Categories > TV > O.C. > Curve of the Earth
Chapter Three: The Return
Being put on the spot isn't easy for anyone, and by the time the plane landed Ryan still wasn't ready to reflect on his decision. He'd spent the plane ride sleeping, trying not to dream, and trying not to think. A blank mind was better than a racing mind. That had been his motto ever since Anna had shown up at his dorm room. A blank mind was better than a racing one. Yet sometimes it had been impossible to keep his mind from flying in a hundred different directions. He wanted to know what was going on at home, why had Summer been so persistent? What kind of deal did she have with Seth? Why did she spend Anna? And if it was something so important he had to come home, then why hadn't Seth been more persistent? He had all questions and no answers. And while he tried to tell himself that he was only going back to Newport to get answers, he knew that wasn't the case.
In reality he missed home, and he could find a million excuse why not to go back. He was working, he needed to study, and he couldn't get distracted because of his scholarship. There was a long list of reason he'd given Seth, or Summer, or Kirsten, or Sandy on why he couldn't come home. But the truth was it all boiled down to one person. He knew that if at anytime for any reason Marissa called him and asked him to come back, he would. But she never called, she never asked, and simply thinking about it just made the thought of going home painful.
But it didn't change the fact that he missed home, and the way things were. Even if things could never be that way again, couldn't they all at least be in the same room and made just for a little bit pretend? It was wishful thinking, but thinking about it, those moments of the four of them together were the only times in his life where he truly felt complete. Like as long as those three people were there, as long as they has his back he wasn't just playing the hero and trying to be invincible, with them at his core he wasn't scared of anything. And could for just a few moments everything be that way again, even it was just an illusion.
Home. Half way through the flight it really hit him. The plane was heading to California and he was on it. He was going home to the only place he ever really knew as home. To people whom didn't let the lack of blood bond stop him from being family. He had gone to church with Lacy and her family last time they'd visited, and though while he wasn't much of a religious guy something the preacher had said struck him in the heart. He said that in biblical days it was nearly impossibly to disown a child you adopted, that it would be easier to disown your own blood child. He had chuckled to himself at the thought of the Cohens having to get rid of Seth before they could get rid of him. "Family is a relationship by commitment." When he said that it hit Ryan in the heart. He had learned as well as anyone that commitment was stronger than blood.
By the time Ryan's flight landed at LAX, it wasn't his mind racing anymore, it was his heart.
"Chino! Ohmigod Ryan I've missed you so much." Summer literally jumped on Ryan hugging him so tightly he thought his chest was going to collapse.
"I've missed you to Summer." He hugged back and set her down on the ground. "We'd better stop hugging now or people are going to get the wrong idea... Where's Seth?"
"I left him at home... He doesn't exactly know that you're coming home."
"Why not?"
"I didn't tell him, in fact I didn't tell anyone... You're kinda my little secret right now."
"Which means you did want to get in trouble for breaking whatever the deal you and Seth have."
"Deal? What deal? I don't know anything about any deal. And beside even if I did have some deal with Cohen, I didn't break it, I just found a loophole."
Ryan do it anymore, a huge stretch of grin broke out over his face, and he let out a huge laugh, "Come on Roberts let's go, man it feels good to be home."
The car ride home ended up being surprisingly quiet; usually Summer chewed his ear off. However today she knew that he had questions she didn't want to answer. And he figured that it'd be better to bring everything up once he had both her and Seth together, one of them was bound to crack. And besides for right now, he just wanted to enjoy being home.
"So umm where exactly are we going Summer?"
"The Cohens."
"Ok... so what are you just going to tell them that you picked me up on the side of the road?"
"Umm I don't know I guess we'll figure it out when we get there."
"Seth, where did Summer go? The delivery guy will be here any minute and I'm starving." Kirsten Cohen pour herself a small glass of Merlot and walked into the living room where her son and husband sat watching the TV.
"She said she had an errand to run and she'd be back in a minute, but that was like three hours ago. So honestly mom I have no clue... Umm could you get the phone, Dad and I are very enthralled by this shark show."
"Yea honey, did you know that the great white..."
"Getting the phone now, you two have fun...." She moved swiftly into the kitchen, picking up the phone without looking at the caller I.D. "Hello."
"Hey Kirsten."
