Summary: Amanda has a tough week. Or – Nag-Amanda-Stetson Day
Original Author's notes: Amanda has spoken to me over the years, but never quite like this. This is for the birthdays of Alley and Rita (R.I.P.), but I didn't get to finish it in time, b/c of real life.
Rated Kids+
Warnings: Nah, just Post Season 4. Feedback welcome.
Disclaimer: This is for entertainment only. Not for profit.
Timeline: 1991 – Amanda is around 39 and so is Lee. Phillip is 17 or 18, so Jamie is around 15 and Michael is 3.
Grinning and Bearing It
Author: Lynda Mayfield
I was having a rough day at the office. Lee was home with our son, Michael, now that it was day four of the illness. I was home with our son during the first three days – the worst ones, when Michael was vomiting every other hour, or having a bad case of diarrhea. Lee was on duty for the "feeling better" stages . . . the part where Michael was keeping down some food, but it had better be bland, or else.
The fact that we were splitting the week up meant that we were also forced into "spring cleaning." Meaning we were assigned to making phone calls and staying "in" from the field. That was Thursday, anyway. Also known as Nag-Amanda-Stetson Day, apparently.
I found I was not able to keep up with the filing for the phone calls, and barely managed the reverse. Normally, there was an hour for lunch, but I forwent that as soon as I saw the work mounting up. None of the file updates were urgent – all could be handled the following week, but, who wanted to do clean up on files after a week of no active cases? My clever, handsome husband and I prefer NOT being stuck behind our desks.
Finally, I made it to a good stopping point at five o'clock and went home to my family. The two older boys are both in high school, and Michael is a big three years old. And Lee, the oldest boy, I mean, my husband, seemed to have everything under control at home.
"Ah ah ah, Amanda. You sit right down there on the sofa and relax," he said as I headed to check on dinner. "I'll finish this. Jamie already set the table."
"Really? Wow. All right. I'll just be in here. Where's Michael?" I picked up the newspaper from the couch in the living room, then sat and thumbed through it, looking for an interesting article. The news was on the television, but did not hold any interest for me. I am practically inundated with it at the office. I wanted hometown news.
"Phillip's giving him a bath. Jamie's working on some homework up in his room." Lee said, by way of answering my question and any about the older boys.
"That was thoughtful of Phillip." I gave Lee a quizzical eyebrow.
"I know. He said something about needing to win points with you, anyway." Lee gave me a smile and a wink. He was working away over a steaming pot, and something in the oven smelled very good.
I turned a page in the newspaper, and started reading about the local animal shelter. There was wobbling support by the governor for funding. I hoped it would pull through; the animals had nowhere else to go. Many in the community were for the funding, so the article said. I hoped that would sway the governor for the sake of the animals who could not speak for themselves.
**Shhh, leave her alone***
**But I have to ask her something**
**She needs the rest**
**Yeah, you're right. I suppose I can wait**
I guess, somewhere between reading and dinner, I fell asleep. Lee's an angel; he allowed me to nap through dinner in lieu of waking me up. My wristwatch indicated a time of about seven. I felt a little out of sorts as I sat up, but less worn from the week's stresses.
"Mommy, you're awake!"
"Hi, Michael." He climbed into my lap and I wrapped him up in a hug. "You feeling better?"
"Yeah, I'm better. You missed dinner, but Daddy made you a plate, anyway."
"He did?"
"He said he'd better, or my brothers would eat it all."
I laughed. "What are you chewing on?"
"It's gum. See?" He pulled the tooth-marked wad out of his mouth and thrust it in my direction.
"Yes, I see, honey, but you shouldn't do that." He knew that once it was in his mouth, gum was supposed to stay there.
"Okay." To my dismay, he popped the gum back in his mouth. Oh, well, they were his germs, after all.
I heard multiple footsteps on the stairs and saw the three other men of the house before me. It was the end of the calm before the storm.
My husband softly said,"Amanda."
"Mom." my oldest said.
And my youngest, "Mom."
"Lee, Phillip and Jamie. Who wants to go first?"
"Me!" Michael piped up. For no apparent reason, he then put the gum in his hair. Lee and I groaned. We all looked at Michael in silence for a good thirty seconds.
"I'll take care of this. Come on, son." Lee bravely stepped forward. The gum was in his bangs more than anything else. Depending on the type of gum, this might be handled easily. Otherwise, it would be scissors.
