She Can And She Did
Chapter 30
After silently praying that nothing bad would happen from Lee's phone conversation with her mother, Amanda went to the boys' room to see how they were.
She knocked, and Phillip said, "C'mon in, Mom."
Amanda, coming in, and closing the door. puzzledly asked, "How did you know it was me?"
Phillip, giving his mother a strange look, answered, "Because Grandma already checked on us, and yes, we're done our homework."
Amanda shrugged replying, "Oh, yeah, sorry. My mind is elsewhere, Honey."
Jamie then queried, "Mom? Why is Grandma yelling on the phone?"
Amanda winced slightly, and sighed stating, "Well, Sweetie...B-Because Lee and I had words this morning, and it started again when he just called, and so Grandma thought she could make things better by trying to reason with him. She's not trying to yell, but she's a bit frustrated, thinking that he doesn't understand some things about the wedding planning. But I don't want you guys to worry, okay? There's just a lot we have to talk about and do before Lee and I get married."
Jamie went to lay on his bed, saying, "What's that gonna be like?"
Phillip sighed responding to Jamie, "It's like having Dad here, only it's gonna be Lee. You get it?"
Jamie, annoyed, commented, "I was asking Mom, Dweeb! Why do you always have to be a know-it-all?"
Phillip retorted, "Well, maybe if you used that noodle head of yours, Doofus, then you'd-"
When Jamie then hopped off the bed to lunge at Phillip, Amanda got between them, and replied firmly, "Stop it, both of you! Now, sit down, and let's have a talk here..."
They each sat on the floor in a semi circle, and Amanda taking both of the boys' hands, stated with a sigh, "Fellas, there is going to be some changes here and we'll have some compromises to make, but it'll be wonderful, too."
Phillip remarked, "Like more help in the yard...And drag racing."
Amanda perplexed, asked, "D-Drag racing?"
Jamie smiled, remarking, "Yeah, Mom...We've seen his cool car! It'll be awsome when he takes us to the track to race around!"
Amanda, thinking of the Agency cases that she and Lee had been on, giggled, answering, "W-Well, it is a nice car, but he won't be doing any of that, I promise you...No, he will be here to love us, and share responsibilities, and support us in everything from now on, and we'll be there for him too."
Jamie then queried, "Think he's scared, Mom?"
Amanda smirked responding, "Of me, no...But you two crazy ones? Definitely-"
Then as Phillip and Jamie chimed, "Aw, Mom!", Amanda, mocking them, stating, "Aw, Mom!", pulled them into a bear hug, making all three of them squeal, and as they calmed down, Amanda sighed, commenting, " Okay, listen...The main thing here is that we will all be adjusting, and will take time and patience, alright? And believe me, we will still have our family meetings to decide stuff if anything important comes up...Now, any questions, or are we good here?"
Jamie asked, "What about Dad? Are you telling him about Lee?"
Phillip commented, "Think he knows already, Jamie. Otherwise, Mom wouldn't be getting married, right, Mom?"
Amanda shook her head, replying, "Yes, I will be talking to your father, and at some point, Lee will meet your dad, but I certainly don't need his approval or permission for that. You see, when you get a divorce, you've already decided to lead separate lives. We're united as far as you two boys are concerned, but everything else is up to me, alright?"
Jamie then queried, "Are we gonna move when you get married? I like this house."
Phillip sighed answering, "Me, too, Mom...Hey! Maybe we can redo the attic so I can have my own room-"
Jamie countered with, "Why should you get to pick? Anyway, what about the den?"
Amanda, with a sigh, interrupted, stating with a smirk, "Here's my idea...How about you both live in the cellar, so Grandma and I have peace and quiet from all your arguing?"
The boys immediately shouted, "NO!", as they playfully tackled her, and the three laughed together, enjoying the moment...
-SMK-
Meanwhile, Dotty, calmer now, was still on the phone with Lee, and began telling him what wedding planning entails, stating, "Now, Lee, it's not just about men planning the honeymoon, but it's about the two of you, and what this day really means..."
Lee sighed, and rolled his eyes upward, thinking, I love Amanda, and I'm glad I proposed, but boy, am I sorry I went off on her, because now I'm getting the lecture of my life!
