Unsung Chords

Chapter 14

Amanda arrived home and finding her mother in the garden out back stated, "Hi, Mother. How's Phillip doing?"

Dotty adjusted the last plant she'd been working on and getting up from the ground answered with a sigh, " Oh. Hello, Dear. Better. I'm glad you kept him home today from school as well. His fever finally broke at lunch time. Must have been a virus going around, hmm?"

Amanda nodded commenting, "I guess so. Well, I'm gonna go check on him again anyway. Where's Jamie?"

Dotty shrugged replying, "He was doing his homework. He brought Phillip's home as well, so hopefully..."

Amanda nodded knowing full well that by now with Jamie home, Phillip was not staying in bed.

She remarked, "I'd better go see to them..."

She headed into the house and heard running around in the upper level of the house and sighed responding, "Yep, Phillip's feeling better."

As she went up the stairs a pillow came at her nearly knocking her down!

She yelled, "Phillip Thomas and James Joseph! Knock it off now!"

Suddenly there was silence and then both boys came out to the hall and sheepishly Phillip answered, "S-Sorry, Mom. Are you okay?"

Amanda swallowed and asked firmly, " I see you're feeling better. You know I could've been hurt on the stairs here, don't you?"

Picking up the pillow she remarked looking at it derisively, "My pillow? Figures...Okay, Fellas. March to your room. We need to have a talk."

Phillip groaned stating, "Aw, Mom! I've been in there all day! I'm bored in there!"

Amanda narrowed her eyes at him and queried, "Bored? What about the homework Jamie brought home for you?"

Phillip shrugged lightly and replied, "Oh, yeah. That... Well-"

Amanda shook her head and mimicked with a gesture, " Oh, yeah...That. All right. Playtime's over. Clean up whatever mess you made and then stay in your room. I'll see you after I get changed..."

Taking her pillow she went into her room closing the door thinking, Maybe they'll grow out of these antics of theirs soon...

Then she heard out in the hall from Dotty, "Boys! I want my pillows back where you found them on my bed! Is that understood?!"

Both boys answered, "Yes, Grandma! We're sorry!"

Amanda baffled thought, How many pillows did they need?!

She went to change her clothes and then met the boys in their room.

Looking around she noticed that the pillows were back in their proper place and commented as she sat in Phillip's desk chair, "Thank you for the clean up. Now, I want to discuss the other night when you met Mr. Stetson. Jamie, you had no right to question him like that..."

Dotty entered the room adding, "He was there to see your mother. Anyway, I have to also wonder why he chose that particular hour to be there."

Jamie put up his hand asking, "May I say something, please?"

Amanda glancing at him intently answered, "Of course, Sweetheart. What is it?"

Jamie responded slowly, "Well, you've always told us that we shouldn't have strangers in the yard. I was going to the bathroom then and when I got back to our room, Phillip wasn't there. So I looked out the window to see if he was out there and I saw this guy leaving the back yard to go to the front of the house. I didn't know who it was and Grandma wasn't upstairs then for me to tell her, so I thought I'd take care of it myself. You know Mom, we're the men of the house now since Dad doesn't live here any more...I was just trying to protect you and Grandma. What's wrong with that?"

Amanda and Dotty looked at one another and then at the boys as Phillip shrugged and stated with a nod, "He's got a point, Mom. I would've done the same thing. We're not little kids any more, you know?"

Amanda swallowed hard and nodding went to hug them answering softly, "Oh, I know. And I love you both so much for wanting to help us...Pillow fights aside, you are the best boys we ever could've hoped for in our lives!"

Phillip sighed as Amanda was holding them and commented to Jamie, " Oh, boy! Here comes the mush..."

As Amanda kissed them both she remarked, " I don't care. I'm your mother and I have the right to give out mush whenever I want!"

Dotty came over and holding the boys as well swallowed replying, "Grandmas, too!"

Amanda shook her head responding gently to Dotty, "Well... It just shows that we're raising these two the right way, huh?"

Dotty nodded and clearing her throat queried, "Yes, Darling. So...Is this a family meeting now, or-"

Amanda stated with a quick nod, "Yes, Mother. Now I told you all that Mr. Stetson and I work together at IFF, and we have been for several years. But we've slowly been getting to know one another over that period of time and now we'd like to begin dating and I wanted to know what you all think about that?"

TBC