She Can And She Did

Chapter 21

After two more days, Lee was finally out of the hospital, and going back to the hotel, he stated to Amanda in the cab that morning, "Now, we can just go get our gear, and go home-"

But Amanda shook her head responding, "Didn't you hear the doctor? He said he wants you to take it easy-"

Lee retorted, "Which I can do at home! So, here's the plan...We return to the hotel, I call the airline, we get home, you go to your home-"

Amanda sighed answering, "And you return to work?"

Lee nodded commenting, "Yes, because I have a job-"

Seeing the chastened look on Amanda's face, he remarked gently, "And yes, you have a job too, but your family needs to see you...Look, I swear, I'll relax when I'm done work for the day, alright?"

Knowing it was useless to argue with him, Amanda agreed, and caught a cab to go home from Dulles.

Meanwhile, upon returning to work from the airport, Lee was told by Billy, "You can just go home and relax for a couple more days-"

Lee scowling, answered, "Aw, c'mon, Billy! I'm fine!"

But Billy showed him a fax, stating, "This is from your doctor in NY...He released you on the condition that you would relax for two more days, after which, you will have a follow up with Scardelli...Dismissed!"

Lee, feeling defeated, went home, and upon arriving, saw Amanda at his door!

Lee asked as he unlocked his door, and they went in, "What are you doing here? What about being home with your family?"

Amanda sighed commenting, "Termites-'

Lee bewildered, queried, "Termites?"

Amanda nodded, adding, "Yes, it's a real situation... House is tented...Mother and the boys are at Aunt Lillian's, where I found they all caught the flu, and Aunt Edna went to take care of them, but she insisted that I stay away until it was gone, and before I left, Aunt Lillian was crying because she and Mother were already arguing, so I came here to-"

Lee chuckled responding, "Hide?"

Amanda asked meekly, "Do you mind awfully?"

Lee, with a gesture, answered, " Eh..."Mi casa es su casa"...My house is yours..."

Amanda remarked, "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

And as they sat together on the couch, the two started laughing, with Lee answering, as he wiped his eyes, "Y-You, who can handle just about anything, are afraid of your own family?"

Amanda giggled, commenting, "Well, when Mother and Aunt Lillian go at it, it's a literal free- for- all! You-You should see them at hoildays-Whew!"

They continued laughing, with Lee adding, "Add my uncle to that mess, and it would be almost like a World War Three-"

Amanda gulped amusedly, stating, "Because they all would insist they're right!"

Then, rising from the couch, she answered recovering from laughing, "Okay, so I need your car keys, please-"

Lee asked, "Why?"

Amanda replied, "Because I have to get our bags from our cars...Hand them over, please."

With a sigh, Lee stated, "You really don't have to. I'll get my bag later, and just go through what I need, and take my dirty stuff to the cleaners, but thanks, anyway."

Amanda replied, not moving, "Look, to save money and time, we'll use the old washer and dryer system...Your keys, please?"

Lee, handing her his car keys, commented jokingly, "As long as you're heading out, check my gas, will ya? Think I'm almost at half a tank..."

Amanda fired back with a smirk, "Well, you won't need to head out for a few days, so you should be fine. I understand the grocery store you live near you can actually walk to...See you in a minute."

As she left, Lee grumbled, "Oh, yeah! This will be a blast with her around!"

-SMK-

It was almost a week until everything went back to normal, and Amanda returned to her home after picking up her family from Aunt Lillian's.

Coming into the house, Amanda stated, "Okay, I want all your dirty laundry brought to the laundry room after you unpack, and I'll get things started here, alright?"

Phillip looking at his mother asked, "Why do you always look at us when you say that, Mom?"

Amanda, tweaking her son's nose, answered, "Because Grandma usually doesn't have the dirty stuff you both collect...Now, march..."

As the boys headed upstairs groaning, Dotty queried to Amanda, "And just where did you stay, Missy? You could've stayed with us at Aunt Lillian's-"

Amanda sighed responding, "Mother, you know Aunt Edna was worried that I would catch it too! Anyway, I was at Lee's place-"

When Dotty raised an eyebrow, Amanda put up a hand stating, "I stayed in his room, he bunked on the couch...He insisted."

