Chapter 14
"I can't believe Ryan's finally coming home," Marissa is following Seth around the kitchen table as he sets plates down and she adds proper utensils.
"I can't believe my Mom actually cooked, and then invited people over to eat her food, I think she's plotting to kill us all." Seth states.
"She had me try it..."
"Oh God, hurry, I'll take you straight to the hospital," Seth exclaims quickly.
"Seth, knock it off, it was good," Marissa states. "And I think it's sweet of your mom to have spent so much time on welcoming Ryan home. So who all is coming to this welcome back dinner anyway?"
"Your dad, Hailey, and Anna," Seth responds.
"Cool," Marissa nods. "So I bought Aurora this new dress, I was wondering if I could dress her in it?"
Seth waves his hand, "go for it." When Marissa leaves the room Seth follows her, "have you talked to Summer?"
Marissa shakes her head as she picks up the department store bag she had left by the from door, "I think she's avoiding me."
"Why you? Wha'd you do?" Seth questions. "I mean why would she be mad at you."
"I've known Summer a long time, she just needs a break from everything that her life has been. It's just the way she is, in a couple weeks she'll be speaking to me again, no problem."
"Things just got out of hand," Seth confesses. "When Ryan left."
Marissa nods as she unbuckles Aurora from her baby carrier, "I know."
"Like insanely so."
Marissa nods again, "I know."
"Things are going to get better," Seth states, is tone coming out more assured than he feels.
"Yeah, things are already getting better, for all of us."
Seth nods slowly, "I'm going to go finish setting the table."
Marissa walks over to the couch with Aurora, laying her down on the spot where Kirsten had left the changing pad from the last time. "Hi sweetie," Marissa greets, "your daddy is coming home today." Marissa gently takes off the one piece Aurora is dressed in and then she changes her diaper before speaking again, "it'll be so good to have your daddy home, won't it?" Marissa gently pulls the white dress with the pink edges over Aurora's head, "yeah, it'll be good to have him home."
"Someone's here!" Seth calls from the kitchen.
"Let's go see if it's your daddy," Marissa coos cheerfully as she walks to the front door. Opening the front door Marissa finds that Anna and her father and Hailey have arrived but there's still no sign of the Cohen's and Ryan.
"Hi Marissa," Jimmy greets, hugging and kissing his daughter's forehead.
"The house smells great, did Kirsten and Sandy beat us here with Ryan and dinner?" Hailey asks stepping into the house.
"Mom cooked," Seth states coming into the entrance way.
Hailey bites her lip, "maybe we should call in some backup fast food, we'll stash it until we've tried the food and then bring it out when it's inevitably bad."
"Oh come on, let's give Kirsten a chance," Jimmy suggests.
Marissa nods, "yeah she worked really hard on dinner."
"I still think we should call," Hailey states pulling out her cell phone as headlights shine in the windows.
Marissa pulls open the door again and everyone crowds on the front steps as they watch Sandy help Ryan out of the back of the car. Ryan keeps an arm on Sandy's shoulder as the three of them make their way up the steps.
"Welcome home Ryan," everyone chorus.
"You didn't have to do all of this..."
"Keep that in mind when you have dinner," Seth cracks, "Mom cooked."
The look on Ryan's face says he's less than fearful of Kirsten's food, "you learned to cook?"
"Didn't I promise you I would?" Kirsten asks. "And it's not going to be regular thing...maybe on special occasions. But let's eat, I'm sure everyone's hungry."
"Can't promise it's edible though," Seth mumbles. "I'm must kidding Mom," Seth offers Kirsten a cheesy grin.
"Anything'll be better than the weeks of hospital food I have been eating," Ryan states.
Once everyone has settled around the table Kirsten has served the food and she is seated when she states, "everyone...dig in."
Tentatively everyone, even Ryan and Kirsten, held their forks hovering over the meal Kirsten had painstakingly prepared but once everyone gives into the temptation of the actual good smell wafting off of the food they do dig in and only have good things to say about the food. "Mom, I'm sorry," Seth apologizing, "this is amazing."
Kirsten can't help but grin as everyone echoes something along similar lines, "thank you."
Silence floods the table as everyone enjoys their food but by the time plates are being pushed back Hailey and Jimmy glances at each other before Hailey begins speaking. "Jimmy and I have a couple announcements to make."
Marissa takes a deep breath, she had a feeling she knew what this conversation was about, her father and Hailey had been unsure about the baby a week and a half ago but the last she'd talked to both of them they were beginning to get excited. "What's going on Hailey?" Kirsten questions.
"Well first of all, the house is finished being painted and they said we can move in, in a week." Hailey informs.
Jimmy nods, "so we are inviting everyone here to dinner a week from tomorrow, to be our first guests in the house."
Everyone around the table remains silent waiting for the rest of the announcement and when Hailey takes a deep breath and speaks she drops the bomb that most of them had been expecting, "we're also expecting a baby in late March." Everyone makes sounds of their response to the news but Hailey holds up her hand. "Because of this surprise we've decided that we want tog et married as soon as possible."
Jimmy nods, "so we've decided that we're going to arrange everything quickly and get married in two weeks. It sounds impossible I know, between moving in and then setting up for the wedding, but we know it can be done. Especially with your help. So what do you guys say? Are you willing to help us out?"
