Part 2

The Last Word

Later that night when the last of the guests left Amanda went into the kitchen to find Jamie, Katie, and Philip sitting at the table playing cards and she went and sat with them asking Katie, "So are you planning on staying the night?"

Laughing she said, "No, my mom is just running late she called when you were out with Mr. Melrose and his wife. She just lost track of time and now her and Mitchell are stuck in traffic. She should be here soon. Where is Lee?"

"He went to take a shower and change his clothes." The foursome sat playing cards and when Amanda heard the doorbell. Philip got up to answer the door and he came back in and said, "Mom, there is a police officer at the door."

"You three stay here." She said as she went to the door. They didn't all three followed her and stood in the kitchen doorway to the front entrance. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Are you Amanda King?"

"I was; I am Amanda Stetson now. What can I do for you officer?"

"Do you know a Joseph and Carrie King?"

A cold feeling went through Amanda and all she could do was nod her head to the young officer in front of her as she said, "Yes that is my ex-husband and his wife, why?" The boys moved closer when they heard their father's name.

"I'm sorry to inform you that earlier tonight in DC a truck hit a patch of ice on DuPont Circle and hit their car. They were both pronounced dead…" Lee was coming down the stairs when heard Amanda screaming and then saw her begin to hit an officer at the door.

"No! No! No! You are lying! It isn't true!" Lee grabbed her and held her close to him taking the hits instead of the police officer, "What is going on?"

"I'm sorry are you her husband?"

"Yes, AMANDA STOP!" Lee shouted to get her attention and to get her to stop hitting him.

"I was just informing your wife that"

"He said Joe and Carrie were dead. It isn't true Lee, tell him he is mistaken; it isn't true. Tell me that my sons didn't just lose their father." Philip and Jamie were standing next to their mother and she pulled them into her arms and wouldn't let them go.

"Amanda, let me talk to the officer and you take the boys in the den. I will be right there. Boys go with your mother." Lee turned from Amanda and began to walk the officer back to his car, explaining who he was and tried to get as much information as possible.

Lee walked back into the den to see Jamie calmly talking on the phone; from what Lee heard he was on the phone with Dotty. Amanda seemed more like his Amanda while she sat consoling Philip as he was crying almost uncontrollable. Katie was sitting in the chair crying but not knowing what to do. Everyone looked at Lee hoping he had a different answer but the look in his eyes told them he didn't.

"Uh, the officer said that it happened about two hours ago. The driver of the truck hit a bad patch of ice and crashed into their car that was parked at a light. The driver wasn't drinking he was just on his way home it seemed and was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. There were two other cars involved and those occupants had some minor injuries. Joe and Carrie never knew what happened; I know that doesn't help in cases like this."

Philip pushed out of his mother's arms and ran from the house without his coat; Katie went to run after him and Jamie got up and said, "Katie, I'll go." He grabbed his coat and Philip's and knew where he would find his brother. He walked to their tree house and climbed the old tattered ladder.

Jamie handed Philip his coat and just sat next to him; neither one said a word to the other. The two boys just sat in the silence of the night, Philip crying and Jamie holding an arm around his brother in comfort. Jamie wasn't sure how long they sat there before Philip said, "Is this real or what? How could the last words I said to him was to just forget he had two children in the first place?"

"You were defending me and you were really mad at him and you wanted him to know it. I didn't say the nicest things to him when I last spoke to him. I told him I hated him."

Philip saw the distant look on his younger brother's face and asked, "Why aren't you crying or upset?"

"I don't know," it was the only answer Jamie had for him. The two sat in the dark treehouse until they heard a car in the driveway and saw Constance and Mitchell getting out of the car.

Jamie stood to leave and thought now was a good time to mention something on his mind, "Don't hurt Katie, Philip; she is my best friend in the world; that is next to you." It was the last thing Jamie said before he climbed down from the treehouse to go back into the house. Katie walked over and put her arms around Jamie and he let her hold him as Lee explained to Constance that the traffic accident she was stuck in was the one that killed the boys' father and step mother. Dotty and Curt were at the kitchen table now with Amanda drinking tea. Philip walked in and looked at Jamie in Katie's arms. Jamie let her go and she and Philip went into the living room and he placed his head on her shoulder and held her hands in his.

