Lee called Amanda as he drove toward his apartment to get his suitcase packed. "Amanda, you're never going to believe this. Billy just handed me an assignment," he complained.
"Oh really, what is it?" Amanda asked, as she held the phone with her shoulder while she ironed.
"I have to be on a plane in less than four hours to ... get this ... Papua New Guinea. I have to go collect an archeaelogist and his latest discovery and bring them back to the Smithsonian," Lee groaned.
"Four hours? What happened to the closing? I thought we were signing papers at eleven?" Amanda asked, confused.
"Oh yeah that. Well, that got pushed off again also. Something about the paperwork wasn't ready, the Agency Credit Union didn't draw up the right form or something," Lee tapped his free hand on the steering wheel as he waited at a red light. When the light turned green, he stepped on the gas harder than he intended as he gripped the steering wheel, the engine roared in response.
"Lee, be careful!" she scolded him when she heard the engine. Quieter, she asked, "When do you return?"
Lee eased off the gas and replied, "Thursday afternoon. I'm heading to my apartment now to pack. I may as well pack my bag for the weekend while I'm at it."
"Well, be careful. I guess it could be worse, Sweetheart. I mean, he could have given you an assignment that would have taken all weekend," Amanda said, as she looked on the bright side.
Lee had to smile at her optimism and replied with a laugh, "Or I could have to spend the week with Dr. Smyth."
Amanda laughed in response as she said, "Call me when you can. I love you."
Lee sighed and replied, "I love you, too. I just want this weekend to be perfect and Billy sending me nine thousand miles away makes me nervous, you know?"
"We'll make the best of it. We always do. I'll hold down the fort here," Amanda said softly.
Lee looked down as he pushed the end button on the phone and placed it in the cradle, but as soon as he looked up, he had to slam on his brakes. The car in front of him swerved to avoid hitting another car, but Lee didn't have enough time to react completely. He jerked the wheel hard to the left, sideswiped the stopped vehicle, and his passenger side mirror snapped off in the process. When his car finally came to rest, he got out to survey the damage. A Metro policeman pulled up behind them, ticket book already in hand.
Thirty minutes later, Lee was more agitated than before. He drove to his apartment, his mood black and each time he glanced over toward his side mirror, he got even angrier. He called Billy to explain what happened and his response was a loud laugh with a promise Francine would drive him to the airport and Leatherneck would fix his car while he was gone. With very little time to spare, Lee opened his suitcase and his overnight bag quickly and tossed necessities in both bags. Francine knocked on the door just as he zipped closed his one bag.
"Leave it to you, Scarecrow, to sideswipe a stopped car," she teased as she followed him toward his bedroom. "Two bags? You planning on more than a pickup? Staying to see the New Guinea nightlife? You know I heard -"
Lee cut her off, "No, I figured I would pack for our weekend away with the boys while I was at it."
"Okay, so which bag is which?" she asked as she leaned on the door frame.
"This one is for... no wait…. this bag is for… oh no!" Lee moaned as he opened both bags, confused which bag he was taking with him on the flight. He glanced at his watch and groaned as he pulled everything out of both bags and sorted it.
"Great job, Stetson. You sure know how to cut things close. We only need to be at the international terminal in..." she stopped talking to make a grand gesture of looking at her watch before she continued, "in exactly forty-eight minutes."
Lee groaned again as he began shoving clothing into both bags once again. When he tossed his shaving kit and toiletries into the bag, he quickly zipped it closed and declared, "Ready."
The ride to the airport was thankfully uneventful. Lee tried to sleep on the plane by closing his eyes as soon as the plane taxied off the runway, but his seatmate had other ideas. The older gentleman beside him nudged him awake several times asking questions. By the time they landed in LAX for their first connecting flight, Lee couldn't get off the plane fast enough. The next flight was much quieter albeit a bit bumpier with turbulence over the Pacific Ocean.
When he finally landed in Papua New Guinea, Lee was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into the bed in his hotel room. Instead, he was met at the airport and whisked toward the archeological dig. Lee struggled to follow the conversation with Dr. Muinepe, the man's thick accent losing him quickly. He simply nodded in agreement when it seemed appropriate and confirmed he would meet the doctor first thing the next morning in his hotel lobby where they would begin their flight back.
Lee thanked the constabularies that escorted him to his hotel, thankfully only a short distance from the park. He checked his watch, mentally calculating the time distance to DC. Once he was settled in his room, he picked up the phone and ordered room service. As he waited, he called Billy to check in and then phoned Amanda.
"Hey, I'm here, barely awake but here," Lee said as soon as Amanda answered.
With a sigh of relief, Amanda replied, "I'm glad you got there safe. Francine told me about your car so I went down to talk to Leatherneck. He said it might take a week to get it done but it will look good as new."
Lee shook his head and replied, "Thanks. I just ordered room service so I'm going to eat and sleep as long as I can."
"Take it easy today. You're bound to be jet lagged a little," Amanda informed him.
"I know, I know but I shouldn't be here long enough to feel it. If there aren't any surprises, I will be home Thursday afternoon just like Billy said and that will give me enough time to rest before we leave Friday. Hey, did you call the hotel to book a suite?" Lee asked, another item on his mental checklist for the weekend.
"About that," Amanda began. "I called and because of the festival, the best we can do is two connecting rooms, each with two double beds. It will be a tight squeeze but we'll manage. Mother and Phillip can have one room, we'll take the other with Jamie. We won't have a lot of alone -"
Lee cut her off, "We have the rest of our lives for that, Amanda. I just want the boys to have a good time this weekend, that's all."
"As do I, Sweetheart, as do I. Listen, you get some rest and I'll see you on Thursday," Amanda stated just hanging up the phone, leaving Lee staring at a buzzing receiver. Dotty had just walked into the house carrying grocery bags, her jacket soaking wet.
"I can't believe this rain!" she exclaimed, as she shook her hands, the droplets of water were flying everywhere. "Were you on the phone just now?" Dotty asked.
"Yes, that was Lee, checking in. He sounds exhausted," Amanda said sadly.
"Where did you say he went again?" Dotty questioned as she put the groceries away.
Amanda smiled softly, finally thankful she could be honest as she explained, "He's in Papua New Guinea meeting an archaeologist. They made a major discovery so the Smithsonian is going to examine his finds."
"Now that is impressive! Lee flew all the way there to help bring back what could be a major archaeological discovery. When is he coming back? He is going to be back in time for the weekend, isn't he? Oh, Amanda, the boys will be so disappointed if he doesn't go. You should have heard them in the car this morning, chattering away about all the things they wanted to do. They must have memorized those pamphlets you gave them," Dotty rambled.
Amanda smiled wider and laughed as she said, "He should be back Thursday afternoon, although, he'll probably just head to his apartment and sleep until Friday. And yes, he's still going this weekend. I'm glad the boys are excited. It should be fun. You sure you don't mind sharing a room with one of the boys?"
Dotty put her hands on Amanda's arms as she said, "I'll take both boys if you and Lee need a little alone time, if you know what I mean. After all, it's been a long week."
Amanda kissed her mother on her cheek before she said, "Thank you, Mother, but that won't be necessary. We're adults and we'll make do."
"And, four days away from each other feels like an awful long time," Dotty sang as she moved toward the laundry room.
"Oh, Mother," Amanda shook her head smiling at the thoughts populating her mind.