Thanks for all of you who are still hanging and reading this. 2 1/2 weeks until I'm back at work. I wonder if I'll finish it by then? Yeah. right! A big big thank you to Sister Rose for betaing - her thoughtful comments really improved this. Yet I tinkered and didn't send it back, but all mistakes are mine. The characters however, do not belong to me. With the exception of T.J. who is as precocious as my niece "S" and will probably be as whiny as my other niece "C," since at the moment they're the four-year-olds I know.
It was like a thunderstorm in the kitchen, the loud clap of thunder was Sandy and Kirsten's tirade, the lightening the flashes of anger coming from their eyes. Ryan took his plate of food and ducked out of the kitchen, though he didn't stray far. He wanted a front-row seat for the fireworks that was about to erupt in the Cohens' kitchen. He sat in the family room, balancing the plate on his lap and stabbing his sesame ginger chicken pieces with his fork. And he listened.
"What the hell do you mean you got married? You barely just turned 20." That was Sandy.
"How long have you been married and who did you marry?" Kirsten.
Ryan could picture Seth rolling his eyes. Who else would Seth marry? There had only been one woman in his life since high school.
"We got married the day after Christmas. We meant to tell you right away, but that was the day Ryan found out about J.T."
"And who is the lucky bride?" Kirsten asked again.
"I married Summer, Mom." Seth tried to quash the exasperation in his voice. His mother was deliberately playing dumb. Who else would he marry? He'd been dating Summer since he was 16.
"Summer? Summer eloped without a huge expensive party? I don't believe it."
"I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this, Seth. Why didn't you tell us beforehand? Why was this such a big secret?"
He ran a hand through his curls — they felt like steel wool — and tried to choose the right words. "I wasn't planning on telling you like this. We were going to tell you together."
Kirsten stood up and slammed her chair hard against the floor. "I don't know what I'm angrier at. The fact that you went ahead and got married without telling your father and me or the fact that you did this before you finished college. Right now, it's taking every ounce of self-restraint not to smack you upside the head."
Seth sank into his chair, wishing he could disappear. It was as if a huge spotlight was shining on him. He felt hot and uncomfortable under the lights. He didn't know how much he should tell his parents.
Sandy put his hand over Kirsten's. "It's not that you want to get married or that you want to get married to Summer. Your mom and I both adore her. But I just don't understand why you were so secretive."
"Because Summer's pregnant," he blurted out. As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he closed his eyes and cowered from his parents' shocked glare.
"Pregnant?" Kirsten spluttered. She pulled the chair out and sank into the chair. "I see."
From the other room, Ryan jumped, the food splattering on his jeans, when he heard Seth. Apparently, Seth had not shared the entire story earlier in the day. He thought back to that day in May, his first year living with the Cohens, when Theresa had blurted out she was pregnant. They had been standing in the kitchen, and he had been trying to figure out a plausible excuse for going to the doctor that wouldn't worry Sandy and Kirsten.
They hadn't yelled at him or asked him why he hadn't used protection. They had simply sat him and Theresa down at the kitchen table to find out how they were feeling, what were they thinking and asked what they could do to help.
Thinking back, Ryan wondered if they would have reacted the same way after his Junior year at Harbor when he had become a definite member of their family, their son, not just the boy they had agreed could live in their pool house while he finished high school.
Ryan shook his head free of the memories and turned his attention back to the conversation in the kitchen.
"You're only 20, son."
"You were only a couple of years older when you had me."
"We were more settled."
"I know. I know. I didn't mean for this to happen. We were always careful. I swear."
"Always?" Sandy arched his bushy brows, hoping his voice didn't give his irritation away. He was keeping calm; suppressing the urge to shake Seth by the shoulders until his teeth rattled. They had drilled it into Seth from the beginning, protection first. How could he be so stupid? Especially after he saw how Ryan had nearly given everything up when Theresa had revealed she was pregnant.
"Well," Seth faltered, "Without going into details, too much information is not good for the parents' soul; there was a party and some drinking."
"We're going to pretend we didn't hear you admit to underage drinking at a college party," Kirsten declared firmly. She shook her head and spun around to face Sandy. "I'm not handling this."