"I can't believe Ryan's finally coming home," Marissa is following Seth around the kitchen table as he sets plates down and she adds proper utensils.
"I can't believe my Mom actually cooked, and then invited people over to eat her food, I think she's plotting to kill us all." Seth states.
"She had me try it..."
"Oh God, hurry, I'll take you straight to the hospital," Seth exclaims quickly.
"Seth, knock it off, it was good," Marissa states. "And I think it's sweet of your mom to have spent so much time on welcoming Ryan home. So who all is coming to this welcome back dinner anyway?"
"Your dad, Hailey, and Anna," Seth responds.
"Cool," Marissa nods. "So I bought Aurora this new dress, I was wondering if I could dress her in it?"
Seth waves his hand, "go for it." When Marissa leaves the room Seth follows her, "have you talked to Summer?"
Marissa shakes her head as she picks up the department store bag she had left by the from door, "I think she's avoiding me."
"Why you? Wha'd you do?" Seth questions. "I mean why would she be mad at you."
"I've known Summer a long time, she just needs a break from everything that her life has been. It's just the way she is, in a couple weeks she'll be speaking to me again, no problem."
"Things just got out of hand," Seth confesses. "When Ryan left."
Marissa nods as she unbuckles Aurora from her baby carrier, "I know."
"Like insanely so."
Marissa nods again, "I know."
"Things are going to get better," Seth states, is tone coming out more assured than he feels.
"Yeah, things are already getting better, for all of us."
Seth nods slowly, "I'm going to go finish setting the table."
Marissa walks over to the couch with Aurora, laying her down on the spot where Kirsten had left the changing pad from the last time. "Hi sweetie," Marissa greets, "your daddy is coming home today." Marissa gently takes off the one piece Aurora is dressed in and then she changes her diaper before speaking again, "it'll be so good to have your daddy home, won't it?" Marissa gently pulls the white dress with the pink edges over Aurora's head, "yeah, it'll be good to have him home."
"Someone's here!" Seth calls from the kitchen.
"Let's go see if it's your daddy," Marissa coos cheerfully as she walks to the front door. Opening the front door Marissa finds that Anna and her father and Hailey have arrived but there's still no sign of the Cohen's and Ryan.
"Hi Marissa," Jimmy greets, hugging and kissing his daughter's forehead.
"The house smells great, did Kirsten and Sandy beat us here with Ryan and dinner?" Hailey asks stepping into the house.
"Mom cooked," Seth states coming into the entrance way.
Hailey bites her lip, "maybe we should call in some backup fast food, we'll stash it until we've tried the food and then bring it out when it's inevitably bad."
"Oh come on, let's give Kirsten a chance," Jimmy suggests.
Marissa nods, "yeah she worked really hard on dinner."
"I still think we should call," Hailey states pulling out her cell phone as headlights shine in the windows.
Marissa pulls open the door again and everyone crowds on the front steps as they watch Sandy help Ryan out of the back of the car. Ryan keeps an arm on Sandy's shoulder as the three of them make their way up the steps.
"Welcome home Ryan," everyone chorus.
"You didn't have to do all of this..."
"Keep that in mind when you have dinner," Seth cracks, "Mom cooked."
The look on Ryan's face says he's less than fearful of Kirsten's food, "you learned to cook?"
"Didn't I promise you I would?" Kirsten asks. "And it's not going to be regular thing...maybe on special occasions. But let's eat, I'm sure everyone's hungry."
"Can't promise it's edible though," Seth mumbles. "I'm must kidding Mom," Seth offers Kirsten a cheesy grin.
"Anything'll be better than the weeks of hospital food I have been eating," Ryan states.
Once everyone has settled around the table Kirsten has served the food and she is seated when she states, "everyone...dig in."
Tentatively everyone, even Ryan and Kirsten, held their forks hovering over the meal Kirsten had painstakingly prepared but once everyone gives into the temptation of the actual good smell wafting off of the food they do dig in and only have good things to say about the food. "Mom, I'm sorry," Seth apologizing, "this is amazing."
Kirsten can't help but grin as everyone echoes something along similar lines, "thank you."
Silence floods the table as everyone enjoys their food but by the time plates are being pushed back Hailey and Jimmy glances at each other before Hailey begins speaking. "Jimmy and I have a couple announcements to make."
Marissa takes a deep breath, she had a feeling she knew what this conversation was about, her father and Hailey had been unsure about the baby a week and a half ago but the last she'd talked to both of them they were beginning to get excited. "What's going on Hailey?" Kirsten questions.
"Well first of all, the house is finished being painted and they said we can move in, in a week." Hailey informs.
Jimmy nods, "so we are inviting everyone here to dinner a week from tomorrow, to be our first guests in the house."
Everyone around the table remains silent waiting for the rest of the announcement and when Hailey takes a deep breath and speaks she drops the bomb that most of them had been expecting, "we're also expecting a baby in late March." Everyone makes sounds of their response to the news but Hailey holds up her hand. "Because of this surprise we've decided that we want tog et married as soon as possible."
Jimmy nods, "so we've decided that we're going to arrange everything quickly and get married in two weeks. It sounds impossible I know, between moving in and then setting up for the wedding, but we know it can be done. Especially with your help. So what do you guys say? Are you willing to help us out?"