"Five minutes away!" Sandy announced cheerfully as they drove along. Kirsten was trying to hide her disgust at the obviously disintegrating society around them.
"I feel a little weird about...just showing up," she said. "What if they're busy? Or gone for the day?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Sandy reassured, taking her hand. She glanced in the back to ensure that Seth was still sleeping.
"What are we doing, Sandy? We don't have...a plan, or a—"
"Sometimes spontaneity is necessary for success," he said, smiling at his rhythmic word choice. "Not showing up with some big, written-out movie speech or a strategic plan."
"I'm having second thoughts."
"You always do, darling."
"And sometimes they're totally legitimate!"
"But usually they're just irrational worries."
"I just don't want to be...you know, a home wrecker." He smiled at this.
"You know what, honey? They're two seventeen-year-old kids with about a hundred dollars between them trying to start a family. I'd say their home is already beyond wrecked." She sighed and glanced out the window just as Sandy pulled into a short gravel driveway.
"Here we are!" Kirsten again tried to mask her distaste but failed. "What's on your mind?" Sandy asked.
"He left Newport to live here," she acknowledged incredulously.
"It's not always about money," Sandy shot back rather defensively.
"I'm not saying...I mean..." she sighed exasperatedly. "It's just that I can't believe that this is what he left us for."
"Poverty isn't always to bad," he remarked with the same edge to his voice. "Twenty-five years of it right here...and I turned out okay."
"Yeah, you turned out fantastically," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I don't need the 'Sandy Cohen's Rise to Success' story for the thousandth time."
"Not everyone was handed life on a silver platter."
"Yeah, I'd really call a negligent father and a dead mother fit for a silver platter. Don't start with that, either."
"You're the one who started it in the first place!"
"Sandy, I don't think you're exactly the right guy to be sermonizing neediness, okay?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You seem pretty content in your BMW."
"I can't believe we're having this conversation."
"Well, we wouldn't be having it if you hadn't—"
"Mr. and Mrs. Cohen?" They both jumped at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. Teresa was standing outside of Sandy's window, looking uncomfortable. Sandy laughed and gestured between himself and Kirsten.
"We're just basking in the joy of marriage," he joked, and Kirsten smiled sheepishly. They both climbed out of the car, Seth still sleeping soundly in the backseat.
"Hey, sweetie," Kirsten neared her, dispensing an awkward hug. "How're you feeling?" Teresa shifted her eyes and shrugged.
"Okay."
"We hope we're not interrupting," Sandy said. "Surprise visit. You know Kirsten. We couldn't keep her away from you guys." Kirsten gave him a gentle shove and Teresa smiled slightly.
"No. You're not...interrupting at all. Come on in. I'm the only one home...everyone else is out." She gestured for them to follow and Kirsten and Sandy exchanged perplexed glances as she started inside. Kirsten opened the back door of the car.
"Seth...we're here." He leapt from his sleep with such vigor that Kirsten yelped a little. When Seth realized how blatant his animation was, he glanced away and ran a hand through his hair.
"We're here? That's cool," he muttered. Sandy started inside behind Teresa but Seth grabbed Kirsten's arm and held her back.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He nodded frantically towards his father and motioned for Kirsten to hang back. Confused, she called out, "Hey, Sandy...Seth's just trying to...fix the GPS. We'll be there in just a minute." Sandy shrugged, puzzled, but playing along.
"Okay." Kirsten spun to face Seth.
"What's the matter?"
"Yeah. Um. I'm not exactly feeling the whole...going in and seeing Ryan thing."
"He's not home."
"Oh! All right, cool. Let's go take the grand tour. And by 'grand' I mean, like, twelve seconds, because this is one of the smallest—"
"Seth." He stopped guiltily. "Why don't you want to see Ryan?"
"No...reason."
"Seth." He sighed, giving in.
"I just, uh...we didn't leave on the best of terms."
"You didn't?"
"I was mad at him."
"You seemed excited to be coming. Kind of."
"I was. But then I had second thoughts and I meant to talk to you when we made a stop and I could get a second alone with you, but then I fell asleep."
"Why don't you want your dad to know?" Seth shrugged.
"He doesn't have the same...emotional ties to Ryan that you have. He's a lot more...casual about stuff. You? Not so casual. I know that you were a lot more upset about it. I thought you would understand." She leaned against the car.
"I'm scared to see him, too," she admitted.
"That's not exactly the reassurance I was looking for," he said, and Kirsten smiled vaguely.
"I don't know what to say¸ hon, except that I doubt Ryan holds anything against you. He knows that it was hard on everyone. It was hard on him, too."
"He's supposed to be my best friend and I acted like such a jackass."
"Well, I cried and acted like a child. We both probably made him feel really guilty. I think the best thing to do is just go in there and let him know that we miss him. And let him know why we both acted the way we did. Because we miss him."
"Do you really think he'll come home with us?" She shook her head wistfully.
"I have absolutely no idea." They stood in silence while Kirsten considered things. "If you really don't want to go in you don't have to. I can make up something and you can hang out in the car." He smiled and shook his head.
"I'm good. I can do this. It's Ryan we're talking about. And he's not even home. I can...handle it."
