"Thanks, Joe. Yes, I know tomorrow is Christmas Eve but if you could just keep the boys one more day. Lee's feeling a little better but he's still confused. Okay, tell the boys we love them," Amanda said into the phone receiver before hanging up. She didn't hear Lee enter the room behind her.
"Joe? That's your…ex-husband, isn't it?" Lee asked hesitantly. He had just taken a shower, changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and his hair was still damp, hanging in loose strands on his forehead.
Amanda turned, startled, her hand on her chest. She inhaled sharply before she exhaled and said, "Lee, you scared me."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Lee replied sheepishly. He looked at her and asked again, "Was that your ex-husband?"
Amanda nodded and replied sadly, "The boys are worried about you."
"Philip and Jamie? Worried about me?" Lee asked, surprised. "Why?"
Amanda sat down on the couch and rubbed her belly protectively. "They've never seen you hurt like this before. I mean, they were here when you got hurt in the Kuzman case but they didn't know what really happened. And when I was hurt in California, they didn't know about -" Amanda started to explain.
"Wait, what do you mean, you were hurt in California?" Lee interrupted her. Amanda sighed, moved the collar on her shirt over enough for Lee to see the angry, puckered scar on her chest. Lee inhaled sharply, cursed and reached out to touch it. "Did I…was that because of our job?"
Amanda covered herself up and shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together. "No, we got caught in crossfire when we went to visit Barney and Gus. We were there… on vacation," she explained hesitantly. She didn't want to explain their first, secret wedding.
Lee closed his eyes as a memory ricochet through his mind. He could see Amanda sitting in a car, wearing a white sweater, a red stain slowly spreading across her chest. "I remember…sort of. We were near a dock, you had on a white sweater," he said slowly.
"That's good, sweetheart. Yes, we were meeting Barney at the dock. He was so excited to show us something," Amanda replied.
Lee closed his eyes again, his head jerked to the side as another memory flashed through his mind. Amanda was laying in the hospital bed, doctors and nurses running around them. He remembered Dotty beside him and a doctor telling them to stay out of the way. "You almost died," he whispered huskily. Amanda didn't reply, she simply covered his hand with hers. Lee looked up at her, his hazel eyes dark. "Your mother kept telling me you were a fighter. I guess she's right." Amanda's bottom lip quivered slightly at the memory but she still didn't say a word. Lee put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He pressed his lips to her temple as another memory flashed through his mind. This time Amanda was dressed in a pink sweatshirt, a red bandana tied around her head. She was bound with ropes, shaking in his arms as he comforted her.
Just as Lee was about to comment, Amanda cleared her throat, leaned back and said, "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Aunt Lillian isn't able to come this year because of her hip replacement, but Mother still wants to cook if you're up to it."
Lee narrowed his eyes, trying to search his memory for other Christmas traditions he could remember. "I don't have to work?" he asked teasingly.
"No," Amanda smiled and shook her head, "You don't have to work. You made sure Billy took you off the Duty Roster this year. We promised the boys we would take them up to Pinetop the day after Christmas."
Lee tilted his head, "Pinetop? You and I went to Pinetop, didn't we? The skiing was lousy but I remember we found a way to entertain ourselves."
Amanda blushed at his recollection. "Yes. It was the first actual vacation we went on together."
Laughing, Lee said, "Well, then I guess we shouldn't disappoint the boys then, right. But I don't know how much skiing I'll be able to do and I assume you shouldn't be doing any...in your current condition."
"No, I think you're right. But the boys can hold their own. At our last appointment, the doctor said the baby was fine, the heartbeat was strong and if I wanted to stick to the bunny slopes I could still go," Amanda explained, sadly. Lee had been sitting beside her as the doctor explained everything. She could still picture his face, hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time.
Lee touched her face gently as he said, "Amanda, I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember everything I really am. It's coming in bits and pieces and a few times it's been a feeling more than an image. Like yesterday, when I asked you to take a nap with me."
Amanda leaned close to him and brushed her lips across his cheek, "I know, sweetheart." She stood slowly and said, "I'm going to change then call Mother and tell her dinner is still on." She left the room, leaving Lee sitting on the couch, staring at the Christmas tree again.