Dotty nodded, querying, "I see...So, nothing...happened?"

Amanda, thinking of a cover story, shook her head, commenting, "C'mon, Mother! He and I are friends, and he didn't want me to waste money on a hotel room-"

Dotty said carefully, "But you were in New York before that-"

Amanda stated, "My boss brought me then because he knew I was concerned when Lee got hurt at the location site...Anyway, they put me up at a hotel near the hospital, so I could check on him while my boss had to return to D.C."

Dotty shrugged commenting, "Oh, alright...But I assume Lee's feeling better?"

Amanda nodded, remarking, "Yes, he's back at work now. Why?"

Dotty replied, "Well, we had discussed Lee coming for dinner, and-"

Amanda shook her head as she went to the fridge, and upon opening it, made a pained face, answering, "Ooh! We have to clean this out, Mother! The freezer too! I'm sure there's a lot in here we should get rid of!"

Just then, Phillip came down with the boys' hamper, saying, "Here's our stuff, Mom! Where do you want it?"

Amanda quipped, "How about the back yard?"

Phillip gave his mother an odd look, asking, "Huh?"

Amanda gestured, "It was a joke! You know where to put that, Phillip...Go, please."

Dotty, watching her grandson go to the laundry room, put up a hand, stating, "Alright! Phillip, when you're finished there, please go get your brother, and he can help you and your mother clean out the fridge and freezer, while I start the laundry, and then we can take a trip to the grocery to restock the house..."

After a few hours, the family had finished putting things to right in the house, and got only what they needed for the rest of the week at the store, and returning home, unloaded the groceries.

Amanda remarked to her sons as they sat having a snack, "Thank you, Boys, for being so helpful today. Grandma and I really appreciate it."

Jamie said, "You're welcome, Mom...But is it okay if Phillip and I go to the park for a while now?"

Amanda, looking at her watch, and nodded, responding, "Sure, but not too long, huh? It'll be supper before you know it..."

Both boys jumped up, and kissing Amanda, rushed out of the house, yelling as they slammed the door, "Thanks, Mom!"

Dotty cringed, hearing the slam as she asked, "I thought you told them about not slamming that door?"

Amanda shrugged saying, "I did, and so did you, but I guess we have to keep reminding them..."

Dotty nodded, then queried, "Speaking of supper, how about hoagies? We bought that potato salad-Wait...Does Lee even like potato salad?"

Amanda sighed, and putting up her hand, answered, "Subtle hint received, Mother...Let me call him now about joining us tonight..."

She dialed the IFF extension and he picked up answering, "Stetson."

Amanda replied, "Hi. Are you busy tonight?"

Lee remarked, "No, not really. Why?"

Amanda stated, "Well, I meant to ask you about having dinner over at my place weeks ago, but never got around to it...Now, I understand if you have plans for tonight, seeing as it's short notice and all-"

Lee responded, "What can I bring?"

With surprise, Amanda queried, "Really? I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot, but-"

Lee chuckled answering, "A-man-da! I'll come! But what can I bring, and what time?"

Amanda replied, "Nothing. Mother and I went to the store this morning, and is 6:30 okay?"

Lee commented, "See you then."

They hung up, and Amanda stated to Dotty, "I told him 6:30...Anything else we need to do here?"

Dotty sighed, answering, "No, but why do you suddenly make me feel as if I pressured you into doing something you don't want to do?"

Amanda walked with Dotty to the laundry room responding, "You haven't. I called Lee, and invited him for dinner. He'll get to know you, and the boys, but Mother...He and I have an awful lot to talk about here, before any future is discussed, alright? Let's just enjoy tonight, and see where it goes from there, hmm?"

Dotty, shaking her head at Amanda as they began sorting the rest of the laundry Jamie had brought down earlier, queried, "What's different about this man that I haven't already seen from Joe and Dean? He can't be that much different from those two?"

Amanda chuckled lightly, answering softly, "Oh, Mother...Let me try to explain Lee Stetson to you by first of all saying that he's different from any man I've ever known before..."

TBC