Hey there! You guys are the most spectacular reviewers EVER and I adore each and every one of you.

Rachel: I sent you an e-mail about your story because, for whatever reason, when I tried to post my e-mail address on here the site kept deleting it. Summer will be back relatively soon, no worries. And thank you, your death threats are great incentive for me to post more frequently. ;)

Princess Oats: Thanks for the drug theory; I'll keep it in mind. ;) As for them allowing drugged persons onto planes? I've never tried to smuggle anyone, but I went on vacation with some of my friends last year and there was definitely some intoxication happening there and none of them were removed from the flight. So who knows? I also offer my condolences for your Mormon stalker. I actually have a Mormon stalker, too, except mine--in an odd plot twist--is a girl! (This detail makes me very uncomfortable.)She wears long shorts and isn't allowed to watch movies and there was a 2-year period in which she mysteriously lacked ears and wore a conspicuous bandana but no one was allowed to ask about it. And she invited me to a party and I threw out my invitation and she came up to me and was like, "So, are you coming to my party?" and I was like, "Party? What party? I haven't heard about any..." (The "..." represents me running away faster than the speed of light.) I'm so mean and will probably soon be jailed for it, but whatever. Glad you like "Magnolia", and glad I made up for the N'Sync debacle. Thanks for another long review! ;)

And everyone else--you guys are phenomenal. Again, I have so much fun with this because of you all. Please continue to let me know your thoughts! ;) This chapter title belongs to the Strokes (I know, yet again...I was just going through "Shuffle" on my iPod and I picked the first song that caught my eye. And it happened to be by those uncleanly, drunken boys. Though I do still love them even though their second album sounded almost exactly like their first. They often serve as my "Sunday Joy Ride" music.) Anyways...please review! I hope you like this one. Some happy stuff happens. Now go forth and read! ;)

Chapter 27: Alone Together

She called Sandy crying and felt quite juvenile when she replied to his hello with a sob.

"Kirsten? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He sounded worried, probably thought that her plane had gone down or that Seth wasn't where they thought he would be. "Honey, where are you?"

"I'm in Pittsburgh," she said, sniffling.

"Are you all right? Is Seth?"

"He hates me, Sandy."

"What? Kirsten, what's going on?"

"I got to his apartment and he was there and...he's not coming home, and he hates me, and..." She trailed off because she couldn't make out coherent words through her tears, and she just wanted him there to hold her and kiss her and promise her that he would make everything all right.

"Oh, honey..."

"I don't know what to do. He's...an entirely different person." Sandy, listening on the other end, was half furious at Seth for making Kirsten feel the way she was clearly feeling, and half miserable because he didn't want his son to be a different person. He liked the old one too much.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'll fly down. As soon as I can, okay?"

"No, it's...you don't have to do that. Ryan needs you more than I do."

"Ryan's okay," Sandy said. "We're just sightseeing. He won't mind—" he stopped himself and instantly realized what Kirsten was thinking. "He will mind. He won't tell us, but he will. He shouldn't get his vacation taken away from him just because Seth is asking for attention."

"God, Sandy, part of me hates him."

"The joys of parenting, huh?"

"I told him about the baby. I didn't mean to." Sandy was quiet for a moment.

"I think it's good that you told him. If he wants the independence of an adult we should treat him like an adult in all respects. Except, of course, in the respect in which you are going to physically drag him home by his ears."

"I don't know if I can see him again," she said quietly. "It hurts too much."

"No?" Sandy paused thoughtfully. "Okay, hon. You get the next flight back, we'll talk things over as a family, and we'll figure out something a little more organized."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Oh, sweetheart, no. You did the best you could. And you're the best representation of this family. I mean, Ryan can throw some good punches, and I may dispense a good lecture and charm people with my winning persona, but you? I know very few people who can say no to Kirsten Cohen. You've got that whole persuasive stare thing going on, and you're compassionate but firm, and that cute little nose of yours...oh, darling, I am powerless before that adorable nose." She couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks, Sandy."

"Of course, hon. I love you."

"Love you, too."

"I'll see you soon?" She sighed, gripped the phone, dreaded hanging up and being left alone once again.

"Soon."

The night of her mother's wake she had escaped to the privacy of her childhood bedroom in order to cry tears that were not allowed to be shed in front of Newport's most meddlesome. She was alone maybe thirty seconds when the door creaked open, and she was about to tell whoever it was to leave her the hell alone when she saw that it was Seth. Six years old, he had handled this confusing and scary ordeal like a pro, spending the grim weeks finding ways to occupy his time. Sandy had been handling everything with Seth for the past month, and while Kirsten appreciated it more than she could ever tell her husband, Seth's appearance there at that very moment made her happier than she had been in months. He climbed onto her lap and asked her bluntly if she was going to die, too. She knew better than to promise him otherwise but assured him that it was very unlikely. He could handle that, she knew. He told her that he was sorry that she was sad, and then asked her to help him untie his tie. She had sat there, carefully loosening Sandy's messy handiwork

"Are you sure you aren't going to die?" he asked as she unbuttoned his top button.

"I'll do my best," she promised.

"Me too," he said after a moment, and she thought it a very considerate undertaking for a six-year-old. She pulled him close and kissed the top of his head.

"You better," she said, smiling. "What would I ever do without my little Sethtacular?"

She had chosen the least offensive hotel, a few blocks away from Seth. She wasn't giving up, she decided. She couldn't, no matter how much he had changed. She was trying to sleep—unsuccessfully—when she heard a knock on the door. Getting up and shivering slightly in the air conditioning, she glanced through the peephole to see Seth, hands in his pockets, staring at the floor. He looked terrible—like he'd been crying, she thought.Sadness made him look years younger and suddenly she wasn't so afraid of him anymore.She pulled open the door.

"Seth?" He stepped into her room, offering a guilty wave in her direction.

"Um, hey."

"How did you know where I was?"

"Most of the hotels around here are pretty scary, but this one is slightly less scary than the rest of them." She was delighted that he still knew her so well but her voice was cold as she replied.

"Well, good call. Come on in." He inched his way in and sat at the foot of the bed.

"Mom, I'm so sorry," he said quietly, scuffing the toe of his Converse against the rough carpet. "I can't even...I mean, for everything. All of it. I'm so incredibly sorry."

"Sweetie—"

"I got so scared," he said. "When you said the thing about...miscarrying, I just...it hit me how horribleit is. What I did.Inever thought about how you guys might feel, or...whatthat could do.I never meant to hurt you like that, Mom. I never meant to hurt you at all."

"I misspoke," she said quietly, sitting gently down next to him. "I was angry, Seth. I don't blame you for that."

"But you should. It's my fault. Everything you said was right. None of that would have happened if I hadn't left."

"Things happened for a combination of reasons. It wasn't just you."

"But I was a major contributing factor in—" She put a finger to her lips.

"Just come home with me, Seth." Finally, then, his façade broke down completely and he leaned against her, nodding, tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Mom." She put her arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head, not outwardly accepting his apology but letting him know that she loved him, always would love him.

"Oh, honey.We'll work everything out. I promise you we will." They sat for a few moments, Kirsten stroking his hair, and then Seth straightened, wiping his eyes.

"Hey Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"This is so ridiculously minty. Like, astronomically minty, and if anyone ever found out...I just really needed...oh, man. So minty."

"What is it, Seth?" He stared at the floor.

"Well, I thought you might be, um...well, Dad isn't here and I thought you might be sort of—actually, I'm the one who's kind of...it's just weird and...do you think I could sleep in your room tonight?" Her heart completely melted as suddenly Seth turned eight again and she smiled, feeling tears spring to her eyes.

"Of course you can, honey."