Nancy Michaels was cremated the day after her
death. Her will stated that her ashes
would be spread around the cherry blossoms in a ceremony including Mrs. Marston
and Dotty. Austin, Melanie, Lee, and
Amanda sat in silence on their way back to DC. Austin held Nancy's urn tightly in his arms.
Amanda broke the silence, "Melanie, my
mother is going to want to see you when you get to DC. Would you like to come over for
dinner?"
"You're invited, too." Lee told
Smyth.
"No thank you. I don't think . . . " Smyth started but Melanie interrupted.
"*We* would love to," Melanie
said. "Mama would have loved to
have dinner with your family, too."
"She would have," Austin agreed. He
fidgeted nervously in his seat. "And I guess we would, too."
Lee and Amanda exchange grins that seemed to
say, "This girl is going to change the old man for the better.'
"Father, what's going to happen to
Ricky?" Melanie asked in a thoughtful tone. "He wasn't part of his father's plans. He isn't being punished, is he?"
"No, of course not. He told me he'll be starting classes at NYU
this summer," Austin replied.
Melanie smiled. "That's good." She shifted around uncomfortably in her seat. "I have to go to the bathroom. Exactly where is it?"
"Behind the curtains," he pointed.
"Thanks." Melanie followed her
father's directions.
"Listen up, you two. Don't think that this little adventure gets
you off the hook with me and the Agency." Smyth observed the Stetsons as they sat across from him, holding
hands.
They exchanged incredulous looks. After all they had done for this man…
"Just because I personally agree that you two belong together, in every sense of
the word, doesn't mean I'm willing to openly approve of your insubordination or
throw away all those years of you into the fine working team that you've
become," Smyth smirked.
Lee and Amanda once again look at each other,
truly puzzled by where he was going with this.
"So if I yell at you, or, well, act like I
always do, just don't take it too seriously, okay, Kiddies?"
"Yes, Sir," Lee and Amanda answered
together. Some things would never change.
The
End