I got to the end finally! Sorry it took so long. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Kirsten folded the lid over the suitcase and tugged hard on the zipper. It wouldn't budge. She tried again but all that was achieved was a large groove in her thumb. "Sandy?" she called out.

"I'm in the bathroom," was her response. She walked into the living room and found Ryan reading a physics textbook and Seth staring in oblivion.

"Seth? Can you help me?" she waited until Seth hoisted himself off the couch lethargically and led him into the bedroom. "Sit on this." She said pointing to the suitcase. Seth frowned, "Huh?"

"I can't get it shut now sit on it." She pushed Seth onto the suitcase and tugged on the zipper again. It jerked closed more easily now and Seth sighed, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing why?"

"You look like your puppy just got run over by Julie Cooper."

"That wasn't funny. Poor Rover." He looked up to the ceiling and whispered, "We miss you boy." Kirsten laughed at her son's antics and sat on the edge of the bed. Seth continued, "Seriously nothings wrong with me. I guess I miss Summer and uh… Grandpa? Well maybe not. But when we get back home the vacation's over, schools starts and the biggest most cruel grounding of my life will begin." Kirsten laughed again as Seth waved his hands in the animatedly.

"Well getting drunk on tequila and playing strip poker in your parents apartment is a stupid thing to do. Perhaps you'll use this the next time." She tapped his forehead as she said this and Seth smiled easily. He shifted himself off of the suitcase and rubbed the back of his thigh.

"I think I was sitting on your hairdryer." Kirsten watched as he walked out of the room but she stopped him just in time, "Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"You had a good vacation right?" he walked back toward his mother and sat next to her on the bed.

"It's been awesome. I mean I had my two best friends and my girlfriend with me. Not to mention my loving and undeniably cool parents, aunt and former next-door neighbour. It was like home but with less water polo players. I think it's my new happy place." He said distantly.

"I'm glad you had fun." Kirsten said quietly. Seth leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"It was the best."

Sandy watched as Ryan tightened his grip on the arm of his seat again. He still wasn't used to flying. He kept his eyes closed and one hand intertwined with Kirsten's. He breathed out steadily and waited for the plane to level off. When he felt himself come around he opened his eyes and turned to Sandy and Kirsten, "It wasn't so bad was it?" Kirsten pulled her hand from his sweaty grip and handed him a bottle of water before burying her nose in one of Seth's comic books. Sandy leaned over toward her slightly.

"Honey do you know that your reading batman?"

"I finished my book. I'd read Sports Illustrated if it kept me occupied." She said simply not taking her eyes from the page.

The rest of the flight followed rather quickly. Sandy and Kirsten had both fallen asleep and Ryan had opted for the in-flight movies. "Shrek and Stuart Little again? This is what we get for flying coach!" Seth yelled indignantly. He threw himself back onto his seat and pouted as Ryan popped his earphones in.

After an hour of listening to Modest Mouse Seth finally fell asleep too leaving Ryan the only one awake during landing. As the seatbelt sign flashed above his head he tightened his seatbelt around him. He checked that Sandy, Kirsten and Seth were all wearing their own and he closed his eyes again. The engine revved and he knew he had to get his mind onto something else. He imagined sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture on physics. Then he stopped. Why was he thinking about school to try and calm himself? He tried again. He thought of the night on the beach with Marissa. When she told him about her dreams for the future. He could see himself living out her dream. Getting down on one knee and proposing on a moonlit beach. He had never really had dreams like that when he was in Chino. He had never imagined marrying Theresa but guys don't really think about stuff like tat. He blushed as he saw Marissa in her wedding dress, which strangely resembled her Cotillion outfit. Her cheeks flushed pink as he kissed her at the altar. He smiled but he was shaken out of his reverie and the wheels hit the tarmac and the breaks squealed. Kirsten jumped up abruptly at the sudden movement and noise. "Oh sweetie are you okay?" she asked grabbing for his arm. He looked across and smiled, "Yeah I'm good. I'm getting better," he laughed.

Sandy breathed a sigh of relief as he set his cases in the hall of his home. It felt good to be back. He walked into the kitchen and found the dirty cups of coffee they had on the morning of their departure. Three plates and bowl lay in the kitchen sink and a two-week-old newspaper lay strewn across the island. He smiled as he heard his family join him in the kitchen. Kirsten wrapped her arms around his waist fro behind, "It's good to be home." She whispered sleepily while trying to stifle a yawn. Seth sat on one of the bar stools and Ryan washed the four cups. "Coffee?" he asked brightly. Both Sandy and Kirsten nodded. They both took seats at the island. Sandy glanced across the island and spotted some bagels in the middle. He smiled and reached for one expecting it to be stale but instead it was soft to the touch. He frowned and looked up at Ryan who was staring at the bagels curiously. Sandy was about to open his mouth when aloud yell came from the doorway," Welcome back! Oh you guys are so tanned! Kiki you look great. I refilled your refrigerator with milk and eggs and bagels for Sandy. So tell me how was it?" Julie Cooper said all this in one breath. When she stopped all Kirsten could muster was, "Good to see you Julie."
Sandy slid under the cover and sank back into his pillow. He realised just how much he missed his bed when he was away. He watched as Kirsten emerged from the bathroom in a pair of white shorts and a white vest. Her bronzed body shimmered in the moonlight coming from the glass doors. He could smell her cocoa body butter as climbed in beside him. She snuggled into his neck and sighed, "So good to be home." He ran his hands through her hair and smiled.

"Definitely." She closed her eyes enjoying the circular movements of his hand on her back. As she drifted off to sleep she heard Sandy snoring softy above her finally relaxed after an exhausting vacation.

Fin. Please review.