Oh My Gosh

Chapter 24

Amanda awoke a while later that evening in the den to the smell of food, and hearing conversations going on, and sitting up, looked at her watch, noticing it was seven thirty!

Getting off the couch, she came out of the den, and seeing the bags on the kitchen counter, headed to the dining room, where she found Dotty, Lee, and the boys all sitting around the table, laughing and conversing with food on their plates, and bewildered, asked, "Hey! Where the Sam Hil did all this food come from?!"

Lee, seeing her, rose from his chair, and coming over to her, kissed her cheek, answering, "Hi, Sweetheart...It, um, seems you ordered all this for dinner before you went for your nap-"

Protesting, Amanda shook her head replying, "I most certainly did not want all this! Call them up and send it back now!"

Lee, bringing up his hands with a gesture, stated, "Honey! Once you pay for takeout, you can't send it back! But look, whatever doesn't get eaten, we will put aside for leftovers here, alright? Or better yet, I'll take some of it home with me...Now, c'mon, let's sit down and enjoy it, huh?"

As Lee seated Amanda, she sighed commenting, "Okay, but I don't know why you don't like my cooking all of a sudden-"

Lee groaned answering impatiently now, "Aw, for the love of...Do you hear yourself right now?! You sound ridiculous-"

Amanda bristled back with a gesture, "I'm ridiculous?! I didn't waste all my money here-"

The boys, looking at their mother with pleading eyes, chimed together,"Mom, c'mon!"

Dotty, stood up from her chair quickly responding over the sudden argument, "Amanda Jean and Lee-"

Looking at Lee, she then asked, "Your middle name, please?"

Lee, looking back at Dotty confusedly, queried, "What?"

Amanda sighed, answering to Lee with a deadpanned stare, "She needs your middle name to make a point here or something, so just tell her, and we can get on with it."

Dotty reprimanded her, saying, "Don't you dare be fresh, Missy!"

Lee chuckling, asked Amanda, "You're kidding here, right?"

Amanda responded with a shake of her head and mouthed, "No."

Lee sighed remarking softly, "Aw, jeez..."

Lee, clearing his throat then, said to Dotty, "Matthew...Lee Matthew Stetson."

Dotty nodded commenting, "Thank you...Now, Amanda Jean and Lee Matthew, I want you to stop this foolishness! Amanda...Lee is right...It can be saved for leftovers, and you will eat what you can and no argument, Young Lady! Is that understood?!"

Amanda, gulping, nodded silently as she shrank back in her chair, suddenly feeling dejected!

Sighing, Dotty then looking at Lee, replied, "And yes, Lee, you should take this food home with you once we're finished here, because from what I'm witnessing right now, there's no reason the two of you should even be thinking about marriage right now, baby or not-"

Then Lee and Amanda both countered with, "Hey! What are you talking about?!"

Jamie suddenly stated, "C'mon, Mom! Why are you mad at Lee? After all we did tonight-"

Dotty, Lee, and Phillip all glared at Jamie, commenting, "Jamie!"

Jamie quickly putting up his hand, answered, "All I was going to say was that we had a surprise for her, and she's killing our mood-"

Dotty remarked, cutting him off, "That's enough, Young Man! Now, if you and Phillip are finished, please take your plates out to the kitchen, and leave them in the sink, and go on upstairs, because I want to have a talk with your mother and Lee, alright?"

Both boys nodded, and getting up, took their plates out, and Phillip groused to Jamie, "You and your big mouth-"

Jamie answered back sharply, "I didn't say what we did, I only said-"

Then they heard Amanda call out, "James Joseph and Phillip Thomas! Get back here now!"

Putting their plates and utensils in the sink, they went back in to face their mother, asking, "What, Mom?"

Amanda sighed, and gathering the two close, she answered softly, "I want to apologize for upsetting the two of you...Guess I forgot what I ordered and how much, and as far as your surprise goes, I love you both, and I just know I'll love it, whatever it is, but keep it to yourselves until you're ready, okay? Now, give me a kiss and head on up..."

Smiling, they kissed her, and then their grandmother, and thanked Lee for the outing, with Jamie whispering, "Sorry about almost blowing it, Lee, but she-"

Lee put up a hand responding in kind quickly, "Hey! Stop already, huh? But until I give the okay, keep this on the down low, alright, both of you?"

Smiling, the boys nodded, and giving Lee a hug, went upstairs.

-SMK-

When the dining room was once again quiet, Dotty sighed and said, "Alright. I want to talk to both of you about my reason for not wanting you to marry just yet...It's just that-"

But Lee, putting up a hand, replied, "Excuse me, Dotty...I think I know what you're about to tell us, and while it's a valid reason, I picked up something for Amanda and I to peruse until everything here gets worked out...Let me go get it out of my car...Excuse me..."

When he headed out the front door, Dotty answered bewilderedly, "How could that man possibly know what I'm about to say, Amanda?"

Amanda, gave a shrug to her mother, commenting with a wan smile, "He's a man of mystery, Mother, so even I don't know what he's talking about all the time..."

The two women then heard the door open and close as Lee once again appeared, holding a bag, and sitting down next to Amanda, opened the bag, pulling out the book, "What To Expect When You're Expecting"!

Amanda and Dotty both looked at the book, then each other, and then at Lee, with Amanda stating gently with a gesture, "Sweetheart? I already have this book, and I love you for thinking of this, but if you had just checked the bookshelf-"

Lee shook his head, replying carefully, "Yes, but this is an updated version, that you and I will be studying from cover to cover, because, honestly, I'm really not prepared for this emotional roller coaster ride that you seem to be on right now. So, please, for me, and my sanity? Can we start on this book tomorrow?"

Amanda giggled, and seeing the woe-be-gone look on Lee's face, cupped his cheek, answered softly, "Okay, tomorrow it is."

Lee kissed her, and getting up quickly remarked, "Okay! Now, let me help you clean up because tomorrow is a new day, Ladies!"

As Lee took their plates and utensils to the kitchen, Dotty and Amanda then heard the sink water running, and then Lee whistling!

Dotty smirking, queried to Amanda, "Do men have strange hormones as well? I don't remember your father acting like this at all! Back then, it was, "Let me know when, and what hospital, and you'll be fine, Dotty."

Amanda shook her head, giggling, as she remarked with a shrug, "It's a new era, Mother. Guess we'll find out soon what we're up against here..."

TBC