After crying for another ten or so minutes, Abigail looked up at Ryan, only to find that he looked different to how he did before. Although he had an obsession with martial arts, to the point of fanaticism, he never took to practising them himself. Hence why his previous state could be called slightly chubby, although not enough to pose a serious risk to his health.
Comparatively, his current look was the complete opposite, his malnutrition causing him to lose not only fat, but his muscle mass and tone of his skin, making him look akin to a zombie.
["Mom..."] {Ryan}
Ryan sighed in regret as he looked back at all of his actions in the past, selfishly locking himself in his room, shutting himself off from society. Although it came to him now, it was utterly unbeknownst to him before, just how much he had hurt his parents, how much they had to go through. Being made the laughing stocks of the business world due to a factor that only he had control of made him feel like scum. The lowest of the low.
["I'm sorry...."] {Ryan}
He felt even more selfish due to the fact that his own eyes began to fog over, how could he cry when their current plight was all his fault. It only sufficed to worsen the image that he had of himself in his brain.
He attempted to clear his tears but to little success, as they slowly slid down his cheeks, he sniffled once more,
["M-mom, I'm so so-"] {Ryan}
Interrupting Ryan, his mother's grip around his chest tightened as she looked into his face. A wry smile was laid out upon her mouth.
["Hush Ryan, it isn't your fault, it isn't your fault at all! Your father and I, neither of us blame you, so don't cry my boy, there's no reason to feel sad."] {Abigail}
Hearing this, Ryan was not only glad within his heart, that his parents still cared for him, but also bewildered at the same time. How could someone forsake everything in terms of public face, risking their whole livelihoods, just for his sake, only to then say that it didn't matter to them? Ryan was filled with inexplicable warmth as these sentences constantly flowed through his mind. Although his parents had been kind to him before, before he locked himself away, they had never shown kindness like this, causing his tears to dry up like magic.
["Okay Mom, I will!"] {Ryan}
Abruptly, his father walked over to him and placed his hand upon his shoulder, another feeling of warmth that he sorely missed filled him once more, the warmth that a father figure brought.
["Son, your mother is right, we don't blame you, so stop worrying about it. Now get ready, you promised we would go out in an hour."] {Paul}
Although brief and brash, his father's words held within them an evident feeling of love, thawing Ryan's starved heart.
["Yes father!"] {Ryan}
****************************************************************************************
Within the car travelling down the highway, Ryan sat at the back, his mother and father parallel at the front, casually conversing about certain topics after the ice had been broken once more. Though to some these topics may appear to be random and meaningless, to Ryan and his parents, this time was as precious as any and all conversation they could accrue would be worth their weight in gold.
["So... What was that I heard earlier Ryan? You have a girlfriend now?"] {Paul}
["Yes father, a long distance one at that. One of the first things I will do is visit her, now that I am out of my room"] {Ryan}
["Good, that's good. Remember Ryan, when you do visit her, always wear a-"] {Paul}
["That's enough out of you Paul!"] {Abigail}
Abigail said with evident feigned anger, given the smile on her face.
["Our Ryan isn't stupid, he knows what and what not to do!"] {Abigail}
She continued on until Paul, meagre as his attitude now was, tried to put a word in
["But Honey-"] {Paul}
["No Buts!"] {Abigail}
This caused laughter to erupt from inside the vehicle, and a jovial atmosphere spread unhindered. Ryan had missed this atmosphere, being with his parents, being with anyone, talking, laughing and feeling merry. A sense of self worth that had not appeared in his heart for a long while now did, causing the tears to almost flow again.
However, through this joy, no-one noticed the van that was speeding towards them, to fast for them to avoid and to fast for them to react.
Only after it had slammed head first into their car, did they recognise it. Ryan lost consciousness immediately.