Later that Day:
Amanda was going over her grocery list when the phone rang. She saw on the caller Id that it was her daughter Mattie so she immediately picked up the phone.
"Hi Mattie how you doing sweetheart"
"Hi, Mom what are you up to?"
"I finished up early at the agency after training some new recruits so I came home and I'm going over my grocery list for Sunday's birthday celebration for JJ and your dad. You are coming, aren't you?
"Yes, and I have a little surprise"
"Oh, what's that sweetheart?"
"I am bringing a guy I have been dating"
"oh? is it serious?"
I think so. We have been seeing each other a lot for about three months…and things have recently gotten more serious...But can you break it to Papa? You know how he gets when JJ or I bring a guy home"
Amanda chuckled "Yes I know I'll do my best. I'll tell him to put the shoulder holster away"
Mattie laughed "yes that's what I was thinking"
"Are you sure you want to bring him? Our crowd can be a little overwhelming" cautioned her mother.
"True, but might as well..kinda like taking a bandage off. Just get it all over with..let the chips fall where they may as the saying goes. This will be a true test if we are right for each other"
"What's his name and where did you meet him? "Amanda inquired
"His name is Jason Bashir. He's Lebanese"
"Why don't you tell me more about him"
"He works at the Lebanese embassy and I met him at a British embassy party. you know we're always getting invitations at the Pentagon for them. General Welsh said I could go in his place since I am one of his aides, and Jason spilled a drink on me. I think it was a White Russian. Those drinks have such amusing names. Or maybe it was an Old Fashioned. Anyway, he felt just terrible and insisted he take me out to dinner."
She continued for 10 more minutes giving details to Amanda all about the guests and food buffet. She was very much like her mother in personality and Mattie tended to ramble like her mother. Always friendly, trusting, and easy to talk to she made friends readily. Mattie, the baby of the family, was born 11months after her sister JJ. and was doted on by her father. When Amanda and Lee had announced to their friends and family that she was pregnant again Dotty sighed happily that the girls were "Irish twins'' In fact, Mattie was born on St. Patrick's Day. When Francine heard Amanda was pregnant again she rolled her eyes and made the comment "You two are like a couple of rabbits!" to which Amanda retorted. "We are happy rabbits''
Mattie ended her story after describing some of the gowns the women wore at the party.
"And Where do his parents live?" her mother asked
"In Los Angeles"
"Has he mentioned what they do for a living?
"I think his father is a truck driver and his mom works in the office at a school. Hey.. wait.. a minute Are you using your soft interrogation skills mom?"
"What made you ask that Mattie.?" Amanda tried to act innocent.
"Oh, I don't know why. Maybe because you are well known for getting info from all of us kids before we even know what you're doing!"
Amanda nervously laughed at being exposed "You can't blame a mother for trying!"
Changing the subject Mattie asked ``So Who is coming Sunday?"
"Let's see, your sister, of course, Aunt Francine, Scotty, Philip and Lauren, Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Billy, Colonel Clayton, Grandma and I'm not sure about Jamie, He should be just getting home from an assignment overseas but Beth said she and the Grands would come."
That's will be great to see Uncle Billy, Aunt Jeannie, and Aunt Francine. Give my love to Papa, and don't forget"
"I won't sweetheart! I love you"
"Love you too, mom, bye"
Amanda hung up and thought about her baby. Once Jamie had been the baby but he got displaced when JJ was born and then 11 months later Mattie Erica Rose had been born. She was named after Lee's father Matthew. Erica after Lee's partner Eric who had been killed and Rose after Dotty's mother. At first, Jamie had resented the girls but grew to love them and enjoyed being their big brother. He had a hard time adjusting when his father went back to Africa and the EAO. Joe and Carrie had been there six months when Carrie decided she had, had enough and left Joe. She came back to the States and Carrie had told Amanda she was divorcing Joe. Since then the boys had been estranged from their dad. Whenever he called to try and talk to them they refused to communicate.
Amanda would always try to convince them but it was a lost cause. Both had started calling Lee, Dad long ago. Philip seemed to accept the situation about their dad but Jamie on the other hand had problems in school and was very angry. What had really helped Jamie was his interest in photography. It helped him bond with Lee and In high school, he took more photography classes and became a part of the journalism club, and worked on the school newspaper. That spurred him onto photojournalism in college and eventually his position at The Post. With the help of therapy, Jamie had been able to get past his anger and forgive but he had learned forgiving didn't mean he had to have a relationship with his father.
He also decided when he turned eighteen that he was going to legally change his last name to Stetson. Amanda tried to talk him out of it because she thought Jamie would regret it and it would hurt Joe. Lee felt Jamie should do what he wanted since he was an adult. He had never considered adopting the boys just out of respect to Joe, but he would have if something had happened to him.
As Amanda was thinking about Mattie and Jamie her mother came downstairs.
"Amanda who was on the phone? the sound woke me up from my nap!"
"I'm sorry, Mother that was Mattie on the phone. She is bringing a new boyfriend to the party on Sunday"
"She is? that poor boy is going to get a once over by Lee" sighed Dotty
Amanda agreed "yes I suppose he will include a background check. But then what's new? You know how protective Lee is."
"Did someone mention my name?" a voice said from the back door.
Dotty and Amanda jumped startled.
"I hate it when you do that!" Amanda complained
"Gotta keep my skills up" teased Lee as he gave Amanda the flowers from behind his back.
Amanda smelled the flowers"Those are beautiful Lee. What are they for?"
"Because I love my gorgeous wife" Lee kissed Amanda on the cheek.
Do you want to tell me how the training went today? Lee added
"No shop talk now we can discuss it later.."
Dotty said "I get the message. just tell your old mother to scoot"
"Mother please you don't need to leave. I didn't say that because you were in here."
"Never mind I want to go finish my nap" Dotty slowly disappeared up the stairs.
As Amanda was putting the flowers in a vase Lee announced "I've got great news!"
"What is it, Lee?"
"Scotty came to see me at the office today and He asked for my blessing to marry JJ!"
"Oh, Lee that's wonderful! Amanda clapped her hands together in glee." Did he say when he was going to ask her?"
"Sunday at the party"
" That will be perfect! Most of the family will be there!"
"Most? who will be missing?"
"I'm not sure if Jamie has come back yet from his assignment for the paper."
"Hmm, I think he had mentioned to me he was going to the middle east to cover the Arab unrest. remembered Lee
"yes but Beth and the grandkids will be here."
"Great. We'll still have enough that Philip, Scott, JJ, and I can play some tag football"
" Not with your bum knee you aren't"
"A-Mand-A come on...It will be a friendly game" Lee gave an exasperated and pleading look.
"Lee Hamilton Stetson over my dead body! All you need is a good yank and you will be really in pain. The Doctor can't do the replacement for another four months! And remember I have to take the time off to run interference with you and the nurses! They won't take care of you unless I am there. That's how bad your reputation is from the last surgeries!" Amanda stood with her arms crossed daring Lee to challenge her more.
Lee sighed and hung his head "I guess we will be playing corn hole then"
"That's right!" Satisfied Amanda nodded in agreement, smiled and gave Lee a quick kiss, and smoothed out his shirt. "Now do you want to take mother and me to dinner or order Pizza?"
A/N: In case you haven't heard the term "Irish Twins" It's an old-fashioned name for siblings born within 12 months of each other.