"Okay, next youngest child?" I decided to take charge of organizing my sons' wants.
"Mom, I need you to look over this paper for me tonight, so I can rewrite it for Monday." Jamie sat on the couch next to me and held up five pages with writing on both sides.
"It's due Monday? Can I look at it on Saturday?"
Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Jamie quipped, "But I have to work on my photojournalism, then!"
"How about tomorrow night? I'm still not quite awake, sweetheart." I took the pages from him, squinted at the writing as I flipped through, and then held the assignment out to him again.
"Well, yeah, okay." Jamie nodded, took the papers, and bounded out of the room, most likely to his bedroom.
I nodded, satisfied with my negotiation,"Okay, good. Now, Phillip?"
"So, uh, did you have a good nap?" Phillip asked coyly, sitting on the arm of the couch opposite me.
I arched one eyebrow at him, "I did, sweetheart. Now, what's this big favor that got you to give Michael his bath tonight?"
"I, uh, have a student government bake sale tomorrow and I need three dozen chocolate chip cookies for tomorrow morning."
I almost laughed at the way he spit out his request, but kept my face stern. I had other ideas. "It's not impossible, but listen. You are going to help me in EVERY step of baking those cookies, from the first cup of flour to the last chocolate chip."
Phillip grinned one of his biggest ever smiles. "Okay."
"Really?" I asked. Had it been that easy to get my son to do his own work?
"Really, mom. Where do we start?"
My son, senior class president, making cookies. Made me wonder if our current president ever had to host a bake sale.
"So, if I'D given Michael his bath, would you have helped me tonight, instead?" Jamie probed, having come back downstairs for a snack of milk and cookies.
"Maybe. Is it worth it, to get that wet for a paper due on Monday?" I asked, knowing the handful Michael was lately with baths.
"No way. Uh, bye." Jamie headed upstairs before I drafted him into cookie-making duty.
"We're back." Lee said, accompanied hand-in-hand by Michael. Our son's hair was entirely gum-free.
"Lee . . .that's amazing!"
"Thank you, thank you. Now, time for you to eat some dinner. Want me to warm up the plate for you?"
I stood. "Thank you, honey, I think I can manage the microwave, tonight. Phillip…let's go ahead and get you started."
"Now?" My oldest son asked.
"Yes, now. This is your cookie duty, not mine." I smiled at my son's reluctance, but he followed me to the kitchen.
Three hours later, we had three dozen cookies baked, cooled and wrapped for the next morning. We also had the dishes either clean or soaking. Another day was done.
I had gone upstairs to change for bed and get a book to read for a little bit, when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in."
It was Phillip.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"I just, I wanted to say thanks, for helping me out at the last minute."
"Well, it's a good thing I keep a stock of chocolate chips in the pantry." I smiled.
"Mom, I was just wondering, how do you and Lee manage it? You put up with Jamie, Michael and me, even when we do some pretty silly things."
"We just grin and bear it, I guess. No magic formula. I know I like doing it, most of the time. I had fun baking with you, even if you thought it was a chore."
"Yeah, we did get to talk about stuff." Phillip admitted.
"Then there's that 'I'm your mother, I love you,' kind of thing."
"I love you, too. Goodnight, Mom." Phillip gave me a little hug . . . which he hadn't done in a while, and went to bed. After briefly considered staying upstairs, still tired after my catnap, I went down anyway. I hadn't seen my husband all day. He was in the living room, reading a thriller.
"Is Phillip okay?" Lee asked.
"Yes. He was actually thanking me for my help."
"He's a good kid."
"Yes, he is. Lee, I think I'll just go to bed. I'm still tired. I haven't felt this run down since . . . before Michael."
Lee quirked an eyebrow at me.
"Well, it can't be THAT. It's just the stress of this week. Plus I think I've been skipping my daily vitamin. Not enough iron in my blood. I'll bring the bottle to work, that'll remind me better."
"Okay." He looked at me suspiciously again.
"Leeee. I am going to bed. Goodnight." I leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Goodnight." I pretended not to hear my husband chuckle, as if he wanted me to be pregnant again.
** SMK ** **SMK**
It's been three days. I took my vitamins…doubled up, in fact, and I'm still tired. Not late yet, just tired. Maybe tomorrow, Mr. Melrose will give Lee and me a new assignment and that will, for sure, get the blood going again. Yeah, that's it.