"I am so sorry, Philip." Katie whispered.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault." He turned to her and in front of everyone kissed her and then began to cry again. She just placed an arm around him and held his hand. Her heart was breaking for her second family. Amanda hadn't said or done much but cry, Dotty and Curt showed up not long after Jamie had called her. She had talked to Lee and then Dotty made the call to Joe's brother and sister for Amanda. Lee called his office to tell Francine and then called Billy; letting both of them know he would talk to them the next day, but wouldn't be in the office.

Constance told Amanda and Lee that if they needed anything to call her and she would do all she could. She then walked over to her daughter and said, "I know your heart is telling you to stay here and I understand, but sweetie you can come back tomorrow, there is nothing to be done tonight. Okay, Katie, do you understand?" Katie shook her head. She turned to Philip and gave him a tight hug and a small kiss and then went to hug everyone else before she left with her mom and step dad.

It wasn't long after Katie left that Philip stood up and without saying anything went to his room and laid across his bed staring at the ceiling, for how long he didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't stop the tears and pain he was feeling and before he knew it he was sleeping.

Jamie sat and watched as Lee kept his grandmother company. Jamie watched while Lee took turns holding his mother and his mother in law. He also noticed how Lee would keep looking at him like he was about to break but Jamie just seemed numb. He didn't know how to process it so if he couldn't process it he couldn't respond to the situation. After about two hours, Dotty offered to take the twins with her or at least one of them, "Amanda, you don't know what all you will have to do."

"Mother, Kyle said he would contact the authorities and make the arrangements. Leah was going to contact Carrie's family and then between the two they were going to let me know if I needed to do anything until they got here."

"Amanda, let me help."

"Mother I appreciate it but Lee will be here and it isn't like you won't be here tomorrow anyway. Goodnight Mother; take care of her Curt. I will see you tomorrow." She stood and walked with her mother as Curt and Lee walked behind them. Amanda and Dotty stood at the car holding each other crying until Lee came and took Amanda back into the house and Curt helped Dotty in the car.

Jamie watched as Lee helped his mother up the stairs then went to the phone and dialed the only number he could think of. Barely letting a full ring go through he heard her voice, "Jamie, is that you? How is everyone?"

"Everyone or just Philip; why didn't you tell me, I mean I understand not our parents or anything but this is me Katie."

"I know, I wanted to; but we didn't know how to let anyone know. Philip was worried about how you and Lee would take it, he thought your mom had an idea or at least was getting one. I was worried about my mom because she is a mom and freaks over anything that has to do with me and boys."

"Will she ever allow you to come back over?"

"Yes, but I think my days of staying with Lee are over if she goes out of town. Boy she would freak if she knew that Lee allowed all three of us to sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve."

"I bet she would. She said you could come over tomorrow, but do you still have to go to school?"

"Yeah, but only because I have three tests, but since they are my first three classes she said after I take them that she would let the school know that Lee or Amanda would be allowed to come and sign me out after them as long as I got my assignments from my other classes. She even said that she would explain to the school for you and Philip so Amanda wouldn't have to."

"Great I will tell Mom or Dad in the morning."

"So you never answered my question, how is everyone?"

"Curt just took Grandma home, Dad took Mom upstairs, Philip went up right after you left, and the twins are sleeping blissfully as they should be after all that sugar they had at the party."

Katie noticed he didn't say anything about him. Before she had a chance to call him on it Jamie said, "And before you ask, I don't know what I feel. I know that I should feel something, anger, pain, sadness, something, but Katie I don't and I don't know why. I am not trying to not feel anything, but for the life of me I don't."

"Katie, could you let Brittany know what is going on. It is too late to call her tonight and she was supposed to come over tomorrow to study. Just let her know I will call her when I can tomorrow."

"Sure, Jamie I love you, you know that right?"

"I know and I love you too."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye and Katie thanks for everything."

Jamie hung up the phone and then started to clean the tea cups and kettle. As he was finishing up Lee walked in and came up beside him. He placed his arm around him and said, "Jamie, it is okay to show how you feel."