"Ryan!... Sandy, Seth, its Ryan... Its good to hear from you, how are things?"
"Things are good, a little crazy but good."
"Well that's good, did you get the jacket I sent you? I saw today that there was a snow storm in Boston and my first thought was I hope he got that jacket." She sat on the sofa in between Sandy and Seth. Leaning her head into Sandy's as they both listened to Ryan's conversation.
"Yes'um I got the jacket."
"Well how's the weather, did the storm pass through?"
"Actually I couldn't tell you, I'm not in Boston."
"Not in Boston?.. Then where are you?"
"Well actually," With that moment the Cohen's doorbell rang.
"It couldn't be." Sandy raised his eyebrows.
"You don't think..." They both bounded towards the front door.
"Mom, Dad, where are you going what's going on?" Seth followed behind them
Shock, happiness and overwhelming emotions over came the Cohens as the opened the door to find Ryan standing there. "Ryan! How ya been son." Sandy grabbed the man, whom he still saw as a boy into a hug.
Kirsten followed suit, trying very hard not to cry and as hugged him, "It is so good to have you home Ryan."
"Hey man, I thought you said you weren't going to be able to make it home." Seth put an arm around Ryan's shoulder and started to walk him inside.
"Umm Hello, Chino, bags..." Summer yelled as she tried to walk up the driveway carrying Ryan's suitcase.
"Oh sorry," He jogged over to collect his stuff, as he took his bags from Summer he watched as Seth folded his arms across his chest.
"Errand huh? I thought we had a deal?"
"Deal? What deal? I don't know anything about any deal and even if I did I would never break such deal."
"You two had a deal involving Ryan?" Sandy stood in the doorway looking slightly confused.
"What kind of deal?" Kirsten leaned in over Sandy's shoulder.
"Nothing," Seth answered his parents then leaned into the Summer's ear. "We'll talk about this later."
"Yea I'm going to go put my stuff in the pool house, before this gets awkward...er..."
"Awkwarder, Chino is that even a word?"
"I don't know."
Kirsten smiled at the familiar banter between the kids. "Ok well Ryan, why don't you go get settled in, and then we'll all have dinner together.. Like a family."
Being put on the spot isn't easy for anyone, and by the time the plane landed Ryan still wasn't ready to reflect on his decision. He'd spent the plane ride sleeping, trying not to dream, and trying not to think. A blank mind was better than a racing mind. That had been his motto ever since Anna had shown up at his dorm room. A blank mind was better than a racing one. Yet sometimes it had been impossible to keep his mind from flying in a hundred different directions. He wanted to know what was going on at home, why had Summer been so persistent? What kind of deal did she have with Seth? Why did she spend Anna? And if it was something so important he had to come home, then why hadn't Seth been more persistent? He had all questions and no answers. And while he tried to tell himself that he was only going back to Newport to get answers, he knew that wasn't the case.
In reality he missed home, and he could find a million excuse why not to go back. He was working, he needed to study, and he couldn't get distracted because of his scholarship. There was a long list of reason he'd given Seth, or Summer, or Kirsten, or Sandy on why he couldn't come home. But the truth was it all boiled down to one person. He knew that if at anytime for any reason Marissa called him and asked him to come back, he would. But she never called, she never asked, and simply thinking about it just made the thought of going home painful.
But it didn't change the fact that he missed home, and the way things were. Even if things could never be that way again, couldn't they all at least be in the same room and made just for a little bit pretend? It was wishful thinking, but thinking about it, those moments of the four of them together were the only times in his life where he truly felt complete. Like as long as those three people were there, as long as they has his back he wasn't just playing the hero and trying to be invincible, with them at his core he wasn't scared of anything. And could for just a few moments everything be that way again, even it was just an illusion.
Home. Half way through the flight it really hit him. The plane was heading to California and he was on it. He was going home to the only place he ever really knew as home. To people whom didn't let the lack of blood bond stop him from being family. He had gone to church with Lacy and her family last time they'd visited, and though while he wasn't much of a religious guy something the preacher had said struck him in the heart. He said that in biblical days it was nearly impossibly to disown a child you adopted, that it would be easier to disown your own blood child. He had chuckled to himself at the thought of the Cohens having to get rid of Seth before they could get rid of him. "Family is a relationship by commitment." When he said that it hit Ryan in the heart. He had learned as well as anyone that commitment was stronger than blood.
