Chapter 16: Money And Pain

The Kitchen, The Kennison Estate, Latimer Ave, Baltiney, New York...

Ten Years Prior...

 The sound of rushing water from the kitchen sink had been what seemed to get the most of Sera Kennison's attention as the lovely slender brunette with deep brown eyes seemed to be wrapped up in her diner preparations as she had not heard the sound of her husband and two sons entering the house to surprise her with an array of balloons and flowers. Ryker Ephron Kennison had been the luckiest man in the world when she said yes to his marriage proposal and even more fortunate when she gave him two handsome sons who had been the perfect combination of the two of them their respective hair and eye color between them. The boys had been as rambunctious as always and full of smiles just like their mothers. Ryker had been pleased to be home after a long day at the office and met his boys getting off the school bus on the way inside. 

 The boys, Kevin age 10, and Carter age 8 had been looking forward to the eventual new arrival and addition to the family in the form of their mother's current pregnancy. She had been praying for a girl this time around despite Ryker insisting due to old habits that this own had also been destined to be another Kennison boy. 

Kevin had been a sweet lad, with his father's dark hair and his mother's deep brown eyes. He had been pretty good with instruments and Ryker had even bought him a drumset for his birthday. Sera had not been as enthusiastic about the drums as Ryker, who had been a drummer for a band in college, but still, she supported her son despite the noise when she could take it. 

Carver had been the more adventurous of the two and seemed to be hell on wheels with all the charm and goodness of his mother but the mischief had been more so due to his father and Sera never let Ryker forget it. The family had been well off given how successful Ryker and Coleman had been in business and as a result, they purchased the extravagant mansion estate with the stipulation that Sera didn't want servants and if she had maids or housekeepers they were paid fairly and got to go home. 

Ryker had admired how she had still been the same girl he fell head over heels in love with even before he made a decent amount of money. He recalled their days bumming rides from his father and taking the bus to go places and how she'd been right there beside him even on his worst days. It had only been a few years since they had started the business and saw the returns on their success before they had been living a pretty average life and making the best of what they didn't have money for. 

Sera had been a down-to-earth kind of girl and something of a tomboy when she wasn't trying to impress their clients or hosting dinner parties on behalf of the company and his parents. While her parents had not been overly fond of Ryker due to his age in comparison to their daughter who'd been a few years his junior, his parents had adored her and their children. 

Ryker surprised his wife with flowers, her favorite which had been white magnolias, but he had resolved to work a red rose or two in there. Sera had been delighted to see her husband and sons and greeted them warmly after Ryker had wrapped his arms around her at the sink. The boys got a good laugh out of the occasion with their mother nearly jumping out of her skin. 

Ryker found himself drawn to Sera's belly as he let her slip from his arms after a kiss and she turned her attention to the boys quickly kissing them as well in greeting on their cheeks before sending them to wash up for dinner. Ryker turned his attention to greeting his unborn child by way of kissing Sera on the belly making her laugh at how goofy he'd been due to her only being one month along at the time. 

"Rye," she said giggling as she ran her fingers through his messy hair. "I'm not that far along."

He smiled and resumed kissing her belly once more before pulling her into his embrace and doing the same to her lips. 

"I say we try for another when this one comes along," said Ryker with an impish smile filed across his handsome face. "We got more than enough money and plenty of room now."

Sera shook her head and kissed him on the lips. 

"We'll see how I feel when this one gets here stud, now if you don't mind I have dinner to finish preparing least our boys starve to death due to their father making plans for a new sibling before the new sibling even gets here," she said amused. 

Ryker kissed his wife one last time his eyes full of love and admiration as he let her go back to cooking and ventured toward his home office to finish off the rest of the paperwork he left behind in a bid to get home in time to meet the boys get off the bus. 

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Sometime Later...(Previous Ten Years Prior)

Ryker's Home Office, The Kennison Estate, Latimer Ave, Baltiney, New York...

 Unable to get a grip on his unraveled nerves, Ryker Kennison had paced back and forth in his home office as he awaited any news of any sort about flight 126 which had been bound for West Brent, Oregon, the hometown of Sera and the place she and the boys had been going to spend the holiday ahead of Rkyer, who had stayed behind a day due to a business negotiation needing to be tended to before their family vacation. Sera had opted to wait a day but Ryker had convinced her and the boys not to postpone their travel for his sake as he'd been right behind them once he finished closing the deal for the newest contract. 

The office had been a mess and the television had been playing the possible flights when the news of the plane disappearing had reached the media. Ryker had been on the phone most of the day trying to get to them and to round up a search party with the money he had he could afford it. 

There had been no word or check-in for them for twenty-four hours and everyone had been frantic. 

"I SAID I WANT TO KNOW THE MINUTE NO THE SECOND SOMEONE PICKS UP ON THAT DAMN PLANE!" shouted Ryker letting his anxiousness get the better of him. "NO I WON'T CALM DOWN MY WIFE AND BOYS ARE ON THAT PLANE NOW STOP TELLING ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T DO AND FIND THEM DAMN IT!"

 By the time they had found the plane it had been two days and the front end had been decimated except the area where Sera and the boys had been strapped in. The area of the plane past their seats had faired better in the crash and as a result, the majority of the people had been alive but a bit rattled with minor injuries. Ryker had arrived with a rescue team and pulled most of the passengers from the wreckage, but as far as those closer to the front and the boys, they had died on impact along with the pilot and co-pilot. Sera had lingered some for a few days assuring everyone that Ryker would come for them due to how stubborn he'd been and how much he had loved her and the boys. 

She had lost the baby and the boys and didn't have much left by the time she heard the rescue choppers arrive in the clearing for her and the other passengers. She knew in her heart that it had been due to Ryker and told the others so but she passed away just before they landed much to the shock and horror of those she had spent her remaining moments comforting. True to form Ryker arrived with the team and led the charge to pull people out. 

The poor man had been devastated to learn that his wife and sons had died as a result of the crash. Those that had been rescued hailed Ryker Kennison as a hero given his stubborn approach to saving them and breaking all convention to get them out safely. He spared no expense with their medical and funeral needs as well endearing him to a lot of people, but he had never been the same once his family had been laid into the ground.