Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 9

Kirsten stayed on the step for a while after Ryan left to make coffee. She wondered about running to the airport to get him back. Maybe she could jump in her car and race to the gate. But she decided it was a little too dramatic. The sun was glaring in her eyes so she placed her head on her knees and stared down. Her hands were placed under her legs. That's when she remembered. She didn't know why she hadn't before. She didn't care before but now she felt naked without it. She jumped to her feet and scanned the driveway before she realised that it couldn't be there. "Where is it?" She thought frantically. She couldn't have lost it. She tried to think back to when she last had it. The past two weeks had been a blur. A fusion of sadness and tears. She made her way through the hall never taking her eyes off of the floor. When she reached the kitchen she found Ryan stirring thick coffee in large mugs. "Hey." He greeted softly.

"Uh... I'm just gonna check something." Kirsten said as she ran out to the pool house. Kirsten could feel her eyes brimming with tears. Not once in seventeen years had she taken it off and now it was gone. She checked the drawers in the nightstand and under the bed but it was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes darted about the room in frenzy but with no luck. She sat on the edge of the now unmade bed defeated. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she stared at the white mark around her finger. The place she used to keep it safe. She felt another surge of adrenaline and she jumped to her feet again. This time she upturned the mattress and ran her hands over the top. She pushed the bed to the side and searched for the gold band. She was positive that it rolled under there that night. But she found nothing but mothballs. She tugged the drawers open and pulled her clothes out wondering whether she had hidden it there one night and forgot about it.

"Kirsten?" She heard a voice coming from the doors of the pool house. Ryan.

"Yeah...? I'm just looking for something."

"What are you looking for?"

"It doesn't matter. It's gone." She answered letting small sobs creep in. She sat down hard where she was and leaned back on the dresser.

"What did you lose?" Ryan asked as he took a seat next to her. Kirsten sighed and wiped away the tears.

"My wedding band." She said quietly. Ryan frowned and tilted his head.

"But I thought it was over?"

"It is I just..."

"Why is it so important to you to find this ring?" Ryan asked inquisitively. Kirsten closed her eyes.

"It's stupid."

"Tell me."

"No."

"I won't laugh." He promised. Kirsten remained silent for a moment before turning to face him.

"Sandy and I were young when we got married. We were still in school and we still had stuff going on. We would spend a lot of time apart what with him always visiting New York and with me looking after my mom because she was sick." Kirsten explained.

"So...?" Ryan pressed.

"So when we were apart the only thing that kept us connected was our wedding rings." Kirsten blushed at her own sentiment, "I told you it was stupid."

"It's not stupid." Ryan reasoned smiling.

"It is stupid. But it is something I've always believed. Like no matter how hard things got or how long we were apart we would always be together. But now..." she trailed off allowing herself to sob into her knees again.

"Hey. It's okay." Ryan pulled her toward him. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. She shook under his arms. When she pulled away Ryan still held onto her hand.

"Kirsten, you know I'm not really... into words but here goes. You and Sandy will always be together. With or without a wedding ring. It's just a piece of metal. If you're getting yourself so upset over that then you have to ask yourself whether or not you made the right decision. In the meantime... why don't you check that it still fits?" Ryan let her hand go and Kirsten frowned. She looked down and saw a shiny gold band on her finger.

"You had it!" Kirsten punched him hard on the arm but immediately pulled him into a hug. "Where was it?"

"It was on the floor when I came back to a trashed room so I figured I'd better look after it for you."

"Thank you." Kirsten smiled and twisted the ring around her finger.

"You're welcome. Now why don't we tidy this place up? Again." Ryan dodged to avoid Kirsten's fist soaring toward his shoulder again.

Kirsten hung up the phone and sighed. Takeout. Again. She made a mental note to take up cooking lessons. Ryan flipped through the newspaper and sipped his coffee. "What are we eating?" he asked not taking his eyes off of the paper. Kirsten had grown accustomed to his new routine over the past few days.

"Chinese. Again. Sorry." She apologised and Ryan smirked.

"It's cool."

Kirsten propped herself next to Ryan and began to read the headlines over his shoulder. Ryan frowned as his eyes flickered toward her. She crunched on carrot sticks oblivious to his glare. "I can give it to you when I'm done if you want." He suggested in an irritated tone.

