Too Good To Last, chapter 6
Amanda and Dotty hugged briefly. Dotty led Amanda towards the front door saying, "Let's take this conversation into the house. We've given the neighbors enough of a show for one day." As upset as Amanda was, she couldn't help but laugh at her mother's comment.
Phillip and Jamie were ready to pounce as Dotty walked into the house followed at a distance by Amanda .
"Grandma, can we start right now ? " asked Phillip excitedly.
"Tonight isn't a good night. I need you boys to go upstairs and work on your homework." Dotty said firmly. Phillip was about to argue when Jamie nodded his head in their mother's direction. " We'll call you when dinner is ready." Dotty continued. Both boys headed to the stairs without comment.
Amanda followed Dotty into the kitchen. " What did Phillip want to do right now?" Amanda questioned.
"He wanted to help make dinner."
"Phillip wanted to help make dinner?" Amanda asked incredulously.
" Yes, dear. Phillip has concluded that cooking can be a 'guy thing'. " Dotty responded.
"Since when?"
" Since Lee pointed out that if a guy likes to eat it helps to know how to cook. He sealed the deal when he mentioned that girls are impressed by guys who can cook."
"That I can believe." Amanda couldn't help chuckling. "Let's make something simple for dinner. It's getting late and I want to go see Lee after dinner."
"You will do no such thing! Weren't you listening to me ? You need to sort out your own feelings before you can explain them to Lee. You haven't done that yet. Besides , Lee was very upset when he left. He needs time to work through his feelings also."
"Mother, you don't know Lee as well as I do." Amanda interrupted.
"I know him better than you think. He is a lot like Jamie. They both feel things deeply but aren't always comfortable expressing those feelings. I think that is why they have gotten so close once they let down their guards with each other. Lee is already part of this family even if you aren't ready to make it official."
"It isn't that I'm not ready. I was so ready the first time I got married and look how that turned out." The reluctance to risk being hurt that deeply again was clear on her face.
"You aren't the woman you were back then. More importantly, Lee isn't Joe. Joe is a good man but he takes family for granted. Lee sees family as a gift that he isn't sure he is worthy of. You need to believe in yourself and in Lee and the love you obviously share."
"I want to believe but I'm so scared and confused." Amanda whispered. "How can I explain my feelings to Lee when I'm so mixed up myself?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you. You need to work through your own feelings before you talk to Lee. And we need to get dinner ready before those boys of yours accuse us of starving them."