Seth swallowed. His parents were staring at him as if he had dropped down from the sky during a meteor shower. It made him nervous and that made him sarcastic. "Hey, it's not like I was the first to make you grandparents."
"Don't bring Ryan into this," Sandy snapped. "That's water under the bridge. We're talking about you now. If you weren't responsible enough to use protection, especially after you saw firsthand the consequences, because of a drunken night, what on earth makes you think you're responsible enough to take care of a wife and child?"
"It doesn't matter if I'm responsible enough. They don't make you get a license to become a parent. It just happens. I love Summer. She loves me. We love this baby, even if we don't love the timing. This baby is a part of both of us. It's part of the both of you." He breathed deeply, grabbing the edge of the table to steady his shaking hand. "I'm sorry I shocked your system like this, but what's done is done." Seth got up from his chair. "Ryan suggested I bring J.T.'s aunt to dinner tomorrow night. Please show her the love and respect that you always do. She's my wife now, I love her, and that's not going to change."
He stormed out of the kitchen without a backwards glance. Sandy and Kirsten watched him go and didn't move until they heard the front door slam and the car startup in the driveway.
"Is it safe to come in?" Ryan poked his head into the kitchen.
"Were you eavesdropping?" Kirsten snapped angrily. "I swear, Sandy, next time we renovate this house I'm going to build a soundproof room so that we can actually have a private conversation."
Ryan blushed and started to retreat.
"I'm sorry, honey." Her voice softened. "I'm upset. I shouldn't take it out on you."
Ryan stopped and stared down at his big toe. "Yeah." He tugged at his collar. "I should apologize for the way I forced Seth to break the news to you. He probably could have done that in a much gentler manner."
Sandy slapped Ryan's shoulder. "If you hadn't said something, Seth would have probably gone back to school without telling us anything."
Sandy and Ryan gazed at Kirsten who was near the window. "Do you think Seth's all right? He was so upset when he left."
"He probably just went to Summer. Do you want me to check up on him?"
"Would you?"
He hated the look in Kirsten's eyes. The hope and insecurity. Ryan would do anything she asked. Anything. "No problem." He grabbed the keys to Kirsten's Rover off the key ring they kept by the entrance to the kitchen. He held up the keys, waiting for silent approval, though he knew it was implicit, and he went.
He didn't doubt that he'd find Seth at Summer's house, he just wasn't sure what he would say to him. He'd wanted his fun with Seth, but he realized he'd gone too far. And suddenly, Ryan saw that he and Seth shared something in common, when they hadn't really shared anything since the day they had met. That day they had both been lonely and unsure of their place in the world and they had each anchored the other. Now, each of them with impending fatherhood at a too early age, but Seth wasn't alone, not like Ryan: he had Summer.
Their car, Kirsten's old Land Rover that they now shared, was in the Roberts' driveway. He breathed a sigh of relief and sprinted up the drive to the front door. He expected Mrs. Roberts, Summer's stepmom, to answer the door, but instead it was a red-faced Neil Roberts.
"I was looking for Seth," Ryan said, after Mr. Roberts had yanked the door open, but said nothing. "Sandy and Kirsten were concerned. He left home sort of abruptly."
"He and Summer are in the living room telling me the delightful news. Come on in, Ryan. You might as well try and help them talk themselves out of this fine mess they got themselves into."
He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, wishing Mr. Roberts hadn't just put him in middle of everything. Besides, you couldn't just talk yourself out of a marriage and a child. But he followed Summer's dad anyway.
"So." Mr. Roberts clapped his hands as soon as he entered the living room with Ryan close at his heels. Ryan could smell the fear in the room. "You were just telling me that you got married last week but decided to keep it to yourselves for a bit."
It was painful to watch Summer and Seth explain to Mr. Roberts that his daughter was pregnant. Neil Roberts had never cared for Seth. He had tolerated him for Summer's sake, but Ryan could see this was just too much for the older man to bear. He sat quietly, until Neil Roberts finally stormed out of the room, leaving Ryan alone with Seth and Summer.
