Note: Sorry about the lack of update guys, I am on a much needed three week vacation visiting friends and family back home...but being back home means I have to deal with dial up connection again and when I had dial up I didn't realize how slow it was until I got used to cable...anyway there is my excuse...Oh, also Sandy's explanation of how he and Kirsten got to know each other was written in a notebook long before they really explained it on the show so if it's different sorry, I'm lazy.

"So there will really be home cooked food in this kitchen?" Sandy muses in wonder Thursday morning.

"There really will be," Ryan assures.

"And it will be edible?" Sandy double checks.

"God, I hope so," Ryan mutters and then adds, "we have a huge grade resting on it so let's hope so."

"So do you think you'll take one of the more advanced Chinese classes once school starts again?"

Ryan nods, "I wasn't going to but you know Summer, I got a lecture on what was the point of taking it over the summer if we weren't going to keep learning it. Of course I tried to point out that I only took Chinese because she talked me into it in the first place, so that only lead to her talking me into signing up for the next one."

Sandy laughs, "Summer would make an amazing lawyer. Anyone who can talk you into going ice skating could convince a jury of anything." Sandy pauses and the kitchen falls silent for nearly a minute but then he begins talking again. "Kirsten and I really like Summer, a lot, we have a lot of respect for her. She's had a tough life, but you wouldn't know it. She's a tough girl and she can take care of herself but sometimes she needs someone to take care of her. Seth's my son, and I've got to love him, but he's never been the right person for Summer."

Ryan remains quiet through Sandy's speech and when he finally finishes he wants to avoid the last part so hequestions Sandy on the first part, "what do you know about Summer's life?"

"Oh, plenty," Sandy responds. "You forget that this is Newport and Kirsten grew up with everyone around here, including both of Summer's parents."

"So you know about your sister?"

Sandy nods, "it as a tragedy, it really was. The funereal was probably the biggest Newport has ever seen and everything about the Robert's family became public. From how they three of them grieved and coped right up until Summer's mother walked out."

"Any idea where she is? " Ryan asks.

"Last I heard she moved to some small town in North Carolina, her sister lives there I think."

"Does Seth know any of this?"

"I don't think so,Summer's sister diedbefore Summer was Seth's obsession, so I don't think he has ever connected the two. But she told you?"

"The night I came back."

"That's where you were that night?"

Ryan nods, "even now I don't know why I went there."

"Sometimes fate steps in and takes control, do you know how Kirsten and I met?"

Ryan shakes his head, "no."

"We both went to Berkeley, but since our majors were completely different we were never near each other on campus. The day we met we were both having horrible days, our schedules were both totally off, it was raining and that had caused complications. Even back then I surfed daily so when I woke up to rain I went back to bed, without resetting my alarm. I slept right through my first class and by the time I was up and ready to leave there was no point in going to my second one.

"So I called the coffee shop I worked at and picked up an earlier shift so that I could get out of closing. On my way there I came across apuddlesomeone never should have tried to drive their Mercedes through."

"Kirsten?"

Sandy laughs, "oh yeah. Stuck and standing in the pouring rain trying to wave someone down. Now you've got to imagine my first impression."

Ryan's thoughts turn to the first time he had met Summer at the fashion show, "a stupid spoiled brat?"

"Exactly, so I pulled over to help, acting like a cocky smartass no doubt, and all I managed to do was bring the wrath of Kirsten Nichol upon myself. And in the middle of her screaming at me her boyfriend shows up and I go to work. More than a little relieved that I wouldn't ever have to deal with her on a day to day basis, but at the semester when my classes changed so did my hours at work. And every Tuesday and Thursday she came into the café to sit by herself and study or read. The first day she came in and recognized me she apologized, you know Kirsten, she can't stand the thought of being rude to anyone who doesn't deserve it."

"So then eventually she and Jimmy broke up and you guys started dating."

"It took a lot longer than you make it sound, we became very good friends even if we just saw each other when she came into the coffee shop. Right before Christmas of our sophomore year she came into the coffee shop looking like she'd been crying for weeks, and she told me that not only had she broken up with her boyfriend but he had gotten he had cheated her and gotten the other girl pregnant. Kirsten was devastated, she and Jimmy had been dating for years and they were practically engaged. But Kirsten refused to go home for Christmas without her dignity so she took me home, and the rest is an even longer story."

Ryan nods and then sighs, he'd wanted Summer to be there when she told the Cohen's but now was the best opportunity, "Summer and I are dating."

Sandy nods, "I know, Kirsten's know for weeks."

"We haven't been dating for weeks, only a week, how'd you guys know anyway?"

"Kirsten has always seen herself in Summer and you and I are more similar than you know, but I only figured it out because Kirsten told me."

"We weren't going to, go out you know," Ryan states, "because of Seth."

"You mean you weren't going to date at the risk of hurting Seth and Summer, on the other hand, doesn't give a damn if Seth gets hurt."

"He really hurt her when he left," Ryan defends Summer.

Sandy nods, "I don't blame her for not wanting anything to do with Seth. If he wasn't my son I'd do the same thing." Sandy pauses and then adds, "Ryan, I can guarantee that Seth will be hurt and angry when he comes back and finds you two together."

Ryan sighs, "I know."

"But I will also guarantee that he'll get over it," Sandy assures. "It may take him awhile but he will get over it."

Not wanting to think about it any longer Ryan asks, "are you planning on going into work today?"

Sandy glances at the microwave, "yeah what time's dinner?"

"Our teacher should be here by 6:30."

Sandy nods, "okay, I'll be home at six. And Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't stress so much about the Seth thing. Seth's not as self-centered as he likes to make people believe and once he realizes you're happy he'll get over Summer. Now I've really got to go, I'll see you at six."

"Hey," Ryan kisses Summer when she picks him up for class an hour later.

"So I told Sandy."

"You did?" Summer is clearly surprised by Ryan's statement, "I thought we were telling him tonight?"

"I know," Ryan nods. "All of a sudden he's telling me about how he and Kirsten met and I had to tell him, sorry."

Summer waves it off, "it's totally okay. How'd he take it?"

"Fine," Ryan responds. "Great. Apparently they've know possibly longer than we have."

Summer grins, "that doesn't surprise me."

"And he thinks Seth will get over us being together."

Summer takes one hand off the steering wheel and slips it into Ryan's, "good. Because I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position with Seth."

Ryan laces his fingers through Summer's, "let me worry about mine and Seth's relationship, okay?"