Chapter 4
"Don't you agree, Sandy?" his wife said, smiling at him.
"Huh? Um, yeah sure, honey" he replied, obviously not having heard what Kirsten said.
Kirsten repeated knowing that her husband hadn't been paying attention. "Seth and Summer have already decided that their baby is going to go through the public school system here in Berkeley, and I said I thought that was a good move since we had already enrolled Sophie in the public school around the corner."
"Absolutely" enthused Sandy. "I'm a result of the public school system and so was Ryan until he came to us and went to Harbor and we both turned out ok."
"Ok, well, on that triumphant exclamation, I think we'll be off" Seth always sounded sarcastic even if he wasn't trying to be. "Junior is our new alarm clock. 5 a.m. every morning he starts punching Summer's stomach like he's an Atwood trying to get out of a jam. We need our beauty sleep."
Summer smiled and stroked her stomach. "It could be a girl, Cohen. In which case, she's got my genes for sure." She punched Seth in the arm playfully to remind him, she had been known to inflict pain in the past.
They each kissed Sandy and Kirsten goodbye and moved toward the door.
Seth turned back toward Sandy as he was about to leave. "Hey, Dad. If you talk to Ryan at all, tell him to call me. He's so busy with ATCO, I've hardly spoken to him in the last couple of weeks, and we've got a bachelor party to plan!"
"I will" said Sandy and closed the door.
"Ok" said Kirsten eyeing her husband after Seth and Summer left. She'd seen that look too many times in their more than twenty five years together. "What was that phone call all about, and is Ryan ok?"
"How do you do that?" Sandy smiled.
Kirsten smirked at Sandy. "Oh, let's see, I hear the 'Hey Ryan' and then nothing until 'anything for you'. A+BC. Easy. So what is it?"
"Well," Sandy paused for a moment. "It seems Ryan is really going to put his 'Pay it Forward' theory into action."
Kirsten looked puzzled. "You mean, he's picking up his lost waif and saving them from a life of poverty and violence?" Her tone was meant to tease Sandy which she still did for the way Ryan came into their lives. She loved him like her own son, and was thankful every day that Sandy had been right about him.
"Actually, yeah, that's exactly what he's doing." Sandy replied seriously, not catching the playfulness in Kirsten's tone. "I don't have many details, and neither did he at the time, but he was going to call me if he needed anything, legal or otherwise."
"Oh my god, I hope he's careful, Sandy" she responded with concern.
Kirsten had enjoyed the last seven years as much if not more than their first two at Berkeley. The earthquake that had destroyed their Newport home had been a blessing in disguise. It forced them to make a move and she was so grateful to her boys for thinking of their old home in Berkeley. Sandy had never wanted to leave in the first place all those years ago and was thriving now they were back again.
He loved teaching law at Berkeley and was so grateful that he had been around for so much of their daughter Sophie's first years. It was a luxury he did not have when Seth was young and he worked long hours in the Newport Public Defenders office. Sandy and Kirsten were closer than ever and knew exactly what the other was thinking and feeling. Kirsten had not seen Sandy concerned like this since Ryan was cage fighting after Marissa's death.