Disclaimer: Not mine. They belong to the Schwartz.

A State of Normalcy

By Perpetual Motion

When he came back he didn’t knock on the door. He still had his key to the house, and he used it without even thinking about it. He let himself in and stood in the middle of the entryway without saying anything.

Sandy was the first to see him. He stopped in his tracks and just stared at Ryan. “Hey.”

Ryan gave a slight inclination of his head in greeting. He stared at Sandy for a few seconds. “It’s not mine.” He dropped his bag to the floor, and it landed with a muffled thud. He sat down beside it and pulled his knees up to his chest. “It’s not my kid.” He watched Sandy watch him with an even look that gave nothing away.

Sandy took a step forward, paused, then took a step back. “I’m going to go get Kirsten and Seth, okay?” He said it like he was talking to a whipped dog that didn’t know who to trust.

“Fine.” Ryan switched his gaze from Sandy to the floor. The tile was different than he remembered. He wondered if Kirsten had planned to change it or if the upheaval he’d caused had brought it about. It was nice tile. It looked nothing like the cheap vinyl tile that Ryan had stared at when Teresa had finally admitted that the baby she was carrying wasn’t his. He heard footsteps and turned his head to see Kirsten and Seth hurrying into the entryway. He was a little surprised when Kirsten dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled him into a hug.

“Oh, Ryan.” Her voice was soft, sad, just like a mom’s voice should be. Ryan wondered if Teresa’s voice would ever sound like that. He let Kirsten hug him until she let go. It felt nice to be hugged.

Seth stood outside the semi-circle of his parents and Ryan and just waited until Ryan saw him. He gave the best grin he could under the circumstances. “Hey, man.”

“Hey.” Ryan unfolded himself from the floor and its new tile and took the three steps to Seth. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Seth’s smile became a little more real. “Give me the dirt. How’d she tell you? Did you burn down a house in frustration or did you steal a car?”

Ryan’s not surprised when Sandy and Kirsten don’t stop Seth from asking such ridiculous questions. It’s a point of normalcy in the house, and he’s been wanting it as much as they have. “Nothing’s smoking. Nothing’s stolen.”

“So you say.” Seth grinned and grabbed Ryan in a hug. “And I don’t care how she told you. I’m glad your back. Even if she’s a lying bi-“

“Seth.” Kirsten’s voice held a quick warning.

“I was totally going to say ‘big fat liar’.” Seth pulled away from Ryan and grinned at him. “Wasn’t I?”

Ryan finally smiled. “You totally were.”