Part Five
The same night 11:30 P.M.
"I have a pretty good idea what
this is all about, and I'm pretty sure that you don't want Phillip and Jamie to
overhear your conversation," Carrie told the other occupants of Amanda's
living room. "Why don't I stay in here and make sure they don't sneak back
downstairs, while you go into the dining room to talk?"
Agreeing with her plan, they
adjourned to the dining room where Dotty jumped right in. "When are you
going to tell Phillip and Jamie about your jobs and your marriage?"
Shocked, Amanda stumbled for words.
"What? How? Mother! When did you find out about our marriage?" she
finally managed to blurt out.
"I found out at the same time I
found out about your jobs," Dotty replied calmly.
"Hold on," a slightly
confused Joe said. "Is this why you asked me if we could talk after the
boys went to sleep?"
"Yeah," Amanda told him.
"We wanted to get your input on how much we should tell Phillip and
Jamie."
Again, Dotty jumped in. "I
think it would be for the best if you told them the complete truth about your
marriage and your jobs. I know how I felt when I found out, and after hearing
Jamie's essay, I don't think you should lie to them anymore."
"Dotty, I don't think they
should tell the boys anything. They're not old enough to understand any of
this," Joe added.
"They're not little boys
anymore! Wouldn't you rather they found out about the marriage from Amanda and
Lee instead of someone else?" Dotty argued.
"Wait a minute! Please!"
Amanda was getting frustrated. "Lee and I have already decided to tell
Phillip and Jamie that we're married. We wanted your input on the Agency
stuff."
"I don't think they should
know," Joe stated firmly. " Not until they have children of their
own."
"Look, Joe, how can you say
that you don't want Phillip and Jamie to know about the jobs?" Dotty said
in a stern voice. "Amanda and Lee should tell them the entire truth at
once. It would be for the best. Phillip
and Jamie need to be aware of what could happen."
Joe shook his head at his former
mother-in-law. "Dotty, they're going to think the jobs are glamorous.
They're not old enough to understand that Lee and Amanda's jobs are very
dangerous and not something to be glorified."
"They're old enough to watch
those action-adventure movies and know the difference between what is real and
what isn't, but they aren't old enough to understand about the jobs?"
Dotty looked at Joe with disbelief.
"It's different, and you know
that." Joe was losing his patience.
"How is it different?"
Dotty wanted to know.
"Stop it," Amanda said
forcibly. "Lee and I needed to discuss this with you calmly and
rationally, but at the rate you two are going, Phillip and Jamie will hear
everything! I think we need to talk to someone a little less involved in
this." She looked over to Lee, and he nodded his agreement. "Joe, you
and Carrie can go now. Mother, if the boys wake up and are looking for me, tell
them I went out and they need to get back to sleep. They have school in the
morning." Lee and Amanda walked out of the dining room and the house.
Dotty walked into the kitchen and
began looking for the business card she had hidden away weeks before. Finding
it, she picked up the phone and dialed.
"Melrose residence," the
voice on the other end of the phone said.
"Mr. Melrose? It's Dotty West,
Amanda's mother. Lee and Amanda just left the house, and I think they're headed
over to your place. They want to tell the boys about their marriage and didn't
exactly get much help from us tonight." Dotty sighed, hoping her daughter
would forgive her for making this call, but she felt guilty about how she had
let her discussion with Joe get out of hand, and had to do something to try and
help. "I think they're going to want to talk to you about it."
"Thanks for the warning, Mrs.
West. I'll get some coffee brewing and be waiting for them."
**SMK**SMK**SMK**
"Lee, who are we going to talk
to about this?" Amanda asked as she drummed her fingers on the car window.
Lee sat in the driver's seat, deep
in thought. "Billy," he finally answered. "I bet he could tell
us when he and Jeannie told their daughters about his job."
"I don't want to barge in and
wake Mr. Melrose up." Amanda shook her head.
"Listen, Amanda, we'll call him
first. Okay? If he doesn't answer the phone in ten rings, we won't bother him
until the morning."
Lee picked up the car phone and
dialed Billy's number. After one ring, Billy answered.
"Hey, Billy? Amanda and I
really need to talk to you, if you have some time tonight. It's about Phillip
and Jamie and this whole mystery marriage." Lee smiled at his wife, while
Billy spoke. "Thanks a lot. We'll see you in a little while."
The drive to Billy's house was very
quiet as Lee and Amanda were each lost in their own thoughts. Neither was
completely aware that their drive had ended until Billy, who had been watching
through a window, opened the front door.
Once inside, Billy directed Lee and
Amanda to the living room, and handed them each a cup of coffee.
Smiling, he asked, "Now, what
is it you want to talk to me about?"
"Billy, we have a problem we
think you can help us solve. We're going to tell the boys about our marriage,
and we thought about telling them about our jobs, too, but we aren't sure
they're old enough to handle it. What
do you think? How old were your daughters when they found out about your
job?" Lee set down his cup on a nearby table and began to pace.
Billy smiled, happy that Lee and
Amanda were finally coming to their senses over the whole marriage situation.
"Well, let's see….my oldest, Belinda Jeanette, found out by accident. She
overheard a phone conversation of mine. She was sixteen at the time." He
shook his head at that memory. "Tina was eighteen when Jeannie and I told
her."
"How did they react?" Lee
said.
"BJ wasn't thrilled about how
she found out, but was very understanding. Tina, on the other hand, was more
upset that BJ found out about the job before she did. Jeannie and I had decided
that we'd tell them after they graduated from high school. That's what we
thought would be best, but not all children are the same. You two need to
figure out what would be best for Phillip and Jamie. If you think they can
handle the information now, at the same time you tell them about the marriage,
then do it. If not…wait. Ultimately, it is your decision, I can only tell you
how it worked for me."
"Thanks, Billy," Lee told
him as they shook hands. "I guess Amanda and I'd better let you get back
to sleep now."
"Hey, no need to thank me.
That's what friends are for."
As Lee and Amanda exited the house,
she asked him "What now?"
"Why don't we head over to my
place so we can talk without...."
"My mother?" Amanda
finished, and Lee nodded.
**SMK**SMK**SMK**