By the time Ryan's flight landed at LAX, it wasn't his mind racing anymore, it was his heart.
"Chino! Ohmigod Ryan I've missed you so much." Summer literally jumped on Ryan hugging him so tightly he thought his chest was going to collapse.
"I've missed you to Summer." He hugged back and set her down on the ground. "We'd better stop hugging now or people are going to get the wrong idea... Where's Seth?"
"I left him at home... He doesn't exactly know that you're coming home."
"Why not?"
"I didn't tell him, in fact I didn't tell anyone... You're kinda my little secret right now."
"Which means you did want to get in trouble for breaking whatever the deal you and Seth have."
"Deal? What deal? I don't know anything about any deal. And beside even if I did have some deal with Cohen, I didn't break it, I just found a loophole."
Ryan do it anymore, a huge stretch of grin broke out over his face, and he let out a huge laugh, "Come on Roberts let's go, man it feels good to be home."
The car ride home ended up being surprisingly quiet; usually Summer chewed his ear off. However today she knew that he had questions she didn't want to answer. And he figured that it'd be better to bring everything up once he had both her and Seth together, one of them was bound to crack. And besides for right now, he just wanted to enjoy being home.
"So umm where exactly are we going Summer?"
"The Cohens."
"Ok... so what are you just going to tell them that you picked me up on the side of the road?"
"Umm I don't know I guess we'll figure it out when we get there."
"Seth, where did Summer go? The delivery guy will be here any minute and I'm starving." Kirsten Cohen pour herself a small glass of Merlot and walked into the living room where her son and husband sat watching the TV.
"She said she had an errand to run and she'd be back in a minute, but that was like three hours ago. So honestly mom I have no clue... Umm could you get the phone, Dad and I are very enthralled by this shark show."
"Yea honey, did you know that the great white..."
"Getting the phone now, you two have fun...." She moved swiftly into the kitchen, picking up the phone without looking at the caller I.D. "Hello."
"Hey Kirsten."
"Ryan!... Sandy, Seth, its Ryan... Its good to hear from you, how are things?"
"Things are good, a little crazy but good."
"Well that's good, did you get the jacket I sent you? I saw today that there was a snow storm in Boston and my first thought was I hope he got that jacket." She sat on the sofa in between Sandy and Seth. Leaning her head into Sandy's as they both listened to Ryan's conversation.
"Yes'um I got the jacket."
"Well how's the weather, did the storm pass through?"
"Actually I couldn't tell you, I'm not in Boston."
"Not in Boston?.. Then where are you?"
"Well actually," With that moment the Cohen's doorbell rang.
"It couldn't be." Sandy raised his eyebrows.
"You don't think..." They both bounded towards the front door.
"Mom, Dad, where are you going what's going on?" Seth followed behind them
Shock, happiness and overwhelming emotions over came the Cohens as the opened the door to find Ryan standing there. "Ryan! How ya been son." Sandy grabbed the man, whom he still saw as a boy into a hug.
Kirsten followed suit, trying very hard not to cry and as hugged him, "It is so good to have you home Ryan."
"Hey man, I thought you said you weren't going to be able to make it home." Seth put an arm around Ryan's shoulder and started to walk him inside.
"Umm Hello, Chino, bags..." Summer yelled as she tried to walk up the driveway carrying Ryan's suitcase.
"Oh sorry," He jogged over to collect his stuff, as he took his bags from Summer he watched as Seth folded his arms across his chest.
"Errand huh? I thought we had a deal?"
"Deal? What deal? I don't know anything about any deal and even if I did I would never break such deal."
"You two had a deal involving Ryan?" Sandy stood in the doorway looking slightly confused.
"What kind of deal?" Kirsten leaned in over Sandy's shoulder.
"Nothing," Seth answered his parents then leaned into the Summer's ear. "We'll talk about this later."
"Yea I'm going to go put my stuff in the pool house, before this gets awkward...er..."
"Awkwarder, Chino is that even a word?"
"I don't know."
Kirsten smiled at the familiar banter between the kids. "Ok well Ryan, why don't you go get settled in, and then we'll all have dinner together.. Like a family."
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