She Can And She Did

Chapter 26

Lee had just seen Amanda's hair as she opened her bedroom door, and asked incredulously, "What-What did you do to your hair, and why?"

She let him in, and closing the door, went to her purse, and pulled out a magazine clipping of a woman's hairstyle which looked to be an almost honey brown color, and gulping, showed Lee the picture, stating embarrassedly, "W-Well, I-I was thinking how I'd look with that color, and wanted to try it, so I made an appointment with Mr. Emelio and Mother went with me, and it was fine when we started the treatment, b-but Mr. Emelio got dis-distracted, and left my treatment in too long, and n-now, look at me! I'm hideous!"

Her hair, Lee noticed to his utter dismay, was a mixture of darker brown and reddish hues, the red leaning towards a bold orange look!

Amanda sat on her bed, and dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, commented, "He-He told me that I couldn't try to dye it again for at least 4 weeks, because it would just make it worse! What'll I do until then?!"

Lee, shaking his head as he lowered it, stated slowly, "You're-You're not hideous! It was an accid-"

He chuckled, and then as Amanda stared at Lee, he was overcome by full blown laughter, which made Amanda angry, and dismayed, she yelled as she gestured to her head, "Why are you laughing, Mister?! I can't go anywhere looking like this!"

There was a knock at the door then, and Lee cleared his throat, trying to compose himself, answered with a hand up, "Ca-Calm down, alright? We-We'll figure out something...", while Amanda, panicking, went to quickly put a towel around her head to cover the mishap, and then asked, "Who is it?"

The door opened, and it was Dotty, who came in, closing the door, and responded, "Just me, Darling...Listen, I spoke to Mr. Emelio, who feels just awful about what happened, and has waived the treatment cost for today, but he reminded me that it can be dyed out in a few weeks-"

Amanda, swallowing hard, shrugged and answered, "Great! Does he offer a deal on wigs?"

Dotty, perplexed, asked, "Wigs?"

Amanda pointing to her head, remarked tersely, "Wigs, Mother! You know, to cover unsightly hair!"

There was another knock at the door, and Amanda queried distractedly, "Who is it?"

Jamie stated, "It's me, Mom. Is Lee still here?"

Lee sighed and put up a hand to Amanda, remarked, "Yeah, Sport. I'm coming right now..."

Going to Amanda, he put his arms around her, and giving her a tender kiss, answered softly with a gesture, "I'm truly sorry for laughing, Honey... I love everything about you, so when you do get this fixed, please don't ever change it again, okay?"

Amanda nodded remarking sadly, " Al-Alright...I love you, too."

Lee, giving Amanda a final look, sighed and left the room, and Amanda, asked Dotty with a gesture, "What's all that about with Jamie?"

Dotty carefully answering, "Well, you see, Dear-"

Just then there was another knock on the door, and Amanda remarked, "Come in."

It was Phillip, and seeing his peaked look, Amanda went to him asking, "Sweetie, are you all right?"

Phillip shook his head stating, "No, but I will be tomorrow, I guess. See, I kinda overdid it at the Dominion today with junk food and all...That's why Lee and Jamie are cleaning up the back seat of the car...I kinda puked all over it, and well-"

Amanda sighed as she hugged Phillip answering, "Oh, my goodness...Well, why don't we get you something to settle-"

Dotty responded, "I gave him bicarbonate when he got home, and I sent him to go lay down."

Looking at Phillip, Dotty queried gently, "Honey, go on back to bed for a while, okay? We'll check on you in a few hours..."

Phillip nodded saying, "Okay, Grandma."

Then looking at Amanda, he said, "Sorry about messing the car up, Mom."

Amanda shook her head stating as she kissed his cheek, "Don't you worry about it, Sweetheart...But this taught you a good lesson, didn't it?"

Phillip sighed, answering with a nod, "Y-Yeah, it sure did...", and left the room.

Dotty, looking at Amanda, said, "Okay, he's been taken care of...Now, what about you?"

Amanda shrugged asking, "What about me?"

