Derek Conrad grew up in New York City and had a bright future and an incredible network at his disposal, securing a part time but well compensated position while he attended law school after Seth moved to California to be with his mother. Summers brought him and a few gifts, but Derek was a bit too career oriented to really ever figure out how to be a dad -- or much foster a relationship with his son. It was fine, though. Laura stepped up and became the best mother she could have been; she worked as a paralegal in San Francisco and made a modest salary, enough that her son was always clean, fed, and cared for. Life was good.
Seth didn't love school as much as his parents before him, but he was alright. His grades were in the high averages and he made some close friendships -- not many that would stand the test of time, but enough to keep him happy during those years. Laura always raved about her adventures from when she lived in Chicago, easily conveying to her son that these years were some of the best in her life and it inspired him to apply to college there.
He attended the University of Chicago in the fall of 1995 where he studied biology and specialized in genetics. Not only did he love the program, but he adored the city, nestling in easily and feeling as though he had always belonged there. Seth visited Evanston, IL and the dorm where his parents had lived when he was born, investigating his roots with a passionate interest. While he had loved biology, he decided against pursuing a profession in the medical field. He was a more reserved man and felt he didn't have the heart to be a doctor.
To bring himself out of his shell, Seth started teaching kickboxing classes at one of the local gyms. He had always had an interest in staying fit, from playing baseball during high school to watching his diet and avoiding what unhealthy foods he could without having to feel like he was holding back too much. He loved how his life was coming together.
In 1999, Seth graduated but wasn't quite ready to quit school. Or leave Chicago. As a result, he applied to the same university for a graduate program, deciding to get his Ph.D in cell and molecular biology and while the next three years were some of the toughest, he managed to pull through. He graduated with his doctorate in 2002 and promptly sought his credential.
His father had volunteered to pay for his schooling, perhaps out of the guilt he felt for being absent for most of his son's childhood, but Seth wasn't angry at him for it -- he still isn't. On top of that, he turned 25 that same year and received his inheritance. Seth was extremely financially-conscious and invested it in buying a home for himself so that Chicago could finally start to become his home. With a portion of his money, he helped move his mother out there, too and bought her a small condo in Evanston.
Life was great for Seth Conrad. He finally felt like a full adult, and the only thing left was to kick start his career. Having been teaching seminars and taking a year long high school position, he decided to apply for a job at his university. He was hired as an assistant professor of biology.
Coming from a home without a father, one thing that Seth wanted was children of his own where he could be the dad he never had. It was a non-negotiable piece of his future. However, he tabled the idea for the interim, afterall, he wasn't even in a relationship, much less ready to bring a child into the world.
Set up on a blind date, Seth met Mackensie Ripley, a tough but gorgeous police officer through a mutual friend. Their first date did not go smoothly. It wasn't that she was necessarily rude, but the two of them just missed each other completely. Seth gave up before even half of the date was over, knowing this was going absolutely nowhere. In fact, he didn't even recognize her a few months later when she showed up in uniform to respond to call about his drunken antics. Seth didn't remember a thing the next morning when he woke up in a holding cell, but as he was told, he had been incredibly belligerent and gotten himself thrown out of the same bar not once, but twice before the police came to drag him away. He was even further mortified when he realized it was Mackensie who had witnessed this.
He spent the next few days under a butt of shame, and decided it would be best to apologize. He came into the police station and offered to take her to coffee -- he just couldn't bare someone thinking of him that way. It was that cup of coffee that started one of the most amazing relationships of his life. Their personalities differed vastly, but it just worked. They complemented each other, and Seth grew fond of her so quickly, he knew it was love. However, when he brought up the topic of children, she was having none of it and thus began an internal conflict that would be the end of them.
They had moved in together by the time they called it quits, and the separation was extremely hard on Seth. He still thinks of Mackensie regularly, especially when he's having breakfast alone at the table they used to share, or coming home from a long day to an empty apartment. He wishes so much things could have been different, and he's a long way from a full recovery, but he tries to tell himself this is best.
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