"Good," she smiled. "Should we go?"
"I feel a little weird about...just showing up," she said. "What if they're busy? Or gone for the day?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Sandy reassured, taking her hand. She glanced in the back to ensure that Seth was still sleeping.
"What are we doing, Sandy? We don't have...a plan, or a—"
"Sometimes spontaneity is necessary for success," he said, smiling at his rhythmic word choice. "Not showing up with some big, written-out movie speech or a strategic plan."
"I'm having second thoughts."
"You always do, darling."
"And sometimes they're totally legitimate!"
"But usually they're just irrational worries."
"I just don't want to be...you know, a home wrecker." He smiled at this.
"You know what, honey? They're two seventeen-year-old kids with about a hundred dollars between them trying to start a family. I'd say their home is already beyond wrecked." She sighed and glanced out the window just as Sandy pulled into a short gravel driveway.
"Here we are!" Kirsten again tried to mask her distaste but failed. "What's on your mind?" Sandy asked.
"He left Newport to live here," she acknowledged incredulously.
"It's not always about money," Sandy shot back rather defensively.
"I'm not saying...I mean..." she sighed exasperatedly. "It's just that I can't believe that this is what he left us for."
"Poverty isn't always to bad," he remarked with the same edge to his voice. "Twenty-five years of it right here...and I turned out okay."
"Yeah, you turned out fantastically," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I don't need the 'Sandy Cohen's Rise to Success' story for the thousandth time."
"Not everyone was handed life on a silver platter."
"Yeah, I'd really call a negligent father and a dead mother fit for a silver platter. Don't start with that, either."
"You're the one who started it in the first place!"
"Sandy, I don't think you're exactly the right guy to be sermonizing neediness, okay?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You seem pretty content in your BMW."
"I can't believe we're having this conversation."
"Well, we wouldn't be having it if you hadn't—"
"Mr. and Mrs. Cohen?" They both jumped at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. Teresa was standing outside of Sandy's window, looking uncomfortable. Sandy laughed and gestured between himself and Kirsten.
"We're just basking in the joy of marriage," he joked, and Kirsten smiled sheepishly. They both climbed out of the car, Seth still sleeping soundly in the backseat.
"Hey, sweetie," Kirsten neared her, dispensing an awkward hug. "How're you feeling?" Teresa shifted her eyes and shrugged.
"Okay."
"We hope we're not interrupting," Sandy said. "Surprise visit. You know Kirsten. We couldn't keep her away from you guys." Kirsten gave him a gentle shove and Teresa smiled slightly.
"No. You're not...interrupting at all. Come on in. I'm the only one home...everyone else is out." She gestured for them to follow and Kirsten and Sandy exchanged perplexed glances as she started inside. Kirsten opened the back door of the car.
"Seth...we're here." He leapt from his sleep with such vigor that Kirsten yelped a little. When Seth realized how blatant his animation was, he glanced away and ran a hand through his hair.
"We're here? That's cool," he muttered. Sandy started inside behind Teresa but Seth grabbed Kirsten's arm and held her back.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He nodded frantically towards his father and motioned for Kirsten to hang back. Confused, she called out, "Hey, Sandy...Seth's just trying to...fix the GPS. We'll be there in just a minute." Sandy shrugged, puzzled, but playing along.
"Okay." Kirsten spun to face Seth.
"What's the matter?"
"Yeah. Um. I'm not exactly feeling the whole...going in and seeing Ryan thing."
"He's not home."
"Oh! All right, cool. Let's go take the grand tour. And by 'grand' I mean, like, twelve seconds, because this is one of the smallest—"
"Seth." He stopped guiltily. "Why don't you want to see Ryan?"
"No...reason."
"Seth." He sighed, giving in.
"I just, uh...we didn't leave on the best of terms."
"You didn't?"
"I was mad at him."
"You seemed excited to be coming. Kind of."
"I was. But then I had second thoughts and I meant to talk to you when we made a stop and I could get a second alone with you, but then I fell asleep."
"Why don't you want your dad to know?" Seth shrugged.
"He doesn't have the same...emotional ties to Ryan that you have. He's a lot more...casual about stuff. You? Not so casual. I know that you were a lot more upset about it. I thought you would understand." She leaned against the car.
"I'm scared to see him, too," she admitted.
"That's not exactly the reassurance I was looking for," he said, and Kirsten smiled vaguely.
"I don't know what to say¸ hon, except that I doubt Ryan holds anything against you. He knows that it was hard on everyone. It was hard on him, too."
"He's supposed to be my best friend and I acted like such a jackass."
"Well, I cried and acted like a child. We both probably made him feel really guilty. I think the best thing to do is just go in there and let him know that we miss him. And let him know why we both acted the way we did. Because we miss him."
"Do you really think he'll come home with us?" She shook her head wistfully.
"I have absolutely no idea." They stood in silence while Kirsten considered things. "If you really don't want to go in you don't have to. I can make up something and you can hang out in the car." He smiled and shook his head.
"I'm good. I can do this. It's Ryan we're talking about. And he's not even home. I can...handle it."
"Good," she smiled. "Should we go?"