Chapter 17

"Thank you, Dotty, for the coffee," Billy smiled as Dotty handed him the steaming mug.

"I wasn't expecting to see you today," she returned, an eyebrow raised in Lee's direction.

Lee took a healthy swig of his coffee before he cleared his throat, "Billy had a small problem with something work-related that just couldn't wait any longer."

Dotty settled herself onto the edge of the couch and reached out to touch Lily's head as Amanda gently bounced her in her arms to soothe her. "Well, I'm sure work could've waited. After all, Amanda and the girls have barely been home for an hour. They haven't even had a chance to settle in yet," Dotty continued. She couldn't hide the annoyance in her tone. "I mean, I thought the boys spending the weekend with their father would give you some time… alone… to be with just the girls. And don't forget, it is Father's Day tomorrow, and this is your first official Father's Day, Lee…" Dotty trailed off as she pursed her lips tightly together.

"And I apologize for the intrusion, Dotty, really I do. This was just something that couldn't have waited," Billy tried.

Dotty rolled her eyes and deadpanned, "Let me guess. It was a matter of national security, and you can't tell me anything about it."

Amanda sighed, "Mother, do you think you can get me one of the bottles in the bag from the hospital, please? I think Lee put it in our bedroom by mistake."

Dotty scrambled to her feet, "Of course, Darling." Several seconds later, her soft footsteps were heard on the stairs.

"Sir, you don't think Sorenson is going to try again, do you?" Amanda asked worriedly. She glanced down at the fussy newborn in her arms. In the car seat on the floor beside her, DJ began to stir.

Before Billy could answer, Lee stood and crossed the room. He held his arms out, "Why don't you give me Lily, and you can get DJ." Amanda willingly handed over the infant before she turned her attention to the other baby.

"Don't worry about Sorenson, Amanda. We've got a full team out there to keep an eye on things for you. He's not going to get through that," Billy assured her. From somewhere above them, they heard Dotty's voice filter down, "I found the bag of bottles and formula!" Billy grinned before he added, "I better get going before Dotty grills me even more. Lee, I'll send Francine with that file as soon as possible. Costa and Menard are in place to monitor everyone coming and going to this end of the street. If I hear anything else, I'll be in touch."

As he stood, Dotty reappeared in the doorway, carrying two small bottles filled with formula and two burp cloths, "Leaving so soon?" She glanced around to see Lee trying to comfort a crying Lily as Amanda was readjusting a whimpering DJ in her arms.

Billy gave her his best smile before he nodded, "I think Lee and Amanda have their hands full at the moment. And I got all the information I needed." He turned to Lee and nodded, "I'll give you a call when I find that… interview… you asked about. That might help with the project you were working on."

"Thanks, Billy. Here, let me walk you out," Lee stood, the crying infant in his arms whimpering louder.

Billy held his hand up, "That's not needed. I can show myself out. Enjoy your family time." He left quietly through the garage door.

Dotty handed Amanda a small bottle of formula before holding up the second one while she waited for Lee to sit down again. Once he was settled beside Amanda, Dotty passed the small bottle and sighed. She clasped her hands to her chest and blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes. "This needs a picture!" she declared. She looked around the room and asked, "Where did I leave my camera? Oh! I know." She smiled once more before she scrambled to find her purse in the kitchen.

Lee studied Lily's face as she grunted softly around the nipple of the bottle. "Your mother isn't going to do that all weekend, is she?" he asked Amanda softly.

Amanda tipped her head to the side and rested against his shoulder, "She's just excited, that's all. New babies are exciting. And she's never had granddaughters before."

Lee sighed, "I know. I guess I'm just not used to all this. But I will be, I promise. I won't complain about the hundreds of pictures I'm sure she's going to take, because, you know what? I'm pretty excited myself." Lee brushed his lips against Amanda's forehead. Lost in the moment, he didn't notice Dotty slip back into the room until the flash of the camera startled him. He jerked the bottle from Lily's mouth inadvertently when he twitched reflexively. His initial reaction was to reach for his gun that was not in its usual holstered position on his hip.

Amanda hissed his name as Lily began to cry immediately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered apologetically as he righted the bottle back into his daughter's wailing mouth.

"Lee, you have to be careful when you're feeding a baby," Dotty scolded him. She leaned closer to take a picture of Lily before moving to Amanda's side for a better angle of DJ. "Oh, I better save some film for later. I'll need to run to the store and get more this evening," she declared several minutes and several flashes later.

Lee groaned only low enough for Amanda to hear him. She gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow before she shifted DJ to her shoulder to burp her. "After the girls finish these bottles, I think I'd like to lay down for a while. Maybe take a nap while they nap. I didn't sleep much last night at the hospital," Amanda yawned.

"That's exactly what you did when the boys first came home. Each time they napped, you'd snuggle up on the couch and snooze. Philip used to love that even though he hated naps. He would tuck his head right into your shoulder, and in minutes you would both be fast asleep. I think we have a picture of that… Maybe I'll look for it later," Dotty reminisced with a wistful smile on her face.

Amanda blinked sleepily, "Thank you, Mother." Lee drew her attention as he awkwardly tried to shift Lily to burp her. "Watch her head, Sweetheart," she reminded him.

"I know, I remember," Lee groaned. He managed to maneuver the small infant onto his shoulder and was quickly rewarded with a loud, juicy sounding burp. As he felt the wetness soak into the shoulder of his shirt, he noticed the pink and yellow-flowered cloth still sitting on his leg. "I'll get this right soon," he grumbled as he returned Lily to the crook of his arm and propped the bottle back into her mouth.

"It's not that bad," Amanda assured him as she tried to hide the grin on her face. "You might need to get used to that anyway," she quickly added. She twisted her hand to hold both DJ and the bottle in place as she blotted at the wet spot with the small cloth.

Lee shook his head, "Just leave it. I'll change my shirt when they're done and settled." Lee looked down at Lily and smiled. He leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against her forehead before he repeated the gentle action on DJ's head. He lifted his chin to make eye contact with Amanda. "I can't believe we are all home now. You are truly amazing, Amanda, you know that?" Lee pressed his lips to Amanda's, and when the flash startled him again, he didn't care. Instead, he whispered, "I love you."