The Epilogue
Ryan looked out of the window. The sky was a deep, radiant blue and the sun shone down, illuminating the glass of the pool house.
It felt so long ago since he'd slept in there and had lain in bed, listening to the sound of the whispering waves.
It had been a long time ago.
Two years had passed since he'd woken up in the pool house for the last time. The last morning before his whole world had crashed down around him.
It may have been 2 years, but the memories were still vivid in his mind.
The yelling. The begging. The coin tossing.
The memories he desperately wanted to forget but was still tormented by.
He took a step back when he saw Seth coming out of the house on to the patio, Summer clutching onto his arm. He smiled softly as he saw Seth jokingly pretend to push her into the pool, his actions answered with a sharp "Seth!"
"Hey Kid," Ryan turned to see Sandy entering the room.
"Hi Sandy,"
"So your therapist called asking if you'd mind changing your session time to 3 o'clock. Something about his son's school play or soccer match, I think."
Ryan looked down, two years later and he still needed a therapist.
He glanced down at his wrists, the sickening scars hidden under his long sleeves. They were a constant reminder of what had happened.
Even in late August he couldn't wear short sleeves anymore, no matter how hot it got.
"Sure, that's fine" he answered and Sandy nodded.
"Good, so uh… what are you up to? I thought if you weren't doing anything, we could go out somewhere for lunch, since your appointment time's changed."
He looked at Ryan and Ryan could see the look of hope in his eyes.
"Sure, sounds great." he responded, trying to sound enthusiastic.
All those years he'd longed for a father figure, after Frank was put away in jail. Sandy was even better than the dad he'd made up in his dreams.
Sandy smiled. "I'll just go and confirm it with Lisa then." he said, hurrying out of the room. Lisa was the therapist's secretary and a talkative one at that so Ryan knew his foster father would be a while.
Ryan began slowly getting himself ready to go. He could still hear the sound of Summer's laughter. He remembered when he used to be part of that. He'd sit with Marissa in his arms, Seth next to him with Summer in his arms.
They'd smile and laugh together.
Ryan didn't think he'd ever feel that comfortable again.
He heard Sandy talking to Lisa on the phone down the corridor.
Kirsten was out at a newpsie event, much to her displeasure. She'd left the house that morning, muttering about how those ladies really couldn't do anything by themselves.
Ryan rarely left the house without her and so he knew that Sandy was anxious to show he could take Ryan out and nothing bad would happen.
Ryan didn't mind going out with Sandy, he was comforted by his adopted father's presence just as much as he was by Kirsten's. He just hated going out by himself.
It was stupid and weak, not to mention Trey would kick his ass if he knew. It was just that he was always so paranoid that one of the men would abduct him again.
Three men had been arrested and were now locked away for a good many years thanks to Sandy. But Ryan knew there had been a lot more than three.
Ryan hadn't been able to go into the courtroom when the three men were being tried. He'd had to appear via video which they'd recorded the day before.
Still, throughout the day, he'd been huddled in a quivering ball in the middle of his bedroom as Kirsten held him. Sandy had come home in the evening with the news of the sentencing.
He was terrified that the remaining men would come after him. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle a repeat of the last two years.
Still, that was what he was working on with his therapist and the man seemed to think that Ryan would, in the future, be able to finally put everything to rest.
The past wouldn't be forgotten, there were too many scars, both physically and mentally but he was trying to help Ryan live with what had happened.
"Hey, ready to go?" Sandy's head popped around the door and Ryan nodded.
"Sure," he breathed out, standing up.
xxx
Sandy watched as Ryan slowly and carefully picked at his lobster. Since the day he'd been found, Ryan would eat little and sparsely. It hadn't improved in the slightest.
Before, Ryan would eat his food so quickly that he'd have been on seconds whilst they were still half way through their first helping.
Now, Sandy was sipping on his beer, his carcass of a lobster pushed to the side as he discreetly watched Ryan eating.
He was still so thin and the lack of properly eating wasn't helping. There were things they still didn't know about what had happened whilst Ryan was away from them, but Sandy had heard enough.
It had been the best day of his life when he'd finally put those bastards in jail. But then he'd come home to find Seth frantically pacing and Ryan in a corner in his bedroom, shaking like a leaf.
Finally, Ryan pushed his plate away and threw his napkin onto the table.
Sandy noticed how he leaned back, wincing and placing a hand on his stomach.
He chucked softly. "You full?" he asked.
Ryan groaned slightly and nodded.
"Do you want anything else or are you ready to go?" he asked, placing his own napkin on the table.
"I'm good,"
xxx
Ryan climbed out of the car, his stomach still ached with fullness and he mentally slapped himself for ordering the whole lobster and not the half lobster.
He walked, shoulder to shoulder with Sandy as they climbed the few concrete steps to the therapist's office.
Lisa looked up and smiled at them as Sandy pushed open the heavy, wooden door and led Ryan over to the receptionist's desk.
"Hi Ryan, he's all ready for you, you can go on through." Ryan nodded and took a steadying breath before making his way down the corridor.
Sandy held back and Lisa must have read the look of worry on his face.
"He's doing well, Mr Cohen. He's improved so much and I can tell that just by the way he comes in each time. Do you remember the first time he came?" she said softly, comfortingly.
Of course Sandy remembered the first time. It had taken almost half an hour for he and Kirsten to convince Ryan to go in. The fear Ryan had had that he'd be on his own with the doctor had shocked the two of them.
Thinking back on that day, made Sandy realised just how much Ryan had come on, he no longer panicked about the session for the days leading up to it. He just got into the car and allowed himself to be driven to the session. It was clear he didn't enjoy the sessions but he still agreed to go.
"Thanks Lisa," he smiled at her.
"You're welcome."
He turned around and picked up an out of date motoring magazine from the rack. He wasn't really into motoring but it was better than an out of date "Teen Vogue" He sat down heavily on his chair and settled himself down.
Give it a couple more years and Sandy was sure his family would be as close as it could be to how it was before everything that had happened.
The End.
That's the end, guys. Thank you to everyone who has commented. Particularly those who commented on most if not all the chapters, I loved hearing what you guys thought. I'm sorry I didn't get everyone's ideas in, that they wanted to read. e just He kdkJW