It was early the next morning when then pulled out of the motel. "Would you like me to drive?" asked Ryan as they loaded their suitcases back into the car. Sandy paused and then threw Ryan the keys, "Kristen, Ryan would like to drive, you want me to take the back seat?"

"No, I'll take it," Kristen replied opening the door, "Seth and I are due for another championship game of Gin Rummy."

"You're going down mom," Seth grinned breaking out the cards, "I have been practicing since the infamous family trip to New York."

Sandy give the directions to as Ryan as they motored down the highway, "You're a good driver…who taught you?"

"A boyfriend of my mom's," Ryan paused as he changed lanes, "She had a lot of boyfriends but Dave, his name was Dave, was a pretty good guy."

"Was he the one that hired you to do construction?"

"Yeah, he was. Hired me on when I was 14."

"Why'd he leave?"

"I don't really remember...probably got tried of my mom's crap."

"Do you miss her?"

"My mom?" The back seat erupted in laughter between Seth and Kristen playing cards. Ryan glanced in the rear- view mirror and smiled and then returned to what Sandy had asked him, "Not too much. You and Kristen are better parents then she ever was. But sometimes I miss the stuff that made her Dawn. Like her singing the shower. Or the smell of cigarettes in house mixed with her cheap perfume." He glanced at Sandy, "It's stupid, I know."

"I haven't talked to my father in over 30 years and I still miss the smell of his cigars."

"Really?" Ryan glanced as Sandy from the corner of his eyes.

"He was not a good person and I am glad he is gone, but that doesn't mean I don't miss him from time to time. It took me a long to be at peace with that but eventually it came and it will for you too. Just give it time."

The drove along in silence for a while longer, just listening to Kristen and Seth play Gin Rummy.

At lunch Seth decided that he wanted to show off his driving skills and Ryan sat in the back with Kristen. "Lights on, sun-visor down, pedals adjusted, yeah I'd say we're ready to hit the road again." Seth pulled out of gas station, "So dad, what are we going to listen to….a lit bit of Grease, perhaps some West Side Story?"

"No, we're going to talk."

"This won't end well."

"Don't tail – gate that guy. I want to know about this two month detention you got."

"We went over this already, it was that or reveal Summer and I wasn't about to do that." Seth signaled to move into the other lane, "And I wasn't tail-gating."

"You were. So all this was about defending a girl?"

"Yeah."

Sandy laughed, "You have been spending too much time with Ryan."

"Or with you." Seth looked over to his dad, "Lesson number one in the Cohen household was always the importance of standing up for the little guy and for the first time in my life I wasn't the little guy that needed to be stood up for."

"You're right. I guess that is why Ryan fits in so well with us. He recognizes a person in need." Sandy paused and then spoke, "You know I've never asked you, if you minded us adopting Ryan, if maybe you felt sidelined at times."

Seth paused for a moment as if choosing his thoughts, "I think pretty much I am lucky person, my best friend is also my brother. Some people get their siblings from storks; I got mine from a juvenile detention centre. I never liked being an only child, with Ryan I have someone to celebrate Christmakkuh with and someone to just chill with." Seth glanced into the back seat, "Sometimes I miss just being with you and mom, Ryan has changed the dynamic. I have to share you guys and sometimes that is weird. But no matter what Ryan is here to stay. Plus he needs us as much as we need him."

Sandy clapped his hand on Seth shoulder, "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad."

In the back Kristen sat looking out of the window, watching the Midwest sail by. She loved her chatty son and husband but it was also enjoyable just to be in the silence with Ryan. When Seth was born her life had changed in ways that she never could have imagined, she was more then just a daughter, wife or sister, she was a mom. When Ryan had joined the family she hadn't imagined that her very definition of herself would change, but it did. She was more then just a mom, she was a mom - of – two. To this day she couldn't understand how Dawn could have left this boy. She was away for two months and it had ripped her apart. She had missed everything about her boys, from their laughter to the mischief they could get up to.

"I'm proud of you," spoke a soft voice.

Looking away from the window, Kristen turned to Ryan, "You are?"

"You stopped drinking. So many people in my life have told me they would stop. But they never ever have, you did."

Kristen eyes began to water, "I'm so sorry I had to put you through this at all. You deserved better from me."

"Stuff happens. The important thing was that you beat it."

"I was so scared at Suriak. I was terrified that I would let you down again."

"You won't, I know it."

"Thanks Ryan." Kristen paused, "There were things that I said at the intervention…"

"Forget it."

"No, it's just… I want you to know that you will always have a home with us. And that I love you as my son. Nothing in the world would be strong enough to force me to abandon you or force you out. Nothing."

Ryan gave her hand a soft squeeze and then returned to looking out the window. After a bit she gave a shy laugh. "I'm glad to be home, if only to help you get back into school and start preparing for college."

"I am still not so sure about college."

"You should be, Ryan you are a smart kid. You deserve to go to a college and build yourself a great future."

"I told Sandy once that having a dream didn't make you smart, knowing that it won't come true did."

"The only difference between a goal and a dream is a plan. We'll find a balance between dreams and reality."

"I don't know," Ryan looked down at his hands, "I don't know how I would find the money for college…"

"Sandy and I would be more then willing to pay for it, but we will work that out latter," Kristen answered noticing Ryan's hesitation, "First you need to decide what your dream is."

Ryan stared out the window and then at her, as if daring her to say that his dream was silly, "I want to be an architect for the Newport Group. I used to watch you and Caleb work together and even when you were fighting you enjoyed designing and building together, making the Newport Group a family company. Seth doesn't really want to be a part of that but I would. I would like to work with you the way you worked with your dad."

Kristen sniffled, "You really save the words for when it counts don't you?"

Ryan blushed, "I try."