Oh My Gosh

Chapter 22

That evening, Lee arrived at Amanda's for dinner, and Dotty, letting him in, stated, "I hope you know what you're doing, Dear. I had to think of something inventive just now to get her finger measured."

Lee smiled, answering, "Knowing you, the explanation was perfect! What did you wind up saying?"

Dotty chuckled, "That she had the exact size I did when I was pregnant with her, and that I thought she'd look even more beautiful with a new dress and cocktail ring...Too much?"

Lee shook his head as he hugged her, commenting, "No, no! That's great! As long as she bought it."

Dotty nodded, saying, "Yes, but I don't know how long I can keep this up...Just exactly what are you up to?"

Lee responded, "Something terrific, I promise! Where are the boys, and is their homework done?"

Dotty smirked, commenting, "Upstairs, and yes it is. Do you need to talk to them?"

Lee answered, "No, I need to borrow them, and I promise we'll be back in time to have dinner...I have a couple of stops to make, and I need their help."

Dotty, with a wry grin, replied, "All right, but let me make some notes for you when looking for the perfect dress, and shoes to match, hmm?"

Lee, with a bewildered expression, asked, "How did you...Ah, never mind."

Dotty chuckled, then called up, "Phillip and Jamie! Come down here, please!"

A moment later, they came down and Phillip queried, "What's up, Grandma?"

Dotty remarked to Phillip, "Just a minute, Dear...Lee? Let me get what you need written down..."

He watched her hurry back to the kitchen counter to get her scratch pad, and Jamie asked, "Are we going for groceries? We already have dinner ready-"

Lee shook his head remarking, "No, Jamie...You and Phillip are coming with me on a little errand, but we will be back here in time to eat with your mom and grandma, okay?"

Dotty came back to the foyer as the boys were getting their jackets on, and handing Lee the paper with instructions on it, and Amanda's car keys, answered, "Here you are, Dear. Good luck...Boys? Please behave for Lee, alright?"

Phillip sighed replying, "Yeah, Grandma, we will. Don't worry."

Jamie queried, "Why are we taking Mom's car, Lee?"

Lee stated with a wink, "Because my "Vette is a two-seater...Unless you want to sit on Phillip's lap?"

Jamie groaned, answering as he made a face, "Never mind!"

Lee chuckling, gave Dotty a kiss on the cheek replying, "Thank you, and we'll see you in a bit!"

-SMK-

As the three made their way out of Maplewood Drive, Jamie asked, "Wait...Won't Mom be mad when she finds out we're out on a school night?"

Phillip groaned, saying, "No, because it's a surprise for her, get it?"

Jamie shrugged answering, "I know, but she was in a mood when we got home, remember?"

Lee, clearing his throat when they made the turn on the beltway, remarked frankly, "Fellas? Your mom is going to have a baby, and there's a lot of feelings mixed up in all that moodiness...Some days, she'll feel great, and other days, she'll feel like no one cares, or that she's bigger than she really is, or she'll turn on you at the drop of a hat for you just saying hello, or how are you, get it?"

Phillip snorted, responding with a shake of his head, "Well, I'm not getting married! Who needs all that? There's girls in school now that are acting weird! Like, I was saying to Becky Hill in Geometry that I liked her scarf with the skirt she was wearing, and she told me I had no taste, and to stop bothering her! She's a real flake!"

Lee, stopping at a red light, chuckled, remarking, "Welcome to the world of hormones, Chief! But not all females have pregnancy hormones, some are just harder to figure out, okay?"

Jamie replied, "Oh, like there's baby hormones, and period hormones...Got it. But how do you know what to say to them so they don't get mad?"

Lee laughed as the light turned green and he moved forward, continuing to drive, commenting, "Well, you don't actually, Ace... See, I have friends at work who are married, or have girlfriends, but they're confused as well. You have to just try to pay attention and be extra nice and help them when you can..."

Coming into Georgetown, Lee pulled into a bank, and parking, stated, "Okay, Guys? Sit tight. I'll be right out, alright?"

They answered, "Sure, Lee."

When Lee left the car and headed into the bank, Jamie asked Phillip, "So, Lee's gonna marry Mom even if she acts squirrely sometimes?"

Phillip nodded, answering, "Yeah, because he loves her, get it?"

Jamie shook his head replying, "Well, you do whatever you want when you get older, but I'm not doing all that junk."

Phillip jeered at him, "Oh, right! Like anyone would wanna look at you-"

Jamie shoving him, said, "You're such a dweeb!"

They stopped tusseling for a moment as Phillip answered, "Wait! Jamie, look! Out the window!"

The two boys looked out the back window of the Wagoneer as they spotted Lee coming out of the bank a few minutes later with a small bag, and beside him walking with him was the Colonel!

Then, seeing the two share a manly hug, and a handshake as they parted, Jamie asked, "I thought Lee said he and his uncle didn't get along?"

Phillip shrugged, and nudged Jamie to get settled again with their seat belts as Lee got into the driver's seat once more.

With a sigh, and clearing his throat, Lee replied, "Alright, Fellas...I want to show you why we had to make this detour..."

-SMK-

The boys leaned forward from the back seat as Lee pulled out a box from the bag he had carried out, and opening it, stated softly, "This, uh, this was my late mother's engagement wedding band set...S-See, my parents died in a car accident when I was five, and everything they had, my uncle had stored away someplace here in town since we moved so often, but he found out that they recovered this, and he had it restored as a surprise after your mom and I told him of our wedding plans..."

Clearing his throat once more, Lee, swallowing hard, replied, getting his handkerchief out and blowing his nose, "S-Sorry for this, Boys...It's just that I didn't remember what it looked like, and-and seeing it now, well- it-it makes me miss her all the more..."

It was an antique Moissanite diamond bridal set that took Lee's breath away, and Jamie, eyeing it, said, "Looks old, but pretty."

Lee answered quietly, "It's an antique set my dad picked up for my mom in his travels."

Phillip, putting a hand on Lee's shoulder, asked, "Are you okay, Lee?"

Lee nodded slowly as he reached back to pat Phillip's hand, stating as he closed the ring box and returned it to the bag, "Y-Yeah, I'm-I'm okay. Pal...Thanks."

Then, looking at his watch, he remarked quickly as he started the car once more, "Alright! One more stop and then we head home..."

And as Lee drove to their next destination, Jamie asided to Phillip, "Is he really alright? Should we tell Mom?"

Phillip shook his head replying quietly, "No! He'll figure it out...I think he'll be fine, but let's help him feel better with the other part of this for Mom, okay?"

Jamie nodded, and he and Phillip then sat back against their seats lost in thought about their mother and Lee's future, and what it would mean for them down the road...

TBC