Dotty commented, "My seemingly well-adjusted daughter suddenly decides to change her hair color, which I still can't figure out-"

Amanda sighed answering, "Oh, Mother-"

Dotty, shaking her head, stated firmly with a hand up, "Don't "Oh, Mother" me! Do you know what your daddy said the day you were born?"

Amanda chuckled, "Yeah, he told me one time that babies were expensive, but you got a deal with me, so it was all worth it..."

Dotty smiled at the memory of her late husband's words, and giggled responding, "Yes, Darling, it was all worth it, no matter what the price...But he said something else, too."

Amanda puzzled, queried, "What did he say, Mother?"

Dotty swallowed hard as she answered, "He went to visit you at the nursery after I had fallen asleep. A nurse told me this later...He said to her, "I swear, this is the most beautiful baby in the world, and I am so proud to be her daddy..."

Amanda gulped as she went to Dotty's arms and cried, replying, "Oh, Mother, that's beautiful!"

Dotty hugging her daughter in return, commented, "Yes, and so are you, and don't you dare forget it, hmm?"

Stepping back from one another, they each grabbed a tissue, and blowing their noses, sighed, and Amanda queried, "Well, what do I do now?"

Dotty remarked with a gesture, "Why don't you go try washing the stuff out with your shampoo, and see if that will help any..."

-SMK-

Another half hour after, Amanda emerged from her bathroom, and Dotty, examining Amanda's hair, shook her head answering softly, "Well, the orange isn't as bold as before, but the red is still there, so, if you still want to get a wig, we can-"

But Amanda shook her head remarking tiredly, "No. I thought it over, and decided that will just be another expense, so I'll just live with it."

Dotty asked, "Are you sure, Dear? What will you tell the boys?"

Amanda sighed and shrugged lightly, replying as she looked at her watch, "The truth. I wanted something different and it didn't work...Okay, let's go down and see what we can fix for dinner..."

Later, as Amanda, Lee, Jamie, and Dotty sat at the dinner table with hot dogs and beans-except for Lee, who had potato salad with his hot dogs- there was silence mostly, but then Jamie, who kept staring at his mother's hair, finally piped up, "Excuse me, but I can't take it any more! I know it's not polite, Mom, but what the heck happened to your hair?"

And as Dotty and Lee both tried to stop Jamie's questioning, Amanda put up her hand, stating to the two adults, "It's alright..."

Then looking at Jamie, she said, "Well, Sweetheart, I tried to get my hair colored a different way today for a change, but by accident, the stylist left the solution in too long, so it turned out this way. Now, I did try washing it out with my regular shampoo, but it didn't work too well, so I have to just wait a few weeks until I can get my natural color back in. Do you understand?"

Jamie shrugged answering, "I guess, but Phillip and me like your hair the way it is. I mean, you wouldn't look like our mom then, you know?"

Amanda swallowed hard, and gestured, replying, "C'mere, Jamie..."

Jamie went to Amanda, and she hugged him stating, "Thank you! You all just made my day by trying to make me feel better about this."

Pulling back from his mother for a moment, Jamie asked glancing at his grandmother and Lee, "You mean, they thought it was weird, too?"

Amanda, gesturing towards Lee, responded, "Well, he laughed," and Lee immediately protested, "I-I was just surprised-", and shaking her head, continued, saying," But your grandmother was sympathetic, and also reminded me that, along with her, your late Grandpa West also thought I was beautiful just the way I was... Anyway, we're now all in agreement here that my hair should stay the way it was from now on, okay?"

Jamie nodded and went back to sit down and finish his dinner, while Amanda got up from the table answering, "Well, let me go check on Phillip...I'll be back..."

As she left, Jamie, looking over at Lee's plate, queried, "Hey, Lee? How come you don't like beans?"

Lee sighed as he shook his head, noticing Dotty's piqued interest also, commenting, "Story for another time, Pal...Story for another time..."

Amanda went upstairs and knocked on the boys' bedroom door, asking, "Phillip? Are you awake, Sweetie?"

Phillip answered, "Yeah, Mom, come in..."