"Dad, that is just it, right now at this moment, I don't feel anything." Jamie gave Lee a hug and then went to his room and tried to sleep, it didn't happen. He lay there all night, listening to his mother wake from nightmares and Lee comforting her, watching as Philip tossed and turned and then pretended to be asleep as he heard Philip get up and dressed and go down stairs the next morning.

Philip entered the kitchen to find his Uncle Kyle sitting and talking with his mother at the table and his Dad was talking to Francine in the living room with the twins playing with their new toys. Everyone turned to look at him as he walked in and Amanda was the first to talk to him, "Sweetheart, how are you this morning?" She walked and put her arms around him.

"Well, I didn't sleep real well last night. Did you call the school?"

"Constance talked to them for us when she dropped Katie off at school this morning and Katie will be here after she takes some tests."

Philip nodded and walked over to his Uncle and gave him a hug and asked, "Do you know anything more?"

"I have already called and made the arrangements for your dad and your Aunt Leah will be here later today; she had to call Carrie's family and then they are going to let us know about her arrangements. Leah gave them the churches information if they wanted to do the ceremonies at the same time."

"Will they be buried next to each other?"

"Yes, your dad already had that taken care of."

"So, what do we do now? What do you do when your father dies when you are sixteen?"

Everyone looked at Amanda but Philip never made the connection. Amanda just sat and let more tears fall; she couldn't believe she had any left. She stood and asked, "Philip, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."

"No thanks mom." He walked out the back door and headed to the tree house.

The next week was a blur for the family. Lee was torn between being with his family and wanting to go into hiding at the office, but he knew how much Amanda and the boys needed him. It was a full time job just keeping the twins occupied. Amanda played host to various King relatives and by the end of every night she would just climb the stairs and collapse; waking several times in the night covered in sweat and screaming for Joe. Lee would just pull her close and hold her, silence her apologies, and try to sooth her to sleep.

Philip was quiet but seemed to be dealing with it. It seemed to help him to have Katie and Jamie to talk with. He also would come and talk to his mother privately when he needed more from her. She gave it no matter what he asked of her. If he needed to talk, cry, remember Amanda did what she could and when she couldn't Dotty helped to fill in blanks.

Jamie was another story all together. Lee noticed that he hadn't had any reaction to the events of the past week. He hadn't responded in any way when the officer came to the house. At the visitation he stood at the front of the church, next to the casket never showing his feelings. The funeral he sat next to his brother and mother; holding her hand, never crying. He seemed to be on auto pilot. Lee knew that Jamie was going to crash; he just hoped it happened sooner rather than later.

Two days after the boys returned to school Amanda came down to find Lee stretched out on the floor while the twins used him for a mountain terrain for their cars she said, "Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"You needed it."

"Mommy," the twins yelled and ran over to her while Lee slowly pushed himself up off of the floor. "I think I am too old to play on the floor. This is hell getting up."

Amanda laughed and Lee smiled at her. "I am sure glad to hear that. I love your laugh."

"It feels like years instead of days; I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around here lately and I just want you to know how much I have appreciated you being here and helping with the boys and the twins; with mother and I know it couldn't have been easy with all of Joe's family around. Did any of them give you a hard time?"

Lee wasn't about to tell her how many comments he heard when no one was around about how the boys had been overheard calling Lee 'Dad". Lee let it slide because he knew that Joe's family was suffering. "Nope no problems; Amanda I hate to bring it up but we need to get back to our routine as much as possible. We need to go back to work tomorrow or at least I do."

"I know I was planning on it. I want things to go back to normal; well our normal anyhow."

"Oh, I almost forgot while you were asleep a messenger brought a package for you. You aren't hanging out at the train stations again are you because I thought I cured you of that."

"Very funny, Scarecrow, but no; where is it?" He handed her the package and noticed the return address was Joe's but the handwriting was Leah, Joe's sister.

She opened the package and found four plain envelopes inside; one for Amanda, Philip, Jamie, and Lee. The handwriting one the envelopes were Joe's.

"Amanda, what is it?"

"It appears Joe is going to have the last word." She held the envelopes up for him to see.

"Well, I'll be damned."