"You okay, Summer?" Seth bent his head so it was touching Summer's. He rubbed her upper arms. "He'll come around."
"No he won't. But it doesn't matter. I choose you, Seth. Either our parents come around or they don't. It doesn't matter. We have each other."
"You have me too," Ryan interjected quietly. "We'll be there for each other."
They looked up, noticing Ryan for the first time since he had come into the room. "It'll be nice for J.T. to have a cousin and Sandy and Kirsten will be fine with this after they have time to digest everything. They were just shocked. Look at how supportive they've been with J.T. I mean, they've offered everything and anything to make this easier for me, for us. They'll do the same for you. Next thing you know Kirsten will be offering to throw you a wedding reception. Just give them some time."
"Were they pissed when I left?" Seth asked, reminding Ryan of the teenager that had feared upsetting his parents.
"Worried. Why don't you let Summer's dad cool off and come home with me. Sandy and Kirsten will want to see you both."
"You think so?" Seth tilted his head.
"Yeah. I do. They were just a little taken aback. Really. They weren't mad." He stood up. "Come on. Summer you come too."
"Ryan's right." Summer squeezed Seth's hand. "You parents will be cool about this and my dad needs time to wrap his head around everything. Let's go talk to your parents."
Seth got up and followed Summer, but he didn't feel as confident as his wife and brother.
The minute Ryan woke up the next morning his stomach was in knots and though more than half the day had passed, they hadn't disappeared. Theresa was supposed to bring J.T. over in just over an hour and he kept silently sending prayers heavenward to Jesus, Moses and Buddah that everything was ready. He and Kirsten had hit every toy store in Newport from Toys "R" Us to FAO Schwartz and bought whatever they thought would be appropriate for a 4-year-old. Size and money sure didn't seem to matter and Ryan pushed his money qualms to the side. He wanted to give J.T. everything he didn't have. He'd find a way to pay Kirsten and Sandy back… somehow.
He didn't miss Kirsten sneaking in the other toys, the ones meant for a newborn. The Winnie-the-Pooh mobile, not the Disneyfied characters, but the classic ones drawn in A.A. Milne's books and the squishy lime-green teddy bear that they had both nixed as to immature for a macho 4-year-old boy. So Kirsten was warming up to the idea of Seth's impending bundle of joy, Ryan thought, and didn't bother to hide his smile.
"What's so funny?" Kirsten had asked while they were still walking up and down the aisles of the toy store.
"Nothing."
"So why are you smiling like that?"
Ryan shrugged. "Nothing. Really. Thanks for taking me shopping."
"You won't be able to take everything back to your dorm. You'll have to leave most of it at home." She sighed. "We should really consider getting you an off-campus apartment if J.T. is going to visit with you during the semester."
"I can't afford that Kirsten." He held up his hand to object. "Don't say it. I thought about what I'd do and if it's okay with you, I might just come back home. It won't be such a bad commute and then I can have J.T. over pretty often. Theresa and I still need to nail down a visitation schedule."
"Are you sure? We'd love to have you back home, but…" Her voice trailed off. "How is it," she asked, changing the subject, "that you can so easily say home about our house, but still have this ridiculous hang-up about money?"
He shrugged again. "I don't know. It's complicated. But you and Sandy gave me my first home and it is a home." He studied the display of Spider-Man action figures, wondering if J.T. had seen the movies. "You and Sandy are like my parents and I'm proud to call you that and to call you J.T.'s grandparents, but when it comes to money I – just – can't."
Kirsten reached out and rubbed Ryan's shoulders. "I don't know a 4-year-old who doesn't love Spider-Man." She nodded encouragingly as he reached out for one of the figures. "And if you decide not to dorm this semester, I could probably get a refund on your housing fees. We could use that towards a car for you. Something simple, maybe used," she said, anticipating his objections. "This way Seth can have the Rover and you can have an easy commute to school."
He looked down at his feet, smiling shyly. Kirsten tousled his dirty-blonde hair. "Sandy and I would love to have the company again. The house has been so quiet… aside from vacations that is."
His eyes fluttered. "I think it would be good for J.T., you know, to see a happily married couple."