Chapter 13

Seth twisted the game console in his hand. Over the sound of electronic grunts and pants, Seth taunted Ryan in broken English, "Your kung fu no good. Ha! Taste monkey style on your face. Hai-ya!"

"'Tis merely a flesh wound," Ryan replied in a bad English accent.

Seth nodded in approval. "Ryan does Monty Python. Awesome."

"C'mon, ya pansy, wilt under my punishing barrage."

Seth kept his eyes on the TV but after a pause his voice dropped. "Hey, Ryan, about what they told us last night… about Mom taking the plea agreement, one month in jail and one year probation. Do you think she'll …wilt?"

Ryan's thumb paused over the controls. "One month isn't long, but I'm worried, too," he confessed.

"She seems really out of it. It totally sucks; she didn't do anything wrong!"

"Your dad said there was a risk that she might get what your grandpa got – three years- if they thought she was in on it. And a trial would be a lot of stress… maybe more than she can handle."

"Can't handle because of the drinking you mean? She enjoys a drink now and again, but come on. You know she's not like -" Seth's eyes darted to Ryan for a second. "Sorry." Ryan didn't reply, and the two boys played without speaking for a few minutes.

"Finding her on the couch was exactly like finding Dawn," Ryan said quietly. Seth stopped playing to stare heatedly at Ryan. "I don't mean…she's not –," Ryan flushed trying to explain, "look, it's what Kirsten does now that's different. She's been sober since I found her 2 days ago."

"It's weird to think of Mom as human. She's really sorry," Seth said slowly.

The two PlayStation combatants were forgotten as Ryan gathered his thoughts and Seth waited for a reply. "Sorry never lasted with my mom, but Kirsten wanted to get help right away. Your dad says she's under a doctor's treatment."

Seth sighed and said, "I thought it was our jobs as kids to be the ones fucking up."

"We could get a couple of tattoos or some hookers and lose our virginity."

Seth groaned, "Gawd, I remember when I said that, when you first came here. You didn't correct me. Could I have been more naïve, more stupid?"

"Man, it's been so long I got a special dispensation - they gave me my cherry back," Ryan said drolly. Seth chuckled appreciatively. They turned back to the game and sounds from the flying kicks and acrobatic maneuvers grew frantic again. "You've been practicing, Seth. Why do you get to keep the PlayStation in your room?"

"Ah grasshopper, that's an age old question. The answer, Chino, is only trailer trash have TVs in the living room and since we have no family room... Take that!"

"Okay, but why your room?" Ryan leaned toward the TV. "Damn, did you kick me in the balls?"

"Yeah, don't soil your armor. Remember you're not really a white knight; there are no fighting rules. Shit." Seth grimaced and rapidly pressed the punch and flying kick buttons. "My room because it's bigger and because you decided to keep the double bed to save money so there's no space there. Sucks to be a martyr, sucks to be you." Ryan scowled but didn't take his eyes from the game.

"Hey guys, a little help?" Sandy called out. Seth's room was right by the front door, and since he insisted on keeping the door open they could see Sandy fighting with an evergreen. Ryan jumped up. "Hold on."

"Bam, bam, bam. Sorry, dude, you've been served."

Ryan turned back and barked, "I may be trailer trash, but that's bullshit man." Seth waved his hand dismissively and continued playing alone.

Ryan took the tree from Sandy into the living room. He held the Scotch Pine in the tree stand while Sandy screwed in the supports. They stood back to admire it. "We could have done worse - on budget and at the last minute, no less." He smiled widely.

"Hey, yeah, it's great Sandy." Ryan put his hands into his pockets and studied the scrappy tree. Its top stood no taller than five feet and was bent over where the star should sit. There seemed to be missing branches, contributing to a sad appearance. Ryan repeated with undeserved enthusiasm, "It's really great."

"No, it looks like I stole Charlie Brown's." Sandy gestured toward it with a wry smile "Kirsten and Seth aren't used to second rate."

"They don't care about those things."

Sandy shook his head ruefully. "I know that but the whole 'man provides' thing becomes 'man provides mansion bigger than your neighbors' after you've been in Newport too long; materialism sneaks up on you. Promise me you'll never let that happen. Seek the perfect wave, Ryan."

"I don't care less about moving from Newport. I wouldn't care if we never went to another black tie event."

"What! No, I don't believe it, fashion plate like you?" Sandy said with a grin.

Ryan frowned. "I could take more hours at the Crab Shack."

"Like hell you will. And if your grades slip at all, you're quitting. No debate," Sandy said putting up his hand to stop Ryan's protest. "Okay, I know you don't care about stuff, kid. Kirsten said you didn't even want her to buy you underpants. We wondered how you were going to handle that – would you have strung out BVDs on a clothes line or gone commando?" Sandy paused for a reaction from Ryan, who offered a half-hearted smile.

Ryan persisted, "You guys are what matter. Sandy, you really listened to me about Kirsten - thanks." Ryan grinned shyly. "Actually it's nice to know you guys aren't perfect; I feel like I can fit in."

