Chapter Eleven
Suds up to her elbows Amanda stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes from breakfast and watching a pair of squirrels gathering seed from under the birdfeeder in the yard. Suddenly a face appeared in her window and she jumped, startled. Smiling she saw her husband grinning back at her, motioning for her to join him outside. Nostalgia filled her as she removed her hands from the water, drying them on a towel as she headed towards the back door.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered. "You're supposed to be in meetings all day long."
"I decided to come home for lunch," he smiled at her, kissing her smiling mouth. "Besides, my next meeting was cancelled so I have a little bit of free time."
"Billy taught you his trick didn't he?" she accused as they sat down on the swing near the fence.
"How did you know about that?"
"Jeannie told me."
Lee grinned. "Well I'm just glad it works. I feel like I haven't seen you in days."
"Try hours," she smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Well it still feels like days." He smiled at the memory of waking her up this morning so they could spend some quiet time together before he had to leave. "What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much," she shrugged. "I took mother to the train station and spent the morning organizing the Blackman files for Queen."
"Anything interesting happen at the train station?" Lee teased.
"Nothing worth mentioning," she teased back. "Although there was this waiter..."
Lee groaned and leaned over to kiss Amanda. "What is it with you and waiters?"
Amanda smiled but said nothing. Taking his hand in hers they sat in silence for a moment.
"How goes the work for Queen?" he asked her, wondering if she was almost done or not.
"It's all set. I finished the last file this morning. If you could let Winter know to bring some more I would appreciate it."
"I'll bring those back with me today for him to take back," he nodded.
Silence fell over them again and they swung in peace. Lee was glad that Amanda had found a medium in the many lives she was trying to combine as a civilian agent, government agent, mother and wife. As the liaison between the agency and Queen Amanda was able to keep her ties with both companies while most of her time was spent at home with her family. After the life she'd led, and the life she'd missed, Amanda had decided she was more than ready to focus on the one thing that mattered to her more than anything else in the world.
"Hey Lee," Phillip said as he opened the back door. "When did you get here?" he asked, holding the door open so Jaime could come out.
"A few minutes ago, sport."
Lee watched as his kids walked toward them. Reaching out he took the youngest son from his older brothers' arms. "And when did you wake up, munchkin?"
"I heard him waking up when we got home from the midterms so I figured I'd pick him up," Jaime answered as he sat on the ground by Amanda's feet.
"Thank you, Sweetheart," she smiled at him, touching his shoulder briefly.
"Hey, since Lee's here can we grill some burgers for lunch?" Phillip asked, looking from Lee to Amanda and back.
"Sure, why not," Lee answered. "Phillip, you go fire up the grill and Jaime, you go find the burgers."
Both boys left, their teenage stomachs telling them the faster they moved the faster they could eat. Handing Jacob to his mother Lee kissed both of them before moving off to help Phillip get the grill ready. Content to sit on the swing and hold her three-month-old son Amanda swung back and forth, watching the three of the most important men in her life get lunch ready.
"Life in this family is like a really fast roller coaster, sweetie," she whispered to Jacob. Reaching down she kissed his forehead. "Sometimes it's up and sometimes its down, but it always keeps you coming back for more."
Smiling at her in reply Jacob grinned with a look Amanda knew all too well. He was, after all, his parent's son.
The End
Suds up to her elbows Amanda stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes from breakfast and watching a pair of squirrels gathering seed from under the birdfeeder in the yard. Suddenly a face appeared in her window and she jumped, startled. Smiling she saw her husband grinning back at her, motioning for her to join him outside. Nostalgia filled her as she removed her hands from the water, drying them on a towel as she headed towards the back door.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered. "You're supposed to be in meetings all day long."
"I decided to come home for lunch," he smiled at her, kissing her smiling mouth. "Besides, my next meeting was cancelled so I have a little bit of free time."
"Billy taught you his trick didn't he?" she accused as they sat down on the swing near the fence.
"How did you know about that?"
"Jeannie told me."
Lee grinned. "Well I'm just glad it works. I feel like I haven't seen you in days."
"Try hours," she smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Well it still feels like days." He smiled at the memory of waking her up this morning so they could spend some quiet time together before he had to leave. "What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much," she shrugged. "I took mother to the train station and spent the morning organizing the Blackman files for Queen."
"Anything interesting happen at the train station?" Lee teased.
"Nothing worth mentioning," she teased back. "Although there was this waiter..."
Lee groaned and leaned over to kiss Amanda. "What is it with you and waiters?"
Amanda smiled but said nothing. Taking his hand in hers they sat in silence for a moment.
"How goes the work for Queen?" he asked her, wondering if she was almost done or not.
"It's all set. I finished the last file this morning. If you could let Winter know to bring some more I would appreciate it."
"I'll bring those back with me today for him to take back," he nodded.
Silence fell over them again and they swung in peace. Lee was glad that Amanda had found a medium in the many lives she was trying to combine as a civilian agent, government agent, mother and wife. As the liaison between the agency and Queen Amanda was able to keep her ties with both companies while most of her time was spent at home with her family. After the life she'd led, and the life she'd missed, Amanda had decided she was more than ready to focus on the one thing that mattered to her more than anything else in the world.
"Hey Lee," Phillip said as he opened the back door. "When did you get here?" he asked, holding the door open so Jaime could come out.
"A few minutes ago, sport."
Lee watched as his kids walked toward them. Reaching out he took the youngest son from his older brothers' arms. "And when did you wake up, munchkin?"
"I heard him waking up when we got home from the midterms so I figured I'd pick him up," Jaime answered as he sat on the ground by Amanda's feet.
"Thank you, Sweetheart," she smiled at him, touching his shoulder briefly.
"Hey, since Lee's here can we grill some burgers for lunch?" Phillip asked, looking from Lee to Amanda and back.
"Sure, why not," Lee answered. "Phillip, you go fire up the grill and Jaime, you go find the burgers."
Both boys left, their teenage stomachs telling them the faster they moved the faster they could eat. Handing Jacob to his mother Lee kissed both of them before moving off to help Phillip get the grill ready. Content to sit on the swing and hold her three-month-old son Amanda swung back and forth, watching the three of the most important men in her life get lunch ready.
"Life in this family is like a really fast roller coaster, sweetie," she whispered to Jacob. Reaching down she kissed his forehead. "Sometimes it's up and sometimes its down, but it always keeps you coming back for more."
Smiling at her in reply Jacob grinned with a look Amanda knew all too well. He was, after all, his parent's son.
The End