Oh My Gosh

Chapter 10

Amanda and Lee had just arrived at Amanda's home to have lunch with Dotty and to tell her of their news.

Amanda called out as they entered, "Mother? Are you here?"

Dotty came out to the foyer a few moments later, taking off what looked to be gardening gloves, and answered to Amanda, "Oh! You're home, Darling. I was expecting you to call..."

Then, seeing Lee also, nodded replying, "Hello, Lee."

Lee nodded, greeting her as well with, "Hello, Mrs. West."

Amanda answered, "Mother, we thought it might be nice if the three of us had lunch here today...We have something to talk to you about."

Dotty stated with a gesture as they followed her to the kitchen, "Oh, how nice! Of course, Dear...Well, I have either chicken salad or egg salad...Which do you prefer?"

Lee and Amanda, each remembering the case with Retzig a while back, answered quickly together, "Egg salad, please."

Dotty shrugged lightly, "Oh, alright..."

-SMK-

So, the three getting the lunch and setting up the kitchen table, chatted about various topics, and a little while later, midway through the meal, Dotty asked them, "So, you wanted to talk to me? Is it about work? Do you have to take another business trip, Amanda?"

Amanda, finishing a bite of the salad, swallowed, and then taking a sip of her iced tea, swallowed once more as she queried carefully, "N-No, Mother...Um, do you remember about a week ago when you and I had those test boxes here that Jamie found, and mine said I was pregnant?"

Dotty nodded, as she sipped her tea, answering as she swallowed, "Y-Yes, Dear. You never told me if you were going to double check with Dr. Goodman, though, so I just assumed it was a false reading after all...Why?"

Amanda, glancing at Lee, and then looking back at her mother, sighed and said slowly, "W-Well, I did make an appointment with Dr. Goodman, and he told me that it was a false positive, but then, the day before last, he-he called, and said the lab made a mistake...Mother...I really am pregnant, and Lee, of course, is the father, but I don't want you to-"

Dotty, with an excited yelp, jumped up from her chair, and hugging both Lee and Amanda, exclaimed with joy, "Oh my gosh! How wonderful! We have so much to do! How-When is it due, Darling?"

Amanda, putting up her hands, tried calming her mother down, and replied, "Seven months...Mother, please relax and sit back down, alright? We have something else to discuss here-"

Dotty nodded answering gleefully, "Y-Yes, Dear...I know, you'll get married of course. When will that be, do you think-"

Amanda stood up then, commenting quickly, "Mother, stop!"

Dotty, sitting back down slowly, asked, "What-What's the matter, Dear? Is-Is there something wrong with the baby? What-"

Amanda, sitting down once more, remarked, " No, the baby's fine, but it's about the boys, Mother..."

Dotty, confused, queried, "What about the boys?"

Lee, clearing his throat answered, "Amanda is just concerned that since they were told initially that it was a false positive, that they won't take the real results well, and we wanted to know what you thought about it?"

Dotty, carefully mulling it over, commented, "Oh, I see...Well, that depends...I know that Amanda told them that you two had just recently started dating...Was that a lie, or were you two already talking about marriage?"

Amanda, clasping her hand with Lee's, stated, "He-He did propose a few weeks ago, but believe me, that was before I even thought I might be pregnant...And he was a bit nervous anyway about meeting the boys, so that's why he didn't meet them until the other night...We-We still have an awful lot to talk about. Especially now with the baby coming."

Seeing concern on Dotty's face then, Amanda responded, "Mother, I know it seems like this is rather sudden, but Lee and I really do love each other, and-"

Dotty, shaking her head, queried, "Oh for heaven's sake, Dear! Do you honestly think I'm going to insist on a shotgun wedding?!"

Amanda remarked, "Well, no, of course not, but-"

Dotty interjected gently, "Listen...For all intents and purposes, this baby was an accident, but it's turned into a blessing, so you will just have to sit them down and explain to them that although you didn't plan for it, it is very much wanted, like both of them were. Do you understand, Darling?"

Amanda, feeling tears come to her eyes, commented softly with a nod as she went to hug Dotty, "Y-Yes, Mother, and thank you for understanding!"

Dotty, returning the hug, answered with a gulp, "Of course, Precious...Why, I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't welcome a new grandchild of mine!"

Lee swallowed hard, seeing the display of affection between Amanda and Dotty, and stated quietly, "I-I'd like to thank you also, Mrs. West-"

Dotty shook her head replying quickly as she looked over at Lee pointing a finger, " Uh-Uh! If you're going to join this family, then you will call me Dotty! Do you understand, Young Man?!"

Lee nodded nervously and responded slowly, "Y-Yes, Ma'am-"

Dotty, narrowing her eyes, queried with a smirk, "Yes, what?"

Lee sighed commenting, as Amanda giggled, "Yes...D-Dotty."

Dotty hugged him answering, "There! It'll just take some getting used to, that's all...Now, until the boys get home, why don't I get some magazines, and we can get some ideas about nursery items..."

As Dotty hurried to the den, Amanda shook her head answering to Lee quietly, "I-I'm sorry...She's just excited. She'll calm down soon...I hope."

Lee responded with concern, "Yeah, well, judging by her reaction, I highly doubt the boys will feel the same-"

Just then, Dotty came in, carrying a canvas bag which looked rather heavy, and Lee jumped up to help carry it over to the coffee table!

As they set it down, Amanda asked quizzically, "Mother! What's all this?"

As Dotty and Lee sat down once more, Dotty commented, "Oh, just recipes I've saved, and gardening books, and of course, neighbors give me home and room decorating books- you know, once their little ones grew up like ours did, they didn't need them any more and-"

Amanda sighed answering, "Well, It'll take much too long to look through all this, anyway, and besides-"

Just then the front door opened, and Phillip and Jamie came in, saying, "Hi, Mom!"

-SMK-

Amanda, looking at her watch with surprise, asked, "Boys? It's not even two thirty yet. What are you doing home?"

Jamie answered, "They had a fire drill for the school, and by the time everyone got outside, it was too late to go back to class, so we were all dismissed."

Amanda, going over to hug them, answered, "Okay, well, why don't you just take your things upstairs and then come back down, because I want to have a talk with you, alright?"

Phillip asked, "Are we in trouble?"

Dotty smirked, interjecting, "No, no one's in trouble here. Just do what your mother asks, please?"

Jamie and Phillip, looking at them, and then one another, just shrugged, answering, "Okay," and headed up with their book bags.

Lee, stated, getting up from the couch, remarked to Amanda, "Maybe I should just make myself scarce here, and-"

But Amanda shook her head, commenting with a gesture, "You are part of this, alright, Mister? So, just relax, and sit yourself right back down."

Lee gave a quick nod, and sat down once more as the boys came downstairs.

Amanda responded, "Guys, have a seat right here, and let's have our talk, huh?"

As the boys sat, they greeted Lee, with Jamie querying, "Are you in trouble?"

Lee chuckled, with a quip, "Depends what day it is."

Jamie then gave Lee a strange look, not understanding the remark.

Amanda, clearing her throat, commented, as she looked at both of her sons, "Okay, Fellas, here it is...Jamie, do you remember when you found that test box of mine? Well..."

TBC