Dotty's Five W's And An H
Chapter 2
Dotty had gone to the kitchen to make tea as Amanda anxiously waited for her on the family room couch.
When Dotty came over finally with the tea tray and put it down on the coffee table she noted Amanda's worried expression and shaking her head remarked, "Oh stop looking like that, Dear."
Amanda lightly shrugged. "Like what, Mother?"
Sitting down next to her she poured the tea commenting, "Like I'll have you arrested if you give me the wrong answers."
Giving Amanda her cup and taking her own then she took a sip and put it down. "All right. I'm going to ask you some pretty direct questions that I hope you'll be able to answer. I'm not trying to be intrusive, Darling. But there was a time that we shared just about everything with each other because that's the kind of relationship we always had and I would hope we still have, hmm?"
Amanda nodded as she sipped her tea thinking, Gosh! Just how bad was this going to get?
Dotty continued. "You don't need to answer me right away but I need you to really think about them. You know that my concern here only comes from love, don't you?"
Amanda nodded and replied softly taking her mother's hand in her own, "Yes, Mother. But as I've already said, I can't tell-"
Dotty released her hand from Amanda's and put it up answering impatiently, " Yes, I already know the Federal part of it! Mr. Melrose explained that the boys and I have to forget what went on here with phone tapping and agents running in and out of this house. But my questions are on a more personal level, Dear."
Amanda sighed. "Okay, Mother. What is it?"
Dotty asked slowly as she gestured, "Who is this Lee Stetson you've been mentioning? What is the true nature of your relationship? When did you meet the man? Where did you meet him? Why haven't you mentioned him before all this? And finally... How could you have just left your family the way you did for a complete stranger?! At least to us, he's a complete stranger."
Seeing Amanda's blank look when she finished Dotty cupped her chin and bringing it over to face her remarked sadly with a sigh, "I love you with all my heart, Panda. But it's absolutely breaking with the thought that if you have any sort of feelings for this man, that you can't or won't trust me enough to share it with me. Being in love is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I had it with your daddy and I truly want that for you again, Dear. As I told you a long time ago, sometimes it is painful to admit your true feelings. But if you find yourself absolutely sure about this man I want to share in that happiness, all right?"
As Amanda nodded slowly Dotty letting go gently stood up and took the tray back to the kitchen and putting it on the counter commented quietly, "I'm going up now but one more thing. Looking back on when you were with Dean, I realize now that you didn't have the same look on your face then as you do now so he must be special. Goodnight, Darling."
As Dotty headed up Amanda was floored at her mother's line of questioning!
What was she to do now? she wondered.
Thinking it over carefully she decided to call Lee and picking up the phone dialed his apartment.
He answered on the third ring. "Stetson."
Amanda gulped. "Hi. It's me. We need to talk. I know it's late, but can I come over?"
TBC