"No it's fine. Just wanted to see the headlines that's all." Ryan continued to read and Kirsten looked around wondering what to do until the food arrived. She knew she didn't want to work even though she hadn't been in for a month and knew she had a ton of work to do. Her eyes wandered toward the piece of paper stuck to the fridge door headed, "Sophie." She read the number again even though she knew it by heart. She'd stared at the piece of paper enough times by now. She heard a thud in the hall and she turned to her left to see if Ryan was still sitting next to her. "What was that?" she asked panicked. Ryan grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto her seat.

"Stay here." He whispered. There was a shuffling noise and a groan. Ryan peered round the doorframe to find a familiar face staring back at him.

"You came back!" Ryan said surprised. Kirsten bounded off of her stool and raced to the doorframe.

"So did you!" another voice answered. Ryan stepped toward him and embraced him warmly, "Good to see you bro." He mumbled.

"You too... Mom hey."

"Hey? Hey is all you have to say to me? WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"Look I'm sorry. Okay just listen to me. I was with The Nana."

"What?" both Ryan and Kirsten said in unison.

"Wow I can see you two have been spending time together," he joked as Ryan and Kirsten looked at each other and back at Seth at the same time.

"Look I sailed to Catalina and decided I was too lazy to go all the way to Tahiti. So... I found a cheap flight to New York and I stayed with her for a while."

"And she didn't think to call?" Kirsten said sternly. She had both hands on her hips and she was staring unblinkingly at her dark haired son.

"I asked her not to. I'm sorry." Seth explained. He looked down at the floor before he felt arms surrounding him. He wrapped his arms around his mother as she tightened her embrace. She didn't want to let go. Her family was almost back together. Maybe this was as whole as it would ever get.

"So where's Dad?" Seth asked looking around the kitchen expecting him to pop out. He saw Ryan avert his eyes toward his mother who had now wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't want him to know. He'd always idolised his father no matter how much he tried to hide it. This would kill him and she knew it. Ryan was the first to speak.

"You didn't see him in New York?"

"Nah man I left yesterday morning." He answered. Kirsten sighed.

"You must have crossed paths." She reasoned.

"Why's Dad in New York? Is Nana okay?"

"Yeah she's fine." Kirsten spoke up.

"So why...?"

"Your father and I... we're taking some time part." Seth stared at them both open mouthed as Kirsten and Ryan exchanged glances.

"Why?"

"He... made a mistake."

"Mistake?" Seth asked now annoyed at the knowing glimpses between his mother and brother.

"Yeah."

"What mistake?"

"Rachel." Kirsten finished. Seth recoiled back in shock. He shook his head and walked away from them both before turning back at a quicker pace.

"No. You're lying. He wouldn't"

"Well he did." Ryan answered more harshly than he'd intended. He felt Kirsten place her hand on his arm to calm him down, "Ryan." She said softly. Ryan stepped away from Seth and allowed Kirsten to explain the situation.

Kirsten sat at the kitchen island. She had two of her boys back. The third one was gone. Even if he returned to Newport she could never fully forgive him. Even if she could she wasn't sure Seth or Ryan would be able to. He didn't only betray her. He had let down everyone in the family. The past two days had been a mix of emotions. She wanted him back one minute and the next she didn't believe she could ever take him back. Perhaps it was the reaction from Seth that hit her the hardest. It was pure disappointment and let down. Just as she was about to pick up the phone Seth came into the kitchen, "Hey." He greeted. He went into the refrigerator and pulled out a juice box, "Want one?" he offered.

"No thanks." She smiled.

"I'm sorry mom. About Dad. About running away. About everything."

"I know. Thank you." Kirsten motioned to the stool next to her and Seth sat down. She held out the phone to him. "Call your father." She said evenly.

"No way. You think I'm gonna talk to him after what he's done?"

"Seth. This is between your father and me. I get that you're angry but he's your dad."

"I don't care. He betrayed you."

"Please don't hate him for me. He's a good dad. He just messed up. He didn't mean to hurt you."

"Did he mean to hurt you?" Seth asked. Kirsten hesitated for a moment.

"No." she admitted.

"So why can't you call him?"

"Because it's different. At least let him know you're okay."

"He's with The Nana. She'll have told him." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "Night mom." He ignored her protests as he made his way up the stairs.

Please, please, please R&R