Ryan and his wife, Laura, were enjoying a quiet night in. Laura's ever-growing stomach made it difficult for her to sit still. There was a delicate knock at the front door. The pair shared a confused look and after a moment, Ryan made his way to the door. As it swung open, he could see a young girl about 15 years old, shuffling her feet against the doormat.
"Hi, I know this might be weird to ask, but does a Ryan Atwood live here?" She asked nervously, fidgeting with an envelope with tattered edges. Her voice was soft, but urgent.
Ryan squinted his eyes in suspicion. "Yes. I'm Ryan. We're already registered to vote, if that's what you wanted."
She shook her head and looked down, half-smiling before she spoke again under her breath, "She said you might get defensive."
Ryan squared his stance and his grip on the doorframe tightened. He took a short breath and said in a hurry, "I'm sorry, but is there something I can do for you? If not, I'm closing the door."
The girl quickly raised an arm and shoved the envelope toward him. The sudden movement threw him off his guard and he took the letter without thinking. The girl seemed visibly uncomfortable now with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Is this for me?" He asked, but was met with silence. He brought the letter to his face and raised his eyebrows in confusion. There was no return address, just some writing scrawled neatly in the center. He opened his mouth to ask the girl another question when a sudden lump formed in his throat. His palms began to sweat. He knew that handwriting.
-Flashback-
As he rifled through the mail he'd picked up on his way inside the house, he realized they needed some things from the store. He grabbed a pen to add to the list on the fridge but found that she had already written it down. He chuckled. He loved the way she put an "x" for each dot of her "i." She'd done this since high school.
Suddenly, she burst into the room. Her face was tear stained and her hands trembling. He dropped the pen and rushed to her. She wordlessly handed him a pregnancy test. He looked down to see the results. When he glanced back to her her face was smiling so brightly he thought she'd never looked more beautiful. They were pregnant. He scooped her into his arms, overcome with happiness, but also overwhelmed with the possibilities. This moment was seated into his memory.
-End of flashback-
The young girl finally spoke when she saw the realization had hit him. "My name is Mya. My mom's name is Marissa. I think you're my father."
