About ten minutes later Francine entered the Q Bureau. She saw Amanda rush out, and could tell she was upset. Since Lee hadn't followed her, Francine could guess what had happened.
"Lee?" She called, knocking twice.
"Huh?"
"it's me, Francine...can I come in?"
"Oh, yeah. Sure. What's up, Francine?"
He tried to smile at her as she entered (but failed).
"Did you and Amanda have a fight or something?"
An honest question. Not a trace of sarcasm. Or a hint of cruelty.
"Yeah. A big one."
"Is it? I mean...do you think it's...?"
"Yes, Francine, I think it's over. Are you going to lecture me again about being involved with a co-worker? Or maybe---"
She interrupted him before he said anymore.
"No, Lee. You're too good a friend for that. I just wanted to say, I'm Sorry. I could see how you felt about Amanda."
"Anyway..." She got up to leave.
"Hey Francine..."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
She went back into the room and, giving Lee a reassuring hug, said...
"Anytime"
Meanwhile Amanda had driven all the way home to Arlington about 25 minutes from the agency in DC. She pulled her brown and white jeep wagoneer into her driveway at 4247 Maplewood Drive.
When she got inside, she the house appearred empty.
"The boys must still be at school," she thought out loud.
"And here I am...alone, mascara streaked and talking to myself."
But no sooner had she sat at the kitchen table did her mother come down the stairs only to find her daughter a mess.
"Amanda, dear? What's wrong?!" She asked.
Despite her every effort not to, Amanda began to cry again.
"Oh, mother! I just made the biggest mistake of my entire life!"
"Do you want to talk about it, Amanda?" Dottie had a feeling her daughters' recent fragile yet hostile attitude was directly related to one Lee Stetson, but (for once) Dottie decided not to pry.
"I think I just told Lee that I wanted a divorce!"
"Oh. Amanda...I---A divorce?"
She nodded.
"That's just silly. Amanda, sweetheart, you need to married to get a divorce. You know that. And you and Lee, you're not married." (Pausing) "Are you?" (She chuckled lightly at the thought. But when Amanda did not, she became a tad alarmed).
"Oh, Mother!" Dottie hugged her daughter, waiting for an answer.
"Amanda?"
"Mother, now don't get upset. Promise?"
"Amanda!" Her voice took on a warning tone that every mother is very familiar with, as is every child.
"I just have so much I have to tell you..."