Oh My Gosh

Chapter 3

Things were rather quiet that evening at the King/West home while the family had dinner, each member not knowing what to make of the day they each had.

Amanda looked over at her mother, who looked troubled by something, and then at her two sons, who, by now, normally would talk up a storm, but for some strange reason, were silent.

After a moment, Amanda cleared her throat, and Dotty asked, "Did you say something, Dear?"

Amanda shook her head, stating, "N-No, I was just clearing my throat...Um, how was your day, Mother?"

Dotty uneasily queried, "What do you mean by that?"

Amanda, puzzled by her mother's answer, said, "I mean, was it a good day or a bad day?"

Dotty sighed, and pushing her food around her plate, remarked with a shrug, "It-It was a day. I went shopping, had the bridge club meeting, then I came home, and here we are having dinner...How was yours?"

Amanda remarked carefully, "W-Well, I-I was a bit late getting to work because of the beltway traffic, which made me late for the location scout we had to do in Georgetown, and then I had paperwork this afternoon."

Turning her attention to her boys, she queried, "So, Fellas...How was your day?"

Phillip shrugged answering, "I aced my math quiz, dissected a frog in the lab, and there was a food fight in the cafeteria..."

Amanda smirked responding, "Well, I'm proud of you for the quiz, but I do hope you didn't participate in the food fight?"

Phillip chuckled saying, "No, but Billy Batson got gravy poured on him! It was pretty funny...Until the principal broke it up-"

Just then, Jamie, not being able to stand the conversation any more, blurted out, "Aw, holy cow, Mom! Are you and Grandma pregnant or not?!"

-SMK-

Forks clattered on the plates as Amanda, who had just taken a sip of her water, began choking on it!

Phillip growled at Jamie, "Way to go, Big Mouth!"

Jamie winced as he and Phillip, alarmed, got up quickly to go to Amanda's side!

Dotty quickly patted Amanda's back, answering, "Oh, my gosh! Sweetheart! Are you all right?!~

After a moment, Amanda put up a hand, and as her coughing lessened, she began to swallow normally once more, and taking a breath, squeaked out, "I'm- I'm okay, now, Mother...Boys? Go back and sit down, please, because I think we should have a talk..."

Once everyone was back at their places, Amanda sighed, and asked the boys, "Alright, Jamie. You first...Whatever made you think Grandma and I were both pregnant?"

As Jamie sat there not knowing what to say, Phillip nudged him, stating, "I didn't start this, Dweeb! You did! Go ahead!"

Amanda, admonishing Phillip, said, "Stop it, Phillip! Now, Jamie...Please, Sweetheart. Don't be afraid to ask us if you want to know something...So, go ahead, Honey."

Jamie swallowed as he looked at first his mother and then his grandmother.

He then said, "Okay...You remember Saturday when you and Grandma were cleaning the kitchen cabinets, and you sent Phillip and me to clean our room and bathroom?"

Both women nodded, and Jamie sighed, then continued with, "Well, I was getting the trash baskets emptied in everybody's room and bathroom, and I found some test boxes...The same exact boxes in yours and Grandma's room, Mom...So, I showed Phillip, and ever since then, we've been wondering why you guys didn't say anything."

Putting up a hand, Phillip swallowed, then interjected with, "What he's trying to say is that whatever's going on, we love you and we don't mean to say you're old or anything, but we want to know if you guys are sick or something...So, are you?"

Amanda and Dotty then looked at one another with a sigh, and Amanda gestured to her sons and softly stated, "C'mere, Fellas..."

As they went to her arms, Amanda swallowed hard, and hugging them, replied, "I'm so sorry you were worried about Grandma and I, but we promise you, we're just fine, alright?"

Then as the boys stepped back from their mother's embrace, Amanda said, "Well Mother, whether we meant to keep it to ourselves or not, what's done is done as they say, so why don't we just tell them?"

-SMK-

Looking at Phillip and Jamie, Amanda commented, "Okay. I have been seeing someone from work for a little while now...In fact, we've known each other for almost four years, since I started at IFF, but we just recently started dating-"

Dotty interrupted with, "It's Lee Stetson, isn't it?"

Amanda surprised, asked, "How did you-"

Dotty answered, "He stopped over one day a while back when you were out of town...I assumed he told you?"

Amanda's mind flashed to the Birol incident, and Lee's subsequent proposal, and smiling, was unaware then of the three family members now focused on her, as Dotty finally tapped her hand, stating, "Amanda? Amanda!"

Amanda finally broke out of her reverie, and blushing slightly, commented, "Ah, sorry...Yes, he mentioned it, telling me he only stopped over to put your mind at ease, because I was delayed in calling you then."

Dotty nodded, and remarked, "Well, he seemed like a very nice man...Maybe soon, he could come for dinner, and meet our boys, hmm?"

Amanda answered, "We'll see...It depends on our work schedules, and-"

Jamie interjected, "Mom, are you or aren't you pregnant?"

