In Limbo

Chapter 31

After dinner, Lee insisted on helping Dotty with the dishes, as Amanda and the boys were upstairs, so Dotty decided to draw Lee out about the plans she sensed that he he may have for Amanda.

As Dotty washed, and Lee dried, Dotty stated, "I daresay that it's rare when those boys become quiet at the table...It's usually Amanda and I trying to get a word in edgewise, but tonight, even though they were originally thrilled to be going home, something mentioned earlier may have flattened their excitement balloon, you know?"

Lee swallowing hard, thought, Oh, boy, what do I do to diffuse this scenario?

But suddenly, Amanda appeared, answering, "Lee, I think now is a good time to tell her what the boys had just talked to me about..."

Lee queried carefully, "Are you sure?"

Amanda nodded, and going to Lee, she hugged him responding softly, " Yes... And thank you so much for trying to spare any feelings here, and I'm sorry for my earlier reaction to your ideas..."

And as Lee hugged her back warmly, commenting softly, "And I-I'm sorry for upsetting you...My foot tends to go in my mouth way too often-", Dotty, turning off the water finally, went to dry her hands, and turning around, leaned against the counter, and shaking her head, crossing her arms, replied tiredly, "Amanda Jean! Please tell me what all this hullabaloo was about tonight! And Lee, I know it seemed like I was fishing for information here, but when my darling daughter wasn't about to drop details, and the boys' chins were practically on the ground when I took them upstairs, I just assumed-"

Amanda then went to Dotty, and hugging her, remarked, "I-I know, Mother, and I'm sorry if you felt that things were hidden from you...The boys love you very much, and, well, they just told me that, although they want to be back at the old house, that they'd like to have their own rooms-"

Seeing Dotty's expression change, Amanda hurriedly reassured her, stating, "B-But Lee came up with a solution...We-We could either redo the attic or the den, or m-maybe put in a garage apartment? L-Look, nothing has to be decided right now, huh? We'll figure everything out when we get back, alright?"

Dotty, slowly extricating herself from Amanda's arms, sighed, and replied somberly, "Well, all we really need to do in the morning then is call the school to tell them that the boys are moving, and you call the movers, and that's that..."

On her way to the staircase, she patted Lee's arm, stating with a gulp, "Th-Thank you for trying to help matters here...Maybe we'll see you when we all get back and settled again...Excuse me...Good night."

-SMK-

As Lee and Amanda watched her go, Amanda, with a sigh and a gulp, went to the family room couch and sat on the couch then, answering softly, "Sure wish I could tell her that this whole thing is my fault to begin with-"

Lee, following her, cut her off, replying with a shake of his head, "No, it isn't, Honey, and you know it!"

Watching as Lee sat down near her on the couch, Amanda, perplexed, queried, "How do you figure that?"

Lee commented, "Because almost four years ago, I pulled an innocent beautiful woman aside at a train station, a woman who was just going along, minding her own business, and asked-"

Amanda smirked, clasping his hand, and added, "Begged-"

Lee groaned as he nodded, while squeezing her hand, said, "Okay! Begged for her help...And anyway, you could've said no-"

Amanda, shaking her head, responded, "No, no...I genuinely thought that it would just be dropping off the package, so I agreed, but as I went to the train, and saw those men after you...Whew...Well, I knew they meant business, so that was that..."

Lee sighed, and pulling her up from the couch with him after looking at his watch, he asked, "Walk me out, huh?"

Amanda going with him answered sadly, "Time to go..."

When they got outside to the driveway at his rental car, Lee, noticing Amanda's downcast look, stated gently, "Hey, cheer up...By this time tomorrow, you should be on your way back to Arlington...Not moved back in yet, but it's a start..."

Kissing then passionately, they stepped back after a moment, and Lee commented, "That will have to do until we see each other again...With any luck, we'll have our old phone numbers again, but I'll call you, okay?"

Amanda swallowed as Lee got into the car, and as he started the motor, she said, "Have a good flight...See you soon."

She then stayed on the driveway until Lee pulled out, and with a final wave, he was gone.

And Amanda, with a firm resolve, turned back towards the house, and going in, thought, We'll be alright...I know we will...

TBC