By the time the boys woke up and the guard brought them to the bullpen, Francine and Billy had arrived and were discussing what needed to be done to wrap up Gregory's defection. "Dr. Smyth has his weekly meeting with the president this morning. I suspect that the fire at the Soviet Embassy will feature."
"Maybe next time they'll think twice before they kidnap an American agent." Lee smirked. Billy chuckled.
"Damn, she's really something, isn't she?" Lee laughed and waved his stepsons over.
"Mom's back!" Jamie said immediately.
"She sure is. How do you know?"
"You're smiling." Phillip said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Billy shook his head.
"They've got their mother's natural talent." Lee nodded, ruffling the boys' hair. He was so proud of them. They'd really risen to the occasion.
"Come on, guys. Francine'll drive us out to collect your mom's car. Hopefully when we get back, we can spring her from the infirmary and go home."
"Yeah."
When they reached the bakery, Lee and the boys climbed out of the car. "Lee, do you mind if I ride back with Francine?" Phillip asked. Lee recognised the signs of a bad case of puppy love. Phillip had it bad for the blond agent.
"Francine, is that okay?" Lee asked, managing to keep a straight face. Francine smiled.
"Of course. I'd love the company for the drive back. Let's get a few pies to take back to the office." Francine suggested, offering her hand to Phillip. Lee shook his head as his star-struck stepson let her lead him into the bakery. Unlocking the Wagoneer, Lee walked around to the driver's side while Jamie climbed in.
"Lee?" Jamie started. Something in his tone told Lee that whatever his stepson had to say was important.
"Yeah?"
"Is mom dying?" Lee gaped at the boy. When it took Lee too long to answer, the boy jumped to the wrong conclusion. "She is, isn't she?"
"No! Why would you think that?"
"Well, she's always tired, and she hardly ever eats anything except for pie anymore. She doesn't even eat breakfast. And she cries all the time."
"But…" Lee had no idea how to fix this mix-up without Amanda's help.
"And then, yesterday, when you said she'd gotten a prescription filled. I just remembered how many times she's been to the doctor's in the last little while."
"Jamie, I promise. Your mom is perfectly fine. She inhaled a bit of smoke this morning but she'll be going home today and she'll have two weeks off to rest. Trust me, okay?"
"Yeah, ok. But you'll tell us if she's dying, right?"
"She's not dying!" Lee insisted. "We would tell you, I promise." Lee put the key in the ignition just as Francine and Phillip came back out of the bakery, loaded with pie boxes. Lee was pleased when he saw Phillip open the car door for Francine. That particular gallant gesture was something Phillip had learnt from him. It might still be a struggle at times, but he knew that he was making a difference in the kind of men they would become.