As Amanda entered, Phillip saw his mother's hair and taken aback, gulped, asking with a gesture, "Uh, Mom? What's up with-"

Amanda sighed, answering as she came to sit on the edge of his bed, "I tried a different hair color, and it went askew-"

Phillip raised an eyebrow querying, "Huh?"

Amanda cupped her son's cheek stating, "I'll be back to my brown color in a few weeks, end of story...Now, how are you feeling, Honey? Do you think you could try some dry toast and ginger ale now?"

Phillip thought carefully, "Maybe just the ginger ale, okay?"

Amanda kissed him responding, "You got it, Sweetheart..."

There was a tap on the door, and Amanda turned to see Lee, who queried to Phillip, "Hey, Champ? How are you feeling?"

Phillip shrugged answering, "Little better, but not by much. Is the car usable again?"

Lee chuckled answering, "Ah, Jamie and I scrubbed until we were raw, but it could use some more airing out as well."

Amanda remarked, "Well, I'll take it to the service station on Monday and have it detailed-"

Lee replied in an aside, "Or I could take it to one of our IFF garage mechanics tonight so it's ready for you by then."

Amanda answered, shaking her head, "I can't have Rhonda doing that-"

Lee, clearing his throat, commented quietly with a wink to Amanda, "Hey, she can handle it. She's seen and done a lot worse with us, you know?"

Phillip asked then, "Mom? Why can't a girl do a car job? That sounds cool."

Amanda, surprised by Phillip's question, covered by getting up stating, "Uh, Sweetheart? I'll have Grandma bring up your drink, but Lee has to go now. Right, Lee?"

Lee quickly answered, "Uh, yeah...Sorry, Pal. I'll stop by tomorrow to see you guys. Take it easy, huh?"

Phillip yawned then and commented, "Sure, Lee. Thanks again for taking us today. It was fun. Good night..."

-SMK-

As Amanda and Lee walked out to the driveway, she sighed stating, "Well, that was an interesting day..."

Stopping at her car as she handed Lee the keys, she shrugged answering, "So, you probably have had enough at this point, which I totally understand-"

Lee bewildered, asked, "Why? Because of today?"

Amanda queried, "You mean, you don't mind any of this?"

Lee sighed replying, "Would I be here if I did? "

Amanda shrugged commenting,"No, I guess not, but having me go off the sane rail for a bit probably threw you, huh?"

Lee shrugged answering, "Well, you've never lost your self confidence before. What was all that about anyway?"

Amanda shook her head commenting quickly, "Oh, look! I was just feeling like a change, that's all. Haven't you ever thought about something different for yourself?"

Lee stated with a light shrug, "Sure...When I was a senior in high school, I thought about a mustache or a beard."

Amanda, eyeing him warily queried, "To impress a girl, right?"

Lee sighed remarking, "Yeah. A girl I went out with liked the Clark Gable look."

Amanda smirked, asking, "So, what happened?"

Lee answered, "The Colonel...I spent a few weeks trying to grow the mustache, but he told me flat out, shave it off, or you'll get a buzz cut."

Amanda giggled stating, "Ooh..."

Pulling her close then, Lee asked, "So, tell me the truth...Would you like me in a beard or mustache?"

Amanda slowly responded, shaking her head, "Neither..."

Lee, seeing something in her eyes queried softly, "But?"

Amanda, with a tilt of her head answered, "Well, after we do stakeout for a few days, you get this shadow look-"

Lee, grinning, asked, "Ah, the "Five o'clock shadow" look? You like that, huh?"

Amanda shyly nodded saying, "It's kind of...sexy..."

Lee smiled commenting, "Really? Well, maybe I'll try it again soon-"

Amanda responded quickly, "Not all the time, though, okay?"

Lee kissed her and getting into Amanda's car, and starting it, said, "Okay...I'll get this back to you by tomorrow night...I love you."

Amanda remarked softly, "I love you, too. Good night."

With a wave as he pulled out of her driveway, Lee was off, thinking, Maybe now, we can get back to normal here...

Meanwhile, Amanda, going back into her house for the night, thought, I should've known he wouldn't want me any other way...

TBC