All right...back again! Hey, everyone. You guys are seriously the most phenomenal reviewers in the history of reviewing. It's insane. The people who took the time to read this whole story from start to finish? That's so flattering, I can't even stand it. You guys are awesome. ;) And PrincessOats? Your story wouldn't let me review your second most recent update, so I wanted to say that it was AWESOME and I absolutely loved it...and that I feel your graduation party pain. I have four siblings and my parents have these enormous gatherings every time one of us graduates from anything. My parents are very company-happy. They're like, "Hey, it's...um, July 15th. Let's have a party!" It's pretty intense. And, hey, don't belittle your Mormon stalker. I think self-mutilation is a lot creepier than being earless (unless she cut them off herself, I suppose.) As for VH1 and ice cream...I have no idea what you're talking about. That has never, EVER happened to me. :looks away: (By that I mean "Best Week Ever" is my life.)

Okay, guys. Here we go. 2 more chapters. Chapter 28's title belongs to Guided By Voices and chapter 29's"I Remember California" belongs to R.E.M. And, in an interesting twist...Summer gets her very own chapter. So hopefully you'll enjoy! ;) Please keep reviewing, I love it! ;)

xoxo

Chapter 28: As We Go Up, We Go Down

Watching him walk in front of her through the terminal filled her with the giddy pleasure that she had been experiencing ever since he'd come back to find her. Her son was alive and he still had a heart and he was coming home, where he belonged. He was a little taller, more filled out in his shoulders, and his hair was longer. That morning as they had been getting ready to leave she noticed his stubble—prominent, she realized, and an attempt at a goatee—and she made him shave before they left for the airport. He looked too old then, but now his wiry frame was ambling before her, shoulders tensed under the weight of his duffle bag, and he looked like a kid again. Suddenly he stopped and turned to her, panic very apparent on his face.

"So Dad's picking us up?" he asked for the fourteenth time.

"He is." She stepped out of the way so people could move around them. "Seth, calm down. He's so excited."

"But I...uh...I mean, Ryan's going to be there, too?"

"Probably," Kirsten said, giving him a reassuring smile. "He missed you, Seth. We all did. Everyone's going to be happy to see you."

"I'm not exactly the...model individual, though. Dad's so mad at me."

"Well, I was twice as angry as your father and I gave you a polite enough welcome, didn't I?" They both smiled. "Honey, we were furious, but we were more worried than anything. Now we're still furious, but we're relieved. We're delighted, and we have the rest of our lives to punish you and show you how angry we are. Right now? Your dad is going to be ecstatic. Loosen up. Just because you left for awhile doesn't mean that Sandy Cohen has lost his ability to act like a total nutcase." They exited the terminal and the second Sandy spotted them his eyes filled with tears—part excitement and part sadness over the fact that Seth was about three inches taller and appeared to have aged significantly. Kirsten stood back as Sandy and Seth paused for a moment before each other, awkward and uncertain. And suddenly Sandy didn't care what anyone anywhere thought and he threw his arms around Seth.

"Oh, kid, if you ever go anywhere again..."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Seth mumbled, his voice muffled by Sandy's shoulder. Sandy pulled away slightly and looked Seth in the eye.

"I'm serious. You try to go for a walk around the block? I'm behind you on a bike. You want to go for a sail? I'll be right next to you on a jet ski. And, God forbid, if you ever get on another plane, I will buy all of the seats surrounding you because you know how flying makes me nervous, and when I get nervous I talk, and I love to pace and talk at the same time."

"Well, hey, I should have a really easy transition into adulthood. College is going to be a blast." Seth laughed at the thought of dorming with his father and then watched as Sandy caught sight of Kirsten and got that familiar look on his face. He was obsessed, enamored, as he always had been, and he folded Kirsten in a hug and gave her a slow, gentle kiss that made Seth blush and turn away. "Um, okay. Public place. Extremely public place. Sensitive eyes are viewing this," he spoke up, unsure of whether or not he was still allowed to joke like this with them. His parents took a step away from each other, Kirsten looking embarrassed and Sandy proud.

"Technically, son, I am allowed to do whatever I want to get back at you for what you did," Sandy said. "So I suggest you watch yourself. Or, rather, watch me as I make out with your mother in the airport." He reached for Kirsten's head again but she ducked away, laughing.

"As romantic as you have made that sound...I think we should go get our luggage, hmm?"

"Later on, then," Sandy warned, furrowing his eyebrows at Seth. "I am going to get you so good."

