Page 14 of Against the Current

“What happened?” Alicia asked.

“He passed away,” Ryan answered, wishing his voice sounded stronger than it did. “It was a tragic day.”

“Your wedding day?” Scott raised his eyebrows.

“That’s how it all began,” Trisha affirmed. “And Ryan’s grandmother and mother never forgave me for it.”

“But it wasn’t your fault,” Alicia said. “It was a tragedy. It came out of nowhere.”

“For the Suttons, perfection is key,” Trisha explained. “I was not perfect. My family was far from perfect. And suddenly, their perfect Grandpa Jeremy was gone. Grandma Dana thought it was the stress of having to witness their perfect Ryan marrying trashy Trisha.”

Ryan folded his arms over his chest and looked at his wife. Bags hung beneath her eyes. She was only thirty-seven yearsold, but the weight of the world was heavy upon her shoulders. All night last night she’d stayed up with Willa, trying to talk her down from a panic attack.

Was Grandpa Jeremy’s death a warning?

A long silence filled the kitchen. Ryan hardly dared to breathe.

Finally, Scott raised his beer. “I’m beginning to understand why you left Nantucket.”

Trisha laughed. “It’s not so idyllic, is it?”

Alica touched Trisha’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

Trisha raised her shoulders. “Because it doesn’t matter. All that matters now is our family here. All that matters now is that we get through this difficult time.”

A few minutes later, Ryan excused himself to the back porch. For the first time in years, he yearned for a cigarette. When Scott appeared beside him, zipping his coat to his chin, Ryan asked, “You don’t by chance have…?”

“I quit fifteen years ago.”

“Shoot.”

Scott laughed gently and eyed Ryan.

“All right,” Ryan said. “You’ve heard the whole origin story. Tell me what you think.”

“I don’t know if it’s my place,” Scott said. “Family complexities are difficult to judge. There are so many competing stories. So many feelings have gotten hurt along the way.”

Ryan sighed. “You’re the person I feel closest to in the world right now.”

Is that too much?Ryan wondered. He let a beat pass before he added, “Trisha hardly looks at me. I think she hates me.”

Scott lowered his gaze. “She doesn’t hate you, man. Marriage is hard.”

Ryan’s throat was too thick to answer.

“Okay. Listen.” Scott rubbed his five o’clock shadow. “It sounds like you come from money. Like real money.”

Ryan let his shoulders fall forward. It was difficult for him to fully face this.

“Maybe Trisha hates your family, and maybe she has good reason to,” Scott said. “But if I had a lifeline like the Sutton family right now, I would use it.” Scott snapped his fingers. “Don’t be too proud, man. Think about Willa. Think about Gavin and Rudy.”

Ryan let his eyes trace the falling snow, the aging porch swing, the ragged house they’d moved into because they couldn’t afford anything else.

“I told myself I didn’t need them,” Ryan whispered, mostly to himself.

“People need people,” Scott reminded him, then smiled. “I can’t get over what you did for me today. Quitting in solidarity with my firing? That was crazy, man. But it came from the heart.”

Scott elbowed Ryan in the bicep, and Ryan quaked back and forth, laughing.

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