PART FIVE

4247 Maplewood, 4:30

"You're married!" exclaimed Philip, his mouth falling wide open. "But, why didn't you tell us? I don't get it?"

"Sweetheart…Lee and I are in love, and we wanted to get married. But you've only known Lee a couple of months. We didn't want to rush you. I'm really sorry now that we didn't tell you but we thought it was for the best."

Jamie, who had been quietly looking at his hands in his lap since Amanda made her announcement, didn't look up when he said, "So did you have to get married?"

Amanda's eyes widened at the implications of her son's question. "No, Jamie, we didn't have to get married. Jamie, look at me." He didn't. "Jamie," she said, more firmly this time and he knew not to disobey her, although he still didn't say anything. "Look, sweetheart, I know you're confused about this, we all are, but it's a fact and we have to deal with it."

"So when are you moving in, Lee?" Philip butted in, beaming at the prospect of twenty-four hour access to Lee's Corvette, any time he wanted.

"One thing at a time, Philip," said his grandmother.

"I don't understand. If you didn't tell us then, why now?" Jamie asked.

Amanda sighed. "They found out at work this morning-"

"Oh, so you're only telling us because you had to," Jamie interrupted.

"No, Jamie, let me finish. Lee and I have talked a lot about telling you. A lot. And we really wanted to tell you, but we were waiting for the right time. When work found out today, we decided to end the secrecy of our marriage. To tell the people we love about it. We knew it would be difficult, but-"

By now, Philip was getting impatient. "So now we'll see more of you? I mean, if Lee stays here, you won't need to stay out overnight so much, right?"

Amanda's mouth fell open and her face reddened. She looked first at her mother, and then at Lee. When had her sons grown up so fast?

"Look, fellas," Lee began. "I love your mother, and I care a lot about all of you. I hope one day you'll feel the same way about me, but I'm not going to rush you. It's a big change for all of us and I won't move in until you say it's okay."

"It's okay by me," said Philip. "You can move in today as far as I'm concerned. That way we'll outnumber the women." He winked conspiratorially at Lee who couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Philip."

"Oh, and Lee?" continued Philip. He paused. "Er … I'll be getting my driver's license next year. If you're my stepdad, does that mean I get to drive the 'vette?" A look of panic shot through Lee's eyes before he saw Philip grinning at him. "Gotcha!"

Lee shook his head and grinned. "Oh, you…"

Turning to his younger stepson, he asked, "Jamie? Do you think there'll come a time when you'll want me to stay, too?"

Jamie looked at Lee. "Do you really love my mom, Lee?"

"'Course he does, dufus, it's all over his face," interjected Philip.

"Philip, don't call your brother dufus," Amanda said automatically.

"I really do, Jamie. She is the best thing that ever happened to me, she is my life and I would be completely lost without her … and the rest of you." As he said these last words he reached for and took Amanda's hand in his.

Jamie could see his love for her in his eyes, and his mother's for Lee. "Mom?"

"Yes, Jamie."

"Do you want Lee to move in now?"

"More than anything, darling, but he won't unless you say that it's okay with you."

He turned to Dotty. "Grandma?"

"Lee really does care about you, Jamie."

"But what if he wants to leave?"

Amanda suddenly realized the cause behind Jamie's hesitancy. "Why would he leave?"

"People leave, Mom." He looked at his mother. "Dad left, and he loved us." He looked back down at his hands.

"Jamie, you can believe me when I tell you I'm not going anywhere, ever," Lee responded to his stepson. "I have been looking for your mother my entire life, and to find she comes with a beautiful mother," he looked at Dotty, "and the two greatest boys in the world means that I am here to stay, whether you like it or not. And that applies whether I move in today, tomorrow, or even next year. I promise you cannot get rid of me that easily." He smiled at Jamie.

Jamie stood up. "Then I suppose you'd better move in today," he said to the floor. Then he looked up at Lee and held out his hand. "Welcome to the family, Lee."

Lee took his hand and shook it, then they tentatively hugged each other, their confidence gradually increasing.

Amanda's eyes welled with up with tears again as Philip said, "All right!" As Jamie released his hold on Lee, he turned to his mother. His brother did the same. "I still don't understand why you did it," said Philip, "but as long as you're happy, I'm happy."

"Me, too," said his brother.

"Oh, boys! I can assure you that I am happier than I have ever been and I want to thank you both."

"Thank us for what?" asked Jamie.

"Thank you for trusting me. And for trusting Lee."

"So, no more secrets?" Jamie asked.

Knowing she still couldn't tell them about their jobs at the Agency, she could only say, "No, no more secrets." As the boys reached forwards to hug their mom, she looked up at her husband and he could see the guilt and fear in her eyes. He knew she was upset at one more lie, but what could they do? Lee's eyes expressed the pain he felt for her and tried to send back a mental hug to her to give her strength. He reached out his hand and placed it on the back of her head and she leaned back into it. Dotty caught the exchange, but remained silent.

