Passageway
Chapter 12
Mike talked with Dotty first in the den. He stated, "All I'm here to do Dotty, is to basically get an idea where everyone's thoughts are in consideration of your grandchildren. I'm not here to pass judgements or to lay blame. Let's think of me as just an observer/listener, okay?"
Dotty swallowed hard and nodded answering, "All right, thank you. This reminds me of when Amanda and I took the boys to the counselor after the divorce. Somehow, I find that time a bit easier-"
Mike asked, "Why?"
Dotty sighed and remarked shrugging, "Well, because that time it had more to do with Amanda and the boys feelings concerning the separation and divorce."
Mike replied, "And now?"
Dotty responded, "I'm feeling as though I'm somehow being "ganged up" on simply because I love them and only have their best interests at heart. Do you have children, Mike?"
He shook his head and queried, "Why do you feel that they're against you in some way? I mean of course, Joe and Amanda?"
Dotty took a breath and let it out slowly stating, "Well, Joe for some reason doesn't always appreciate my imput where the boys are concerned. Which is a bit odd considering he's not here all the time now. And Amanda has always confided in me about her joys and her fears, but now she keeps everything pretty much to herself unless I absolutely need to know something."
Chuckling softly she then commented, "That's a very strange term that's been floating around here. Ever since Lee entered our lives. Do you know she never mentioned him until just before their time on the run from the government? And the boys and I never met him until much later? I suspected something when she never brought him around but I decided to let her come forth with it when she was ready."
Mike nodded and asked, "So, how do you feel about Lee?"
Dotty faintly smiled and answered, "Oh, he's quite a charmer when he wants to be. But the main thing is that the boys seem to be comfortable around him and-"
Mike cut in asking, "Seem to be? I don't understand."
Dotty sighed and responded, "Well, Phillip anyway. For Jamie, it took a bit longer but he and Lee seem to be on level ground right now. You see, he's the youngest and the more sensitive of the two."
Mike nodded, "All right. So do you feel Lee's right for Amanda?"
Dotty nodded stating, "She's certainly in love this time and although Lee seemed a bit skittish at family functions at first, he's slowly begun to adjust. Although the hours they both put in at work are ridiculous! Anyway, the important thing to me is that my daughter is happy and of course, my grandsons. Why can't they all see that?"
After Dotty was finished, in came Joe. Mike questioned, "How long were you and Amanda together?"
Joe replied, "Well, we met in college-went to different schools and met through friends of ours. I would say early 70's-we married in '72 and that lasted about ten years."
Mike nodded and responded, "A good amount of time then."
Joe shrugged wistfully answering, "Not long enough in my book. You married?"
Mike shook his head stating, "Never found the time or the right woman."
Joe chuckled softly and remarked, "Well if that day ever comes, you think long and hard before you decide you wanna settle down. I wish-"
He stopped himself and Mike questioned, "What, Joe?"
Joe sighed and commented, "We never actually said it aloud to each other but I'm sure Amanda wishes that we never got married-"
Mike looked at him surprised and answered, "But what about Phillip and Jamie? Are you now saying you regret-"
Joe swallowed hard as he shook his head and responded, "No, of course not! They're the best thing that came from us. Maybe if we'd waited a bit longer or something, I don't know."
Mike nodded and queried, "How is your relationship with Dotty?"
Joe smiled and asked, "Why? What did she say?"
Mike shook his head and stated, "No. We're not pointing fingers or telling sordid tales here now. And no pulling punches. C'mon."
Joe sighed and remarked, "Okay. She and I got on okay while Amanda and I were seeing each other and later when we married and had the boys. But something changed when I got the job with the EAO. I get that she was worried about them moving with me abroad but I honestly wanted to give them the best life possible. After law school and starting my career, I started feeling that a desk job and a few court cases here and there weren't gonna cut it for me. That's when the EAO job came and I talked it over with Amanda who was hesitant at first, but one word from Dotty and she shut the idea down-"
Mike questioned, "She wouldn't consider it at all after that?"
Joe winced and shrugged stating, "She said it was better for the boys to stay here since they were really too young at the time to understand that kind of living and maybe when they were older they'd appreciate it more."
Mike nodded and commented, "So, you went alone?"
Joe nodded and remarked, "I told her I'd be home as often as I could. Mike, I just felt I could make a better difference out there helping the less fortunate. It didn't mean I was giving up my career. Not totally. And I didn't want to give up my family either. But she let me go try it for a while until finally, we just couldn't make it work."
He gulped sadly as he responded, "The worst day of our lives was when we had to tell those boys we weren't gonna be together anymore."
Mike asked, "How old were they?"
Joe thought carefully and remarked, "Um, Phillip was 8, and Jamie was 6. When I left the house for the last time with my stuff Phillip said, "Dad, if you don't wanna be with us anymore, then we don't wanna be with you."
Mike stated, "Whew.."
Joe put up a hand and remarked, "It was fine. Amanda talked him down from that anger but it still stung. That I made those boys feel anything less for me at the time. But it was rough for all of us then."
Mike sighed and answered, "Okay. Let's switch gears a little here. You and Lee. Do you get along or is it hard?"
Joe chuckled and stated, "Considering what he dragged my ex-wife into, I would say I'm not comfortable with his presence in our lives."
Mike thought, Whoa.. Without meaning to, I've opened a can of worms here. Better proceed with caution now...
TBC