Clearing his throat, he commented calmly, "Alright, Dotty...Maybe after this talk, you'd like to perhaps help with the preparations, since I've never really technically done this before-"
Dotty asked puzzledly, "What do you mean, "technically"? What other way is there to marry someone? Are you perhaps telling me you've been married before? I mean, Amanda, of course has, but still...Please explain yourself before we continue, Lee."
Lee groaned inwardly thinking, Damn! Stetson, you'd better come up with something fast, or Dotty's liable to put the kabosh on this whole thing, and you'll break Amanda's heart for sure!
Lee stated quickly, "W-Well, um, you see, IFF does documentary films, and one time, Amanda and I were asked to do one on cruises, so we put everything for a ceremony on paper- made up names, and so forth, but when it got time to air the film, we found out that another company had done the same kind of thing, so our project was scrapped...So, what was it you said to me about Amanda's dad? That he thought it would be a simple thing as well?"
Dotty sighed thinking, Of course...Another man I have to "walk" things through to!
Continuing, she stated, "Yes, Lee...Now, I know you've just proposed to my daughter, and you haven't thought about where or when to get married, but it doesn't matter what church you use, they will all be insisting that you book it far in advance, because of the volume of weddings they hold every year, and then of course, you have a meeting with the priest, to discuss the ceremony and-"
Lee, who had by this time, gotten a piece of paper out, and was writing things down, including courthouses, and judges, who were available the soonest, stopped Dotty, upon hearing about a meeting, and asked, "Ho-Hold it! Meeting? I'm not booking a restaurant or hotel, Dotty! I'm just getting married!"
With that, Dotty laughed amusedly, answering, "L-Lee! It's not a sentence that's being handed down, you're having a wedding, and it's going to be as beautiful as you and Amanda want it. And isn't that what this conversation is all about?"
The initial throbbing in Lee's head that started when Dotty first began talking to him, was getting worse, as he said, "Of course it is. I'm sorry if I seem a bit too confused right now...Um, Could-could you hold on for a moment, please? I have to find an aspirin..."
Dotty answered, "Of course, Dear. Go right ahead."
Lee said, "Thank you", and putting the phone down, muttered as he went to the bathroom to go get aspirin, "I never met your dad, Amanda, but now I think I get what he had to endure all those years! Whew..."
Dotty, waiting patiently, chuckled, responding, "You think this is hard, Lee? Wait until you and Amanda talk about having a child...You really won't know what hit you then..."
It was a few months later that Lee and Amanda officially married, and Lee had moved into the house soon after their honeymoon one weekend.
As the family sat around the dinner table that Sunday evening, Phillip asked, "Hey, Lee? Where's all your stuff? I mean, you just had clothes and your recliner here?"
Finishing a bite of the stew and swallowing, Lee took a sip of his drink, and answered, "Well, Chief. I have most of my things in storage because my apartment was small, but as soon as your mom and I have some time later, we can all talk about a bigger place for this family...What do you think?"
Phillip nudged Jamie, remarking, "Yeah! Maybe we can get a TV in each of our bedrooms like the Lombardos have!"
Jamie piped up, "And one of those windows that stick out with a bench, too!"
Looking at Dotty, Jamie asked, "What are they called, Grandma?"
Dotty answered quickly, "Bay windows, Dear, and yes, they are nice!"
Then looking at Amanda, "I have some magazines we can look through when you have time, Darling..."
Lee, knowing what was coming next, glared at the boys, stating tersely, "See what you started, Fellas?! Here we go again!"
Then as the family all started to talk over one another, Lee, ignoring Amanda's attempts to calm him down, as she said, "D-Don't worry, Sweetheart, I'll keep it simple for us," and her comforting pat on his arm, got up from the table, querying, "Where's the aspirin?!"
As he found the aspirin, and downed two of them, he swallowed the water, and surveyed the family before him as they continued to argue over details of house hunting, Lee realized at that moment that he was truly lucky to have found this woman to spend the rest of his life with, and whatever the future held for them, he wouldn't have it any other way...
The End
