"Amanda, what is this?" Lee asked from the top of the stairs holding a small pink and white box in his hand.
"What was that?" Amanda called from the kitchen. She was washing dishes at the sink and could barely hear Lee talking from the top of the stairs. She heard him jog down the steps and stop in the kitchen so she turned to face him, her hands still buried in the soapy water. "What did you say, Sweetheart?"
Lee's face was white as he shook the small box in his hand and asked again, "What is this?"
Amanda's eyes grew large when she realized what he was holding. "Put that away before Mother sees it," she whispered loudly between clenched teeth. She glanced out the window to see Dotty putting the watering can away after taking care of the plants outside.
"Why do you have it?" Lee questioned, shoving the box in her direction once more.
"I was going to-" Amanda began, but stopped immediately when she heard the door click open as Dotty entered the kitchen. Lee scrambled to hide the box behind his back and force a smile on his face.
Dotty stomped the mud off her feet onto the doormat as she exclaimed, "We have to find a way to keep those groundhogs out of the garden. You should see the mess they're making out there! I thought we were going to have a good garden this year, but if those pesky creatures don't stop digging, we won't have anything at all." She looked up to see Amanda's wide-eyed expression then to Lee, his face still white even through his strained smile. "What's going on? Am I interrupting anything?"
Lee cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, no, no, Dotty you're not interrupting anything at all. I just came down to ask Amanda a question, that's all," he insisted.
"Uh huh. Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?" Dotty folded her arms across her chest and leaned her hip against the kitchen island.
"I'm… I don't…." Lee sighed heavily as he stuttered.
Amanda, seeing his discomfort, inserted, "Lee and I were just having a discussion about his birthday. He's never really celebrated it before and I just thought it would be nice to have a family party for him, you know, invite his uncle, maybe Billy and Francine from work."
Dotty nodded again, "Uh huh. And that makes him look like he wants to faint dead away. Really, Amanda, how gullible do you think I am?" She uncrossed her arms and planted one hand on her hip. She studied Lee for a moment before throwing her hands in the air. "Whatever! I'm not going to intrude in your plans. I'll just head upstairs and wash my hands before we start making those cookies for the bake sale tomorrow."
Dotty started to walk past Lee, still holding the mysterious box behind his back. He turned his whole body as she continued up the stairs, adding, "I really don't want a party for my birthday… really." He hoped she believed him but he could hear her muttering softly as she climbed the stairs, "Birthday…. Think again… I'll figure this one out…."
As soon as Lee heard the door click at the top of the stairs, he immediately spun around and held out the box again. "So, are you going to explain this now?" he demanded quietly.
Amanda took the box from his hand and blew out the breath she had been holding. "I just wanted to be sure, because I wasn't sure," she whispered.
Lee placed his hands on Amanda's shoulders and started to ask, "Amanda, are you-"
"PREGNANT?" Dotty practically yelled from the corner of the kitchen. She had quietly descended the stairs, catching Lee and Amanda completely unaware. Amanda immediately turned bright red, holding the small pregnancy kit in her hands. She looked up at Lee, her eyes filled with tears as Dotty rushed across the kitchen and threw her arms around the two of them. "Oh, Amanda! This is so wonderful! I mean, I hope it's wonderful. It should be wonderful, after all, children are a gift."
"Mother, please," Amanda whispered, dropping her eyes once more.
Dotty continued her exuberant rant, "The boys will be so excited! I know it might be hard at first but they'll get used to the idea."
"Mother," Amanda's voice became a little louder although, Dotty still couldn't hear her.
"I can't wait to tell Edna Gilstrap! She'll be so jealous!" Dotty exclaimed loudly, her hands in the air.
"Dotty!" Lee snapped, painfully aware of how uncomfortable Amanda looked.
Dotty stopped moving, her head twisting toward Lee. "What? You don't need to shout, I'm standing right here."
Amanda sighed again, her breath shaky as she said, "I haven't even taken the test yet. I'm not sure I'm really... I'm not sure if it's going to be positive. So, Mother, please, just calm down."
"Oh," Dotty's face fell. "I'll just let you two discuss this then. I'll be in my room until you're ready to talk." She walked back up the stairs, her shoulders drooping dejectedly.
Lee pulled Amanda into a tight hug as he spoke softly in her ear, "Hey, whatever the result is, we'll get through it. If it's positive, then we sit down and talk to Billy. If it's not, then hey, we keep trying, okay?"
Amanda closed her eyes and leaned into Lee, a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She was apprehensive about taking the test. She had bought it three days ago, completely sure that she wasn't going to need it. She had even tucked it away in the bedside table, thinking it was going to be unnecessary, but now she doubted herself.
"Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to take it, right?" she asked weakly.
"Just remember, no matter what that test says, I love you," Lee replied, pressing his lips against her temple.