"Um, ew. Do I have any say in this?" Kirsten asked as they walked along.

"Sure, sweetheart. You can pick which public place, okay?" Sandy casually threw an arm around her and then one around Seth. "So. The Tremendous Trio is back together again."

"Come on, Dad. Tremendous Trio?" Seth scoffed.

"Then what happens to the Dynamic Duo?" Kirsten asked teasingly.

"Cynics. Both of you, so cynical," Sandy said, shaking his head. As they stood by the luggage cart a quiet settled over them, and suddenly the absence of the fourth member of their family was especially apparent.

"Where's Ryan?" Seth asked softly. Sandy made an abrupt leap for one of Kirsten's bags that had just appeared.

"You were gone for a weekend, sweetheart, not a year," Sandy said, grimacing under the weight of the suitcase.

"There are three more coming," Kirsten said apologetically.

"Um, hey. Obvious awkward question-avoiding contrivance, anyone?" Seth spoke up, and Sandy smiled.

"Sorry, kid. Ryan wanted to come, but he's working on a big project with Marissa."

"Oh." Seth looked significantly hurt, but nodded. "Cool. So they're still together?"

"Back together," Kirsten corrected. "After a long hiatus. Marissa was...in rehab."

"Rehab?" Seth looked surprised. "That sucks. Ryan must have...was he okay?" Kirsten was touched by Seth's uncharacteristic concern for the feelings of others and instinctively reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Eventually," Sandy replied for both of them, going for Kirsten's second piece of luggage.

"That must have been weird," Seth considered quietly, almost to himself. "With both me and Marissa gone. Did he hang out with Summer at all? Or...does he have new friends?" Kirsten and Sandy quickly exchanged a look.

"You know, I don't even know," Kirsten said brightly. "He's been so busy with school lately. He hasn't been around much." Truthfully speaking, they both knew nearly everything about Ryan's life—more than they had ever known with Seth. Things were fantastic with Marissa, he was on the varsity soccer team, and he had steady As in all of his classes except AP statistics, in which he was pulling a B-minus because his teacher—in Kirsten's personal opinion—was a "worthless and mentally unstable asshole" who had been unpopular himself in high school and had come back to "have his revenge" on the Harbor students who weren't "bound to end up living in their parents' basements at age forty". Ryan worked four days a week after school at the Newport Group, trailing Kirsten to development sites and sitting in on negotiations, and he and Sandy played video games together on the weekends, and he had a car now—a black Jeep that they had presented him with on his eighteenth birthday. Kirsten suddenly felt immensely guilty for the unequal distribution of attention, though she knew it wasn't her fault.

"Oh. Okay."

"You guys will have to hang out," Sandy spoke up awkwardly. "I think we could probably lift your eternal grounding for one night." Seth nodded slowly.

"Cool. Thanks." Suddenly with the mention of their new life, their Seth-less life, the air between them became uncomfortable. It struck Kirsten that things were never going to go back to the way they were and she felt a heavy sadness come over her. Sandy had lunged for her fourth suitcase, and as he exhaustedly dropped it next to the other three, he glanced up at her.

"So, I guess we'll just wait for the others and then we can get out of here."

"The others?" Kirsten asked, confused.

"The other people that went to Pittsburgh with you? The ones that all of these clothes belong to? There must be about fifteen or so of them, huh?" She smiled weakly at his attempt at a joke and turned to Seth, who was clutching his duffle bag and backpack and staring blankly at the ground in front of him. "Ready to go, kid?" Sandy asked loudly, nudging one of the suitcases towards him. "Give me a hand, huh?"

"Sure," Seth mumbled, grabbing one of the suitcases. "Jesus, Mom."

"Sorry," Kirsten said once again, attempting to lift one herself and failing.

"We could get one of those little carts..." Sandy suggested, glancing around. "The ones that they use to drive old people around?" Kirsten laughed, grabbing his arm before he could hail one of the airport employees.

"Sandy, we are not getting one of those," she protested.

"Says the woman who doesn't actually have to carry any of the suitcases herself," Sandy replied, nudging her playfully.

"Forget about it. I got it," Seth spoke up, suddenly gruff, and grabbed another suitcase. He started off towards one of the exits and left his parents standing, baffled by his behavior. Sandy picked up the remaining bags and they started after him.

"Well, hey..." Sandy said quietly to Kirsten, attempting to cover up disappointment with humor. "Welcome back, kid."