It's Quiet Uptown

Prologue

With a smile, Ryan climbed into his father's lap.

His father, a young man who was forever young, held the boy close and smiled fondly at him, though his blue eyes were distant. The flood of memories that accompanied Ryan was infinite and always hard to look at, even if the child himself wasn't.

"Don't worry, Daddy. He'll be here soon enough."

"That's what I'm worried about, kiddo."

"Why? He misses you a lot, you can see that."

"Yeah... I miss him too, Ry. I just wish he'd move on, you know? And live. He deserves that."

"I know... I don't think he knows that, though. He's so stubborn when it comes to you and I."

"And we're stubborn when it comes to him." He laughed, though there were tears in his eyes. "I guess we're just gonna have to let fate do its work, hmm?"

"It did with me... If I'd just had more time with him, maybe I could have given him more time..."

"God, Ry, don't you dare blame yourself. You fought so hard."

"Still..." The boy sighed, resting his head on his father's chest. "I just wish we could make him happy again."

"He has a hard time being happy... always has. I'm pretty sure you're the only thing that really brought him happiness."

"Do you... Do you think he'll be happy when he's here with us?"

"I... I think he will. But, much as I miss him, I wish he wouldn't join us."

"He doesn't know that there are still people who love him... He just wants to be with his family, no matter what."

"We aren't his only family. I wish he'd see that. Stubborn ba-"

He cut himself off just in time, with a soft, sheepish laugh. "Stubborn idiot."

"Just because I look ten doesn't mean that I don't know what you almost said," Ryan laughed, grinning up at his father.

"Shhh. Do me a solid and don't tell your dad what I almost called him. Or that you know it."

"I won't. I'm pretty sure he'd be surprised to see me this young, anyway, so I wouldn't dare shatter that fantasy."

"Mm, well, I'm sure he'll figure you retained your seventeen-year-old mentality. You were kinda born a gentleman."

"I suppose you're right... I take after him more in the behavior-department, don't I?"

His father let out a barking laugh. "You swear much less."

"Really? He never swore much around me."

"Around you? No way. Present company excluded, though, and he'd contest every drunken sailor on the planet."

"That seems more believable. He was always so careful around me..."

"He was a great dad to you." He let himself laugh softly again. "I'm sorry I was the trade off."

"What was it like before I was born? What was he like?"

"Ryan... I dunno if you want to hear about that."

"Please, Daddy? I've already heard the basics from him..."

"How much has he told you?"

"Just about how you got here... not much else, though."

"Did you hear about your sister? About Francis? It's a really long story, Ry. And it ain't pleasant."

"We've got nothing but time. Please tell me?"

His father sighed in defeat. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. I guess it all started when Mattie found out that Francis was pregnant..."