Lee Vs. Dotty

Chapter 2

As Amanda and the boys came into the house with the groceries, heading to the kitchen, Dotty stated crisply, " Thank goodness you're home! I never met a more stubborn man than your husband! I simply inquired about the higher price for the cable when-"

Amanda, putting the bags she had down on the kitchen counter, followed by the boys doing the same, put up a hand replying, "Just-Just a minute, Mother."

Getting her wallet out, she said, giving Phillip a $10.00 bill, "I forgot Grandma's magazine, "Woman's Day". Can you please go back to the store and get it for her? Also, why don't you and Jamie go to that ice cream shop around the corner, and then to the park for a while, but please don't lose the magazine, okay? Can you guys do that for me?"

Phillip and Jamie nodded with a smile, and as they were heading for the door, Amanda stated quickly, "Wait! You each get a single scoop cone only! And please bring back the change, alright? Now, give me a hug..."

As they hugged her, Jamie said quietly, "It's okay, Mom. We know you wanna ream Grandma out for yelling at Lee-"

Amanda shushed him, and while also looking at Phillip answered, "I'm not reaming her out, as you put it, Honey...We're just going to have a calm discussion about our new adjustments here. Now scoot..."

The boys nodded and yelled, "Bye, Grandma," and they headed out the front door, with Amanda closing it behind them.

Heading back to the kitchen, Amanda stated, " Okay, Mother, let's get these groceries put away and then have a talk, huh?"

Dotty leaned against the counter, her arms crossed, and an impatient look on her face as she answered, "So, you're taking his side in this misunderstanding?"

Amanda sighed and coming to stand across from her replied, "I'm not taking anyone's side, and I'm not sure it was a simple misunderstanding, alright?"

But soon after starting on getting the groceries put away, Dotty went on by saying, "I'm telling you that it was! Anyway, I don't understand why he wants a sports channel. I mean, don't they have enough on the regular channels on the weekend? Oh, and then he wanted to know why I like the movie channel on the basic package? He said, "The boys and I aren't gonna watch that many. Besides, they don't know the older movies, anyway, and then he talked about the gaming system that he's hooking up for the boys. I mean, when does it end?"

Amanda then glared at Dotty, shook her head and commented quickly, "Mother! Stop! I just put the tomato paste on the same shelf as the boys' cereal, and the spaghetti noodles with the chicken broth! Now, please stop until we're done, alright? I can't concentrate, and another thing...I will not have you malign my husband, and I won't have him maligning you either! I swear, before this weekend is out, we will figure out a compromise here! Now, let's finish this today, please?"

-SMK-

Lee meanwhile, drove to Georgetown, to the old apartment. Getting off the elevator in the building on the 3rd floor, he reached his place, and unlocking the door, went inside.

He threw the Jeep keys on the coffee table, and switched on the TV as he settled himself on the couch.

At least Amanda agreed to let him keep the place and the furniture, but shaking his head, he realized it was for his own benefit, really. This whole marriage business was hard to adapt to, and even Amanda at times could tell when he'd had enough.

Shaking his head again a moment later, he suddenly felt like he was in the wrong...But why? He had rights there in that house since he moved in, didn't he?

He scoffed thinking about the house...Amanda's house...It was nice, sure, but aside from being a bit too small for his liking, it was the house she shared with her ex-husband, Joe King long ago.

It was far too soon to be asking her to think about moving to a new place, but he thought about maybe some place in Rockville. And from what he had scoped out on a map a week ago, the route he paid attention to was a stone's throw away from the Agency, and closer to this apartment.

Sighing as he flipped channels to find something, anything to get his mind off of his current problem, but then switched off the TV in frustration.

Getting up from the couch, he went to the refrigerator, feeling a bit hungry, since he hadn't eaten a thing since dinner the night before.

Opening the fridge, he saw the leftover Chinese food from work the other day, and some leftover pot roast, and as he scanned the rest of the shelves, his eyes rested on the carton of low fat milk that Amanda had bought two days before stating to him then, " Sorry Sweetheart, but they were out of the creamer you like..."

Giving up, he shut the fridge door stating, "You have to know where to shop, Honey..."

Deciding on a plan, he grabbed the Jeep keys, and headed out the door...

-SMK-

Phillip and Jamie were at that point at the ice cream shop, enjoying their cones outside on the bench there, and as they ate them, Jamie asked, "Phillip? How bad could this get? I mean, what if Lee decides to leave-"

Phillip stopped licking his cone as he stared at his brother and shaking his head remarked, cutting him off, "No, Doofus! He and Grandma are just mad right now! It's nothing to move out for!"

Jamie, finishing his cone, wiped his mouth with the napkin and throwing it away in the nearby trash can, saying, "Yeah, but look what happened to Mom and Dad. You said they were just mad too back when they were together, and-"

Phillip, not wanting to finish his cone, got up from the bench to throw it and his napkin away, answering, "Okay! Look, I don't feel like going to the park after all, do you?"

Jamie shook his head, remaking, "No."

Phillip replied, "Alright. Do you have the magazine, and the change?"

Jamie commented, "Yeah. So what are we gonna do?"

Phillip stated with a gesture, "Let's go grab the bus, and head over to Lee's place. He'll tell us what's going on for sure...C'mon..."

But Jamie, getting up from the bench asked as he followed Phillip down the street, "But what if he says not to worry?"

Phillip stopped to face Jamie and commented, "Look, Lee's an adult, but he's always been pretty straight with us. He won't try to cover anything up. Now, let's go!"

The boys raced down the street as the bus was pulling up, and made it in time to get on and pay the fare as it was headed for Georgetown...

TBC