Matt Lauria is returning to 'Parenthood': We imagine the scenarios

If you’ve felt that Parenthood has been lacking in the hot guy department lately, well, you clearly haven’t been looking at Joel or Carl. But if you’ve been craving a certain young man in uniform, we’ve got good news! EW has confirmed that Matt Lauria, who plays Ryan York, is returning to the show.

But before you can jump for joy, let’s all remember that Ryan left Amber to go to war, because he feels the most like himself when he’s a soldier. So for starters, how is he returning home from war, and what could his return mean for Ryber?

As far as I see it, there are a few ways this could play out:

Ryan is injured, but nothing has changed: Now, I know nothing about the Army or coming home from war, but I do know that Ryan definitely won’t be done with his tour anytime soon, so how could he possibly come home? Scenario number one is that he’s sent home with an honorable discharge after being injured, but his mental state is still the same. He and Amber probably share a few tear-filled moments, but getting back together isn’t an option unless Ryan changes.

Ryan and Amber live happily ever after: In one ideal scenario, Ryan finds a magical way to return home having realized that he no longer wants to be a soldier. Maybe he’s injured, but hopefully not. He apologizes to Amber, gets some therapy to work through his issues, pulls a Meredith Grey and comes out the other side ready to love, get married, frolic in the ocean again, and have babies.

Ryan’s dead: I hate to even write these words, but he is a soldier at war, so it could happen.

Amber’s pregnant, tells Ryan via Skype: As much as I’ll admit that this is a possibility, I sincerely hope it isn’t true considering all of the drinking she did at that frat party with Drew. But if Amber did realize she was pregnant, I don’t think that could get Ryan home from war — right? — so I’d expect he’d be back on the show via Skype, at least for now.

Ryan returns unchanged, Amber moves on: Did you all watch Friday Night at the Luncheonette? Because as much as I love Ryan and Amber, I will admit that she and Landry were super cute. I would only approve of her choosing Landry if Ryan did die and/or couldn’t ever get help and be good for her. Still, it’s an option. And if Ryan is sent home because of a dishonorable discharge — perhaps his temper got the best of him again — that could be the final straw.

Ryan returns temporarily, they become friends: Ryan could suffer a tragedy in his family and be granted a brief furlough, during which maybe he and Amber finally get some closure and decide to remain friends. Or maybe he is granted an approved leave, where he tells Amber to wait for him and that this tour will be his last. Whether she would believe him, I have no idea.

He goes AWOL, takes Amber with him: One way to get out of the military is to go AWOL and take Amber on the run, but all of that seems a bit too dramatic for Parenthood.

What do you want to see happen when Ryan returns?