(Two Days Later)
Amanda has taken the rest of the week off of work. She felt as though she needed a break from the agency more than anything else.
"No wonder so many agents go through burnout" She thought "This whole Spy thing is tough."
At this point it was approximately twelve noon, Wednesday. Phillip and Jamie would be at school until 2:00, and Dottie was at the supermarket.
Amanda was the only one home when the phone rang.
She put down her lunch (left over Chinese food from the night before) to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. King?"
"Mr. Melrose?"
"Yes. I just called to see how you're feeling."
"Oh. Much better sir." She hated lying more than anything else. Yet ever since she met Lee Stetson it seemed all she did was lie. To her friends, her family, her co-workers (co-spies), and everyone.
And she didn't want to lie anymore.
"I just needed a break from the agency, sir."
"I understand. It can become too much at times. Don't feel bad, happens to the best of us, myself, Lee and Francine included."
He was trying to be sympathetic.
" Will you be returning Monday?"
"I--I think so. I'm not quite sure yet."
"That's all right. Take your time, Mrs. King."
Just then she recalled something she has said many times to her young boys.
Honesty is the best policy.
'Well, here's to honesty' She thought as she said,
"Stetson, sir. Not King. Mrs. Stetson."
Despite her moment of bravery, she hung up the phone before he was able to respond to what must have been quite shocking news for him.
She stared at the phone as if in a daze.
"Oh. My. GOSH! I MUST be crazy! What did I just do?!" She cried aloud.
"Do about what, dear?"
"Hmmm? Oh. Nothing, Mother. It isn't important." She cringed. That honesty thing again!
"I'll tell you about it later."
'There' she thought, 'that's better'
"Okay." Dottie hadn't noticed her daughters' anxiety for once; she seemed quite preoccupied.
"Here, Mother. Let me help you with the groceries."
"Would you, dear? Thanks so much."
"No problem."
"I bought those cookies Phillip likes, and Apple-Cinnamon rice cakes for Jamie."
"Speaking of Phillip, isn't his new girlfriend coming to dinner sometime this week?"
"Yes. I believe her name is Cassandra Johnson."
"What night is she coming?"
"Friday. I thought I'd make something nice. Maybe stuffed peppers, both of the boys like them."
"Let's just make sure she isn't a vegetarian like his last girlfriend."
"Goodness, yes. Don't want to deal with that again!"
Phillip had forgotten to tell his mother and grandmother that his then-girlfriend, Thaiah was a health food lover against the consumption of meat, poultry, eggs and even milk.
As Amanda grew more lost into her thoughts of her own special someone, Dottie was rambling on.
"She's a freshman too. Good for him to date girls his own age, Thaiah was MUCH too old for him, a sophomore! And I hear from Mrs. Hallowell from down the street that her daughter Julie does theatre and dance with Cassandra and she is just lovely! Phillip really seems to like her. You've seen the way he smiles while on the phone with her! It is just so cute. His first Puppy- Love. Oh, Amanda I remember when you were that young and so in love with, who was it? Tommy Babcock. Yes. Tommy Babcock. And when you broke up you were so deves..." Her voice faded out.
It was then she looked at Amanda's face, and caught her expression when her mother said the words; "Broke up"
"I'm so sorry, Amanda. I just wasn't thinking, you know how I do that sometimes---"
"It's alright mother. I'm alright." Amanda assured Dottie.
All the while, she was thinking:
'I wonder if Lee misses me half as much as I miss him'