Sandy shook his head. "For better or worse, you're in. And I am thanking you for calling me. She's admits there's a problem, and we're glad it we caught it before anyone got hurt." Sandy clapped Ryan on the back as he went to the tree and tried to bend the crooked branch to stand up. Ryan opened a box of lights and began to untangle them.

Seth joined them in the living room. "Good grief, Charlie Brown. That is one sickly tree."

Sandy raised his eyebrows knowingly at Ryan. "The pine cone doesn't fall far from Chrismukkah tree." He turned to Seth and said, "Get with the program, son. We're going to have the best holiday ever to carry your mom through this. Got it?"

Seth sat on the couch and nodded somberly.

"Start thinking about gifts. Remember, we're not buying things this year," Sandy added.

Seth rolled his eyes at the thought of homemade gifts. Then he held his hands in the air and tapped his fingers against each other gleefully. "Oh yes, I have the best idea. Snoopy, can teach us the happy dance around the Charlie Brown tree for his gift." Seth and Sandy smiled at each other, approving the idea.

Ryan crossed his arms and scowled. He said resolutely over their laughter, "That was a long time ago, something I did for Theresa." There was an awkward pause at the mention of Theresa.

Sandy clapped his hands together and changed the subject. "Alright, we need to dress this tree with baubles, turn it into a blueblood's dream of a Blue Spruce. Where's your mom? She's got the WASP eye for our Chrismukkah try," he said with assurance.

Seth's enthusiasm deflated. "She said she's resting upstairs but, Dad, she been ..."

Sandy went and sat beside Seth on the couch. "Let's just say it - she's been abusing alcohol, probably self-medicating her depression. The case, Caleb, have been hard on her. But she knows she has a problem, and we can only support her as she helps herself." Sandy turned to the sound of footsteps in the hallway. "Hey, speaking of the lady of the manor... we were just about to come get you. We're going to decorate the Chrismukkah bush." Kirsten looked pale but she smiled brightly.

Seth got up and guided her to the couch. Her eyes were bright and clear, but she seemed fragile; there were dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was freshly combed but pulled back tight into a simple ponytail. Her matching sweat suit seemed to hang loosely on her. "Hey, Mom, don't you think Dad mugged Charlie Brown for his tree?" Seth asked in an overly hearty voice.

"It will be fine once I get the star with the missing point on top of it," Sandy said rising from the couch to find the star.

"It's nice," Kirsten said to Seth. Seth's face fell. "Mom, are you listening? Charlie Brown's trees are ugly not nice." Kirsten nodded with a bland smile. Seth sucked in his lips and looked away. He mumbled, "Forget Chrismukkah this year. Everything is messed up."

Ryan's eyes flashed from Seth to Kirsten with worry. "Come on, it's time to celebrate, man. Your mom doesn't have to go to … go away until after Chrismukkah … so let's be glad we can be together a few more days," Ryan said in an uncharacteristic rush.

"Celebrate?" Seth asked incredulous.

"Seth," Sandy said warningly and glanced at Kirsten. Their interchange didn't seem to register with her; her eyes were unfocused on a random spot on the carpet.

Ryan glanced at Seth and Sandy's fallen expressions. "If you guys are nice I'll teach you the happy dance," he declared in a forced, animated voice and gestured with his head to Kirsten.

"What? You just said before …" Seth looked at Kirsten and nodded in understanding. "Okay, okay. Is it like this?" Seth stood up and pedaled his legs like an egg beater. "I just move well," he said modestly. They all looked to Kirsten, hoping for an improvement from her apathy. Seth sighed and sank back onto the couch when she didn't react and grumbled, "I don't really believe you were Snoopy."

"Still waters run deep," Ryan said sagely.

"That settles that," Sandy said loudly, "Ryan will teach us the happy dance, Seth will teach us how to Ollie, and I humbly offer a primer on the five required parts of a simple contract. Kirsten …?" He looked over to the couch. Kirsten was staring vacantly out the window. "Kirsten?"

She shook her head slightly. "What's that?"

He went and sat next to her on the couch, and held her hand. "We were hoping you could take us on an architectural tour of Newport or something – as your Chrismukkah gift." Kirsten frowned as if she were trying hard to concentrate on Sandy's words but found it beyond her. "I was also thinking about a vacation when all this is over. And that's going to be soon, honey. Ryan's never been to Hawaii, where the surf is rad, the spas top notch, and the bikinis skimpy – that's strictly for the boys, of course."

"That sounds wonderful. Really great." She smiled broadly and looked at each of them. The effort seemed to tire her, and she rubbed her forehead wearily.

"Guys, give us a minute, guys," Sandy said.

Seth and Ryan silently stood to leave. Sandy followed them out to the hallway. Seth's voice cracked, "Dad she can't go anywhere; you have to get this case to trial. Who are we kidding?"

"Trust me, she'll come around. It's still new." Sandy returned to the living room and Kirsten.

Seth shook his head in defeat and asked without enthusiasm, "Ready for another beating?" Before Ryan could reply, there was a knock on the door. Ryan raised his eyebrows questioningly. Seth shrugged.

Ryan opened the door to find Caleb. His face showed only the faintest trace of bruises. He looked at Ryan with distaste. "I'm here to see my family, get things straight with Kirsten. Make yourself scarce."