"Mother, Philip, Jamie, I'm back and Lee is with me," Amanda announced as she entered the foyer of her house with Lee directly behind her. Immediately came the pounding of footsteps hitting the stairs and Dotty rushing from the kitchen.
"Mom, Lee!" The boys said almost in unison.
"Amanda, Lee!" Dotty said.
"Hello Dotty, hey boys!" Lee replied back.
"How was your trip, boys?" Amanda asked.
"Good! Except Jamie wouldn't leave me alone, kept hanging around me and some of the other boys!"
"That is not true. It was only one time."
"Not so!"
"Boys!" Dotty jumped in. "At least give your mom and Lee a chance to get in the door before you start a war!"
Lee brought in their bags and sat them down then he and Amanda sat on the couch, while the boys plopped down on the floor. Dotty had taken the wingback chair that was next to the couch.
"So, Lee, Amanda, how was your weekend?" Dotty asked as she looked pointedly at them. "Anything exciting happen?"
"Mother! Could you let us get in the door?"
"Amanda King, did something special happen or not?"
"Well, Mother-since you apparently already know- this may seem rather sudden, but…"
"Oh, my gosh, you said yes!" Dotty exclaimed as she cut off Amanda off as her eyes caught a gleaming sparkle from Amanda's left hand as she saw the engagement ring. "I am so glad. I was really starting to worry there for a moment that you just might say no. But then I told the boys, well, your mother loves Lee and that you wouldn't say no."
"Yay!" The boys said in unison, as they got up to look.
"Duffus, I told you mom would say yes!" Philip bellowed.
"No, I said she would say yes!" Jaimie reiterated.
"I see that you had some help from my boys as well," Amanda said as she turned to look at Lee.
"Mom, don't be angry with Lee," Philip began.
"He just wanted to know how we would feel if he was our stepdad." Jamie interjected.
"I'm not mad—a little surprised that my family has been keeping secrets—but not mad."
"This definitely calls for a celebration." Dotty exclaimed.
"Exactly what Lee and I were thinking, pizza as a way to celebrate!"
"Yay!" Exclaimed Jamie.
"Boy!" Shouted Philip.
"Amanda, you will have to tell us all about it, how Lee proposed. Boys, go get your hair combed." Dotty said.
Lee smiled to himself as he watched the commotion that was his soon to be family.
"Mother, settle down…"
The doorbell rang.
The boys stopped in mid steps at the bottom of the stairs, at the sound of the doorbell.
Amanda and Dotty looked around at each other. "Were you expecting someone?" Amanda asked.
"No!" Dotty replied back.
"I'll get it!" Amanda said and walked over to the front door.
Amanda opened the door with a start as she found Joe standing there with an indescribable look upon his face.