In Limbo

Chapter 30

After lunch, Lee stated to Amanda as he paid the bill, "Okay...So we're agreed? You call your mother and tell her I will be joining you all for dinner tonight, and in the meantime, I will call Billy, and explain the delay in getting back here, but we hope to do so by next week-"

Amanda nodded as she rose from the booth, asking, "Okay...And what about Chicago? Your boss? What are you gonna tell him?"

Lee, smiling as he put away his wallet, and getting up to join Amanda, answered as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, "That I got a much better offer...The same thing you'll tell your boss...Piece of cake..."

But as Lee and Amanda had left Emelio's and waited for their cab to take them to Dulles for their flight to the Trenton-Mercer Airport, Amanda thought worriedly, Alright...If you say so...

-SMK-

A few hours later, as they landed in Trenton and passengers disembarked, Lee and Amanda followed, and entering the terminal, Lee, gesturing to the seating area, answered, "Okay, let's sit down for a second and figure out a plan here."

As they sat, Amanda, shaking her head in confusion, queried, " But you already talked to Billy before we left, and-"

Lee nodded, and patting Amanda's hand, he responded, "I-I know, so look...While you call your mom to give her a heads up about dinner, I will call my Chicago boss from here, and tell him I need to see him in the morning, that it's important. Simple as that-"

Amanda shrugged and asked, "Right, but what's our talking plan for dinner at my house? We introduce you to the boys as "Chuck Castle", but then we say, "No, that's not his real name, it's actually "Lee Stetson"? Aren't you concerned that's not going to confuse not only them, but my mother as well?"

Lee sighed, feeling a bit of a headache starting, and as he looked at Amanda, and taking her hand in his, he replied calmly,"Listen to me, Sweetie, okay? I know you haven't always been good with "Going with the flow" as it were over the years, but if you will just please follow my lead tonight, the rest will just fall into place, alright?"

Rising from the seat, Lee then taking his bags, remarked to Amanda, with a gesture a few yards from where they were seated, "I see a couple of phones we can use...Come on..."

Amanda, nodding, rose from her seat, and taking both her bags, followed Lee to the phones, thinking anxiously, Here we go...

-SMK-

When they finally arrived at Amanda's, she opened the front door, stating to Lee, "Just leave your bags here by the door, and then-"

Dotty, hearing them, came to the foyer answering as she gave Amanda a hug, "Hello! How was your trip?"

Returning the hug, Amanda, deciding to take the lead instead, commented to her mother, "It was fine, Mother...You remember Lee?"

Dotty shook her head, and stated taking Lee's hand, "Oh! Of course! How are you? Please come in..."

Lee, wondering what Amanda would say next, nodded, as he put his bags down then, replied, "Th-Thank you."

And as the three entered the living room, Dotty stated, going to the staircase, "Oh, let me get the boys down."

She then called up, "Fellas? Your mother's home, and she's brought company! Please come down."

A few moments later, Phillip and Jamie hurried down, and rushing to Amanda to hug her, chimed, "Hi, Mom!"

Jamie then asked, "Did you bring us anything?"

Phillip groaned, looking at his brother and queried, "What are you? Two? Grow up already-"

And as Jamie, sneering, was about to retort back, Amanda commented firmly as she looked at her sons, and then gestured towards Lee, "Stop it, you two! We don't act that way in front of company! Now, Boys, I'd like you to meet Lee Stetson...He was one of my co-workers back in D.C...Lee, these are my sons, Phillip and Jamie..."

As the boys greeted Lee, Amanda replied, "Lee's here because we found out some news that we'd like to talk to you all about... Let's go sit down, huh?"

When everyone was seated, Amanda said, "Okay, Mother, you remember the other night when I left here so quickly?"

Dotty, after a moment, chuckled, answering, "Ah, yes...When I thought you were going off to elope with this man...Yes? What about it?"

Amanda shook her head responding as she looked towards Lee, "Oh, Mother, stop! We did not elope...But Lee, why don't you explain the rest?"

Lee, noticing all eyes on him at that moment, cleared his throat, answering, "R-Right...Well, the other night, I got a call from one of our IFF people, saying that the Government found the leak, plugged it up, and that we could all go back to our regular lives now."

Jamie, confused, queried, "Leak? Don't you need a plumber for that?"

Phillip glaring at his brother, remarked, "Don't be such a doofus! He means they found the creep who got us all in trouble, but we're safe now, and-"

Phillip then jumped up, and asked his mother excitedly, "D-Does that mean we can all go home to Arlington for good, with our real names and all?"

Amanda nodded happily, commenting, "That's exactly what it means, Phillip!"

At that, the boys cheered, and going to hug Amanda, Jamie stated, "It'll be great to see our friends again!"

Phillip then asked slowly, "W-Wait...What about our house? Do we get it back, or do we have to live somewhere else?"

Amanda pondered that for a moment, then turning towards Lee, she asked gesturing to her family, "That's a good question... I guess I forgot to ask, but how does that work on our end?"

Lee smiling, responded as he reached into his jacket pocket and handing her a slip of paper, "We all will be returning to our original homesteads...You call that number in the morning, and they'll take care of everything just like they did when all this started..."

Dotty, incredulous, queried, "Just like that? No fuss, no muss?"

Lee chuckled, answering, "That's what they pay the Government for, Mrs. West."

Dotty, getting up from the couch, remarked with relief and looking at the boys gesturing, "Well, that's a load off my mind, Lee. Thank you...C'mon, Fellas...Help me get dinner ready, hmm?"

-SMK-

As they left the room, Lee, seeing the boys' original expressions slowly change, and feeling a bit uneasy at the moment, then shook his head, and Amanda asked, "What's wrong?"

Lee commented, "Um, now that I think about it, if you'd like, I could help you look for a bigger place when we get back-"

Amanda queried bewilderedly, "Why would I want to do that? We love that house! The boys were babies when Joe and I, and then later, Mother moved in, and-"

Lee, nodding, answered, "I know, but how old are the kids now?"

Amanda sighed and shrugging, stated, "Phillip will be 14 soon, and Jamie will be 12...What's your point?"

Lee, looking around, responded quietly, "Well, I saw their faces just now when they left the room, Honey, and while they love the idea of going back to their house, I don't think they really want to share a room again...And they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings here, either, if you catch my drift?"

Amanda nodded after a moment and sighed, replying, "Y-Yes, I understand, but I can't afford another house-"

But Lee, shaking his head, answered quickly, "N-No, no! I mean, how about this? I co-sign a loan so you can add onto the house, say, maybe redo the attic, or the den, or hey, how about an apartment over the garage?"

Amanda put up a hand protesting, "H-How about I think on it ? There's been entirely too much change lately for my taste...Please? I appreciate you wanting to help, but I need time to process this idea...Let's just have dinner and you and I will talk it over when we all get back home, alright?"

Lee slowly acquiesced, and the subject was dropped, but later as they were having their meal, Dotty noticed how quiet and somewhat tense the room was, and answered, trying to bring up a topic of conversation, "Well, my old bridge club was livelier than this group, and a bit happier, too...So, what's on everyone's mind right now?"

But when no one answered, Dotty thought, We're going back to Arlington for good...Why is that suddenly a bad thing for this family? And what's wrong with Lee all of a sudden?

TBC