Mom, Secrets And More

Chapter 48

Amanda had just learned from Lee that Jamie knew he was Scarecrow, and sitting up from her position on the couch where she and Lee were talking, glanced back at the bedroom and then looked at her partner and answered quietly with a sigh, "Okay... Well, what happened? I mean, did you just blurt it out somehow, or did someone you know see you and call you by that name when you were at the park-"

Lee put a hand up and shaking his head stated quietly, "No, of course not! Jamie was going on about not wanting to trust you anymore. He told me that you always taught him and Phillip both that they should be honest, even if it's hard, and then this happened. He-He was pretty upset. So I thought the only thing to do was, to be honest as well, and to tell him that it wasn't your fault. That I had asked you to keep quiet because I was the one who asked for help the day you and I met, so whatever you hadn't been honest about was on me. "

Lee's expression changed as he then swallowed and continued, "All of a sudden, he looked green around the gills, and I got him to a bench to sit down and he just stared at me and said, "You're Scarecrow, aren't you?"

Amanda shook her head querying softly, "Oh, my gosh! So what did you tell him exactly? How much of the truth did you tell?"

Lee sighed and answered, "I just said that I asked you to deliver a package on the train to a man in a red hat, but that's all I could really tell him, because the rest is classified."

Amanda puzzled asked, "But he never told you how he figured it out? That's strange because before all this happened, he hadn't seen you before, right?"

Lee shrugged replying, "Not that I know of. I mean, you and I have been on a lot of cases where the kids and your mother haven't been around to see anything, and-"

He stopped as he noticed Amanda getting up from the couch to head to the kitchen and asked concernedly, "Hey...Are you all right?"

Amanda returned a few moments later with a glass of water and nodded as she took an aspirin bottle from her purse and stated, "Headache. Give me a minute."

Opening the bottle, she took one out, replaced the cap, putting the bottle back in her purse. Downing the aspirin, she sipped the water and swallowed, and putting the glass on the coffee table, went to the bedroom door which was ajar, to look in on Jamie.

Satisfied that he was still all right, and as well as asleep, she turned back to head to the couch once more, and realizing something sat down and remarked to Lee saying simply, "Moby's Dock..."

Lee bewilderedly answered, "What about it?"

Amanda responded woodenly, "The day we met. You were a pirate handing me the food, and the boys were in the back...I swear, I didn't think either of them would remember that because I'd left so quickly-"

Lee, remembering that day, suddenly chuckled for a moment and Amanda, giving him a nonplussed look said, "What is so amusing, Mister? We're in a lot of trouble here-"

Lee shook his head as he patted her arm. "N-No, I know we are. Even more than you know, but earlier when Jamie and I were eating lunch, he had other questions..."

Amanda answered nervously, "Um, about what?"

Lee replied, "You and I, specifically."

Amanda shrugged lightly. "Oh, well. We work together, we're friends-"

Lee commented. "He remembered seeing us in the kitchen and in his hospital room...I was holding you both times..."

Amanda swallowed nodding. "O-Okay...So what did you tell him?"

Lee sighed. "That I was only trying to comfort you because you'd been worried about him."

Amanda sighed. "But he didn't buy it?"

Lee shook his head. "Not by a long shot. He asked how I really felt about you, but that's when I told him that I wasn't sure about anything, that we hadn't sat down and really talked about the two of us, because we'd been so worried about him."

Then Lee, taking Amanda's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze stated, "I think now is as good a time as any to figure things out with us, don't you?"

"Yes, I agree with you," Amanda replied, giving him a slight smile. But then realizing how late it must be getting, she glanced down at her watch and said, "As soon as I call Mother-"

As she reached for the phone, Lee asked perplexed, "Why?"

Amanda responded, "Because the last time Jamie and I saw her was this morning, and I know she has to be worried by now. It's almost dinner, and-"

Lee sighed, answering irritatedly as he rose from the couch and turned to head into the kitchen, "Fine...We'll talk about our issue later."

Amanda touched his hand then to stop him for a moment and looking up at him remarked softly, "Hey...Don't worry, we will talk, I promise."

Lee smiled and commented, "Okay. Then at least let me see what I can fix you for dinner."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not that hungry right now," Amanda replied as she dialed. "Thanks, but maybe later, huh?"

Lee shaking his head as he reached the kitchen doorway heard Amanda comment on the phone, "Hello, Mother? I'm so sorry I haven't called before this. Um, Jamie's therapy session didn't go so well today, so the doctor suggested that he spend the night here in Georgetown...What? Oh, really? Well, yes, that was thoughtful of him."

Lee turned in the kitchen doorway to look over at Amanda, who was swallowing hard as she spoke to Dotty, "Y-Yes, Mother, I know...How's Phillip doing? Oh, that's good. Tell him Jamie and I should be home in the morning, okay? What? Oh, right, he'll be in school already. I forgot...Okay, well, I love you both and we'll see you tomorrow, alright? Bye, bye..."

She hung up and shrugged looking over at Lee, "Mr. Melrose already called her so she wouldn't worry. That was sweet of him..."

Getting up from the couch, Amanda went over to the window to look outside answering softly, "How do I fix this? How do I fix my son?"

Lee swallowed hard and leaving the kitchen, slowly made his way over to her side at the window and wrapping his arms around her gently from behind whispered, "Not you, Amanda...We...We are going to fix this. Jamie will be fine, hmm? We will all get through this...Together."

Amanda, beginning to feel more hopeful from his comforting words, leaned back into Lee's strength for the moment and responded softly, "You know... One of your fritattas would be so good right now."

Lee answered with a chuckle kissing her cheek and turning her with him to walk towards the kitchen, "They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach? Well, I think the same applies to a woman...Your wish is my command, M'lady. I have the perfect red wine to go with it..."

Amanda smiled. Maybe Lee was right. That there was a way to turn this around...

TBC