The boys let go of their mother. "C'mon duf-, I mean Jamie, I bet I can beat you at a little one on one."

"Bet you can't," Jamie called back as they disappeared through the kitchen door into the driveway.

~

Lee's Apartment, 5:15

Amanda sat on the edge of Lee's bed as she watched him pull stuff out of his closet. He piled it into a holdall. "I still can't believe I'm doing this. Less than twelve hours ago I was complaining I never see enough of you and now I'm moving in with you? How did that happen?"

"Not complaining, are you Stetson?"

"Hell no! I just can't believe how a person's life can change so much in just one day."

"I can." Lee stopped his packing and looked at her, curiously. "I can," she repeated. "One moment I was taking my boyfriend to the train station and the next a seriously handsome waiter was giving me a package and telling me to give it to the man in the red hat." Smiling, she closed her eyes as she remembered back to that day…

"Just walk with me," said the waiter as he propelled her alongside him.

"I certainly will not!" she had replied indignantly.

"Please I'm in trouble."

"Oh, no! I've got to go." She had freed herself from the stranger.

Running after her, he had caught up with her again and held onto her arm. "Just one moment. Please!" He sounded more desperate this time, but she was not going to get involved.

"No!" she had said firmly. Then the unknown waiter had looked into her eyes. She had never seen such beautiful hazel eyes. She tried but she couldn't look away as she heard him say, "I'm in trouble, please….Please!"

She remembered how, against her better judgment, she had asked, "What is it you want me to do?"

"A-man-da?" She vaguely heard her name in the distance. "Amanda, are you all right?" Lee looked concerned.

"What? Oh, sorry," she said absentmindedly. "I must've zoned out for a moment."

"Memories?"

"Oh, yes!" She looked up and smiled.

"Did you know that I love you?" Lee's eyes sparkled.

"I had heard a rumor to that effect," she teased back.

"Oh, had you?" He stepped towards her then sat on the bed beside her. "Want to prove it?" He placed a hand on each of her arms.

"Definitely!" She had a huge grin on her face. Lee's lips sought hers as he pushed her backward to lie her onto the bed. Their eyes darkened as their passion for each other began to take over. Amanda reached around Lee's back to pull him towards her.

~

Later

Amanda opened her eyes and saw she was in the bedroom in Lee's apartment. As she turned her head she saw Lee staring at her intently.

"Hi," she said drowsily.

"I still love you, Mrs. Stetson!" He smiled.

"I should hope so, after that," said Amanda in mock affront, which soon collapsed into a smile. "I love you too, Mr. Stetson. What time is it?"

"It's…" he looked across at his bedside alarm clock, "just after eight o'clock."

She sat upright at this information, "Eight o'clock?" She was shocked it was so late. They were just supposed to pick up a few things at Lee's so he could officially move into her - she mentally corrected herself - their house. He also needed a few things for tomorrow's Florida trip, and unexpectedly he wouldn't be leaving from his apartment. That had been more than three hours ago. She got out of bed and started rounding up her clothes that were haphazardly scattered all over the floor where she had left them. "Come on, we need to get back. How are we gonna explain being gone for so long?"

Her husband smirked. "Editing room?"

"Lee, they know we were just coming here."

"Then let's just tell them we were celebrating," suggested Lee. "It's the truth."

"After what the boys said this afternoon, I'm a little worried about what they'd understand by celebrating."

"True," he agreed, "I didn't know your boys were so well acquainted with the facts of life." He winked at her.

She had stopped dressing at this stage and was standing, dressed in her bra and slip, with her hands on her hips. "Neither did I. I mean, I've always made sure they knew everything they needed to know about sex and everything, but I just didn't expect them to talk about it in relation to me."

Lee remained in bed, propped up on his elbow. Amanda suddenly asked him, "So, are you getting dressed or what?"

"I was just watching the floor show," he teased.

"Oh, you were, were you?" She reached towards the bed to pick up a pillow to throw at him, but he sprang like a cat and grabbed her wrist, throwing her onto the bed and leaning over her. "Interrogation tactics, Scarecrow?"

"Yeah." He covered her lips with his. "Is it working?" he asked between kisses.

"Sure is. What do you want to know?" Lee leaned up on his hand as he pondered this, but in doing so he released her arms. Moving as quickly as Lee had when he grabbed her, she rolled away from him and stood up. "You snooze, you lose, Stetson!" She laughed.

Lee let himself fall forward onto the bed where she had been lying moments before. As he rolled over onto his back, he said, "I guess close does only count in horseshoes!"

"Yep. Now come on. You can't move in with us if you never leave your apartment."

As she headed, now fully dressed, towards the bathroom to fix her hair and make-up, she heard him say, "Nag, nag, nag…" She smiled.

~