Save her?" Ryan asked. He had no idea what Sandy was referring to when he said not to save Marissa.

"I know Marissa has had some problems this summer." Sandy explained, "But those are not your fault. She had similar problems last summer, before you moved here. Remember that. Just be there for her to talk to, but let her figure out her problems on her own. Don't try to do it for her."

"Don't be Mighty Mouse." Ryan said. Now he got it. 'Here I come to save the day', funny, Seth, really funny.

Obviously, however, Sandy found the humor in Seth's Mighty Mouse comparison because he laughed and told Ryan, "Yeah, something like that."

Ryan picked up the second album, knowing exactly what Sandy was getting at. Yeah, we're a family. I got it. But as he started to flip through the second album, Ryan noticed something glaringly obvious. Not only wasn't he in any of the pictures, there were a lot less pictures.

"How come there aren't as many pictures in this other album?" Ryan asked.

Sandy just shrugged, "Not as many reasons to take pictures, I guess."

"You know, it's amazing," he continued, "how just one person can affect the lives of so many others."

Ryan closed the album before telling Sandy, "Subtle, Sandy, real subtle."

"Subtle and effective, wouldn't you say?" Sandy said as he picked the albums up and returned them to the bookshelf.

"Yeah. I just. I didn't think." Ryan tried to explain. But he wasn't exactly sure what to say. He didn't think it would matter so much to them. That he mattered so much to them. That his leaving would hurt them. They already knew all that, and now so did he.

"Yes. It's amazing how the teenage mind works," Sandy joked, "They never think about anyone old. They forget that the parents were once the teenagers and could possibly understand. But hey, some day those teenagers finally become adults who have kids of their own who then become teenagers, and it starts all over again. And the best part is that Kirsten and I then get to sit back and watch you guys deal with it all. And that, my friend, is going to be a whole lot of fun for us."

Ryan laughed, "Not if I send them to your house."

"Sure," Sandy told him, "Send them over to old Grandpa. Then I can tell them all the great and wonderful things you guys did. Fill their heads with all kinds of ideas and then send them home. Can't wait."

"Thanks. Thanks a lot," Ryan said, "Really looking forward to that some day."

"Anytime," Sandy laughed, "That's what families are for. You've got to take the good, the bad and the ugly."

Ryan just stared at Sandy for a minute. First Seth with his Mighty Mouse comparisons and now Sandy with his Clint Eastwood references.

"The good, the bad and the ugly?" he finally asked, "What, you and Kirsten are the good, I'm the bad, and you're calling Seth the ugly?"

"Kirsten and I are definitely the good." Sandy told him, "But I'd say Hailey was the bad, and the gruesome twosome are most definitely the ugly. The ugliest of the ugly. And you, kiddo? You're stuck with all of us."

"Look, I'm going to let you get some sleep now," Sandy continued, "Otherwise the very lovely Mrs. Good will quickly turn to a very mean Mrs. Ugly, and neither one of us wants that. I'm going over to the store. Pick up some stuff for dinner. Anything in particular you're in the mood for?"

Ryan just shook his head no. He hated to admit it, but he was getting tired. Between Seth, Kirsten and Sandy, they had all given him a lot to think about, and it was making him very tired trying to sort it all out.

"Okay, I'll take Seth with me. Let him decide." Sandy said.

"You're taking Seth to the grocery store?" Ryan asked, "How are you going to manage that one?"

"Well," Sandy explained, "The fact that he's grounded makes it less likely that he'll argue with me, and even if he tries, I can threaten to ground him for longer. One of the many advantages to being the parent. You'll see when your two weeks start."

"But my two weeks started," Ryan said, "I'm not in bed anymore. So it's started."

"Nice try," Sandy told him, "You're not in bed, but you're not able to go out yet. Can't be grounded from going out if you're not well enough to go out. Check back with me again next week, after your next doctor's appointment."

Ryan again just shook his head. "Gee, thanks again. Really." he sarcastically told Sandy.

"Hey, that's what we're here for." Sandy said as he turned to head out of the den.

"Sandy?" Ryan said, "Um, thanks."

Sandy turned back and smiled at Ryan. "Anytime," he told him, "We love ya, kid."

"Yeah, ah, I love you guys, too." Ryan was finally able to say.