Amanda shook her head at both boys, saying, "N-No, Fellas, I'm not. It turned out to be what they call a false positive."

Phillip asked, "What does that mean?"

Amanda sighed answering, "It means the home test said I was, but the doctor said I wasn't."

Phillip then queried, "Grandma, what about you?"

Dotty blankly stared at her grandsons replying, "What about me?'

Jamie sighed asking, "Are you pregnant?"

Dotty shook her head answering in a defiant tone, "Well, of course not, Young Man! What ever gave you that idea?"

Getting herself up from the table, Dotty busied herself by gathering up all the plates, and taking them to the sink, suddenly changing the subject, asked the boys,"Isn't it time for you both to be in bed?"

Phillip bewildered, commented, "It's only 8:30, Grandma-"

Dotty responded quickly, "Then go get yourselves ready for bed, and read or something! Good night!"

The boys, puzzled, looked at their mother, who answered softly, "I'll-I'll talk to her, but just go ahead, Fellas...I love you."

Giving Amanda a hug and a kiss, they went to Dotty then, and doing the same, Phillip spoke for he and Jamie and said, "We love you, Grandma and we're sorry if we upset you."

Dotty hugged them back with a swallow, and remarked, "I-I love you both as well, and-I'm sorry too, alright? See you in the morning."

As they went up the stairs, Phillip growled softly to Jamie, "Way to go, Doofus! Got them all upset for nothing!"

Jamie answered quickly, "But-But-they're okay! They said so-"

Phillip cut him off commenting as they got to their room, "No! Mom said she was okay! Grandma just got mad-"

Jamie then tried again to speak, but Phillip, closing the door when they both entered the room, answered hotly, "Knock it off, Worm Brain! Look! From now on, if you find anything else weird going on around here, just keep it to yourself!"

-SMK-

A while later, down in the family room, Dotty and Amanda sat on the sofa to have a talk.

Amanda stated gently, "Mother, you know how much the boys love you, and they were only concerned. They never meant to upset you-"

Dotty waved it away, answering, "I-I know, Darling, but when the doctor called earlier-"

Amanda asked urgently, "Dr. Engel? What did he say exactly?"

Dotty sighed, and grabbing one of the sofa pillows, held it tightly to herself, and gulped, responding, " Oh! Well...He-He said I may be pregnant, or beginning the early stages of menopause...I told him I didn't believe either diagnosis, and that I could have his license taken away! I mean, have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? "

Amanda watched as first Dotty chuckled, then began to sob!

Amanda, holding her tightly, commented softly, "It's alright, Mother, it's alright...Shh...I'll go with you tomorrow and we'll figure this out, huh? You'll be just fine..."

When Dotty finally calmed herself, she got a tissue, and blowing her nose, and dabbing her eyes, said to Amanda with a sigh, "You're right, Darling...Thank you...It's just that I've never been unsure of myself before! I'm a strong, healthy woman who takes care of herself... I-I just don't know what to make of all this, you know?"

Amanda rubbed Dotty's shoulder, answering gently, "Well, we can't do anything right now, so why don't you get some milk and go upstairs, and try to get some sleep, while I lock up, okay?"

Kissing Amanda's cheek, Dotty nodded, and commented, "Thank you, Love. I will...And maybe, to take my mind off all this, I'll find a good Cary Grant movie to look at..."

Amanda quipped, "I thought you liked Richard Gere?"

Dotty shook her head quickly, "Oh, no! The thought of him would just keep me up all night!"

The two chuckled and shared a good night hug before Dotty went upstairs, taking her milk...

-SMK-

After Dotty had gone upstairs for the night, and Amanda finished locking up, she had a nagging thought suddenly, and going to the phone, dialed Lee's place.

When Lee answered, Amanda said, "Hi, it's me."

Lee stated cheerfully, "Hi...How are you?"

Amanda sighed, "Okay, I guess, but I need to ask you something...Um, about our talk earlier?"

Lee responded carefully, "Alright. Go ahead."

Amanda queried, "Well, suppose I was pregnant...What would you do?"

Lee gasped answering, "Um, well, you're-you're not, as you told me...So it's a non issue-"

Amanda asked again, "But if I was, what would you do?"

Lee sighed heavily and stated, "I love you, okay? And I would just take care of it, alright?"

Amanda remarked slowly, "Oh? What do you mean by that? You mean, the way you handle a case?"

Lee, baffled by Amanda's sudden line of questioning, interjected, "What?! N-no, I mean-"

Amanda stated,"Ah, I see...Call for backup, do a debriefing with Billy, and file it away, right?"

Lee cut her off stating, "Aw, come on! What is with you tonight?!"

Amanda sighed, saying, " I'm sorry...I dunno. You're right...We should talk about this tomorrow when I get back from taking my mother to her appointment...Good night..."

Amanda then hung up before Lee could respond, and Lee, stunned, stared at the receiver asking, "What the hell was that about?!"

TBC