In Limbo

Chapter 52

About mid afternoon, Lee was in his apartment, having his standard Chinese fare for lunch, thinking about that morning's disaster talk at the Agency with Amanda shortly after Jake had left.

Lee pored over Joe's note, trying to figure out just why Joe wanted custody of the boys to go to him suddenly!

He thought, The guy didn't know me from two hot rocks several months ago...It was just within the last few weeks that Amanda had even mentioned Lee to Joe.

But wait...Didn't Amanda say something about Joe figuring out what she actually did for a living?

Lee remembered her telling him about her and Joe's conversation, which led to Joe's outburst to Amanda, "We wouldn't have had problems if we hadn't had the kids!"

Lee, shook his head, saying aloud, "Nice, Joe! The last moment you shared with your family, and-"

Lee, mentally kicking himself, sighed then, muttering as he reached for the phone, "Aw, hell..."

Dialing Amanda's number, he waited, thinking, Just relax, Stetson, and take whatever she says to you, because you know her head is in a million different directions like yours is right now...

He heard a click, and then Dotty's voice answered, "Hello?"

Lee swallowed quickly, and queried, "Mrs. West? Hi, it's Lee...Is Amanda there?"

Dotty stated coolly, "Ah, the instigator..."

Lee asked confusedly, "Ex-Excuse me?"

Dotty repeated crisply, "You heard me. I said the instigator...You know, like in one of those movies, where one character starts an argument and gets everyone riled up, and then tries to have everyone like him again...Isn't that what you're doing to this family, Young Man?"

Clearing his throat, Lee answered, "I'm-I'm calling to try to make some kind of peace with your daughter, because clearly we got off track this morning after we met with the lawyer. So if you can just tell her I'm on the phone, I'd appreciate it, please?"

Dotty sighed and replied, "Well, she's lying down right down, because she's got a bit of a headache, which was caused by everything being thrown at her at once here, and she isn't sure what direction she should be going in and exactly how she should be feeling about anything any more-"

-SMK-

Suddenly, he heard Phillip in the background saying, "Let me talk to him, Grandma...Please?"

After some back and forth, he heard Phillip say to her, "It's okay, Grandma...I have to do this...For Mom."

Dotty then said, "Just a moment...Phillip would like to talk to you."

Lee commented stoically, "Al-Alright...Sure."

He then heard Phillip ask, " Hey, Lee...Can you meet me at the park?"

Lee questioned bewilderedly, "I can meet both you and Jamie if you'd like...What's this about?"

Phillip then answered, "No, just you and me...I got a lot of stuff to say, and I don't want Junior getting all mad about it, you know?"

Lee sighed responding quietly, "O-Okay...See you in about twenty minutes."

Phillip remarked, "Thanks..."

With that, they hung up, with Lee feeling bowled over emotionally, thinking, Does he know anything yet?

Getting up from the living room couch to throw his empty lunch package away, he shook his head, thinking, No, he wouldn't sound so calm if he did.

After washing his hands, he grabbed his jacket and keys, and quickly left the apartment...

-SMK-

True to his word, within a half hour, Lee arrived near the neighborhood park that Phillip and Jamie frequented all their lives, and finding a parking spot, pulled in and shut off the motor.

Getting out, he saw Phillip at one of the picnic tables near the basketball court, and locking his car, crossed the street to meet him.

Seating himself on the bench directly across from Phillip, he stated, "Hi...So, what's up?"

Phillip sighed and commented slowly, "Well, I was looking on the kitchen counter for some school permission sheet I had to give to Mom to sign, when I found something else that had yours and Dad's names on it...Something about our custody?"

Lee put up a hand, replying, "Look, Phillip...Your mom and I were gonna talk to you and Jamie tonight about-"

He stopped as he then saw Amanda and Jamie walking towards them and he winced slightly, stating to Amanda as they sat down to join them, "I didn't say anything yet, I swear, but how did you know-"

But Amanda shook her head answering, "It's-It's okay, Lee. I heard Mother and then Phillip on the phone when I was coming down from my room...I couldn't rest anyway, and then I brought Jamie so we could talk here instead of at the house."

Lee nodded, not convinced that she wasn't still angry at him, queried softly, "How's the headache?"

Amanda remarked with a shrug, "Oh, I just told Mother that, so she'd give me peace and I could try to clear my head for a while...I was upset earlier, don't get me wrong, but I'm calmer now."

Phillip remarked, "Okay, so now that we're all here, what's going on?"

Amanda and Lee eyed one another, and Lee nodded, as Amanda stated, "Okay, Fellas...You remember when you heard your dad and I arguing on the patio that last time after dinner?"

Jamie swallowed, commenting softly, "Yeah...He-He said he wished-"

Phillip glared at him then, responding tersely, "We know what he said, Squirt! We don't need to hear it again!"

Amanda remarked quickly, "Phillip! Stop it! Now, what I intended to do with the original joint custody agreement was change it to where I would have sole custody of you boys, where your dad would need permission from me to visit or take you on trips...He seemed okay with it, since he knew how much he upset us that night at the house...But then-"

Lee, clearing his throat, answered, "Uh, Amanda? I thought you didn't want them to know the other stuff-"

Amanda sighed, replying, "I-I know, Sweetheart, but they might understand some of what was behind Joe's behavior then if I explain it the right way..."

-SMK-

Reaching out to both boys and taking their hands, Amanda remarked gently, "Guys... Um, the amended custody paper was drawn up and the lawyer was going to file that day, but then later, I was called down to a place where your dad had...a bit too much to drink and couldn't drive himself back to the hotel he was staying at..."

Lee, seeing how hard it was for Amanda to continue, stated simply, "Y-Yeah, so then she called me to help get him back into shape again."

Phillip, puzzled, asked, "So, wait...He got toasted because of the new custody paper he agreed to? Wh-Why didn't he just say no?"

Amanda commented softly, "Because he knew how upset he made you both that night at the house after dinner, and realized, even with time, that he wouldn't be able to regain the total trust and love that you had for him all your lives...Do you understand, Honey?"

Phillip shrugged, answering, "I-I'm trying to, Mom, but before you and Jamie showed up, I was telling Lee that I saw a paper on the counter about our custody with his and Dad's names on it, so I really don't get it."

Jamie asked, "Wait...Why would Lee's name be on a custody paper for us, anyway?"

Lee, glancing at Amanda, who nodded slowly in response, said carefully, "Fellas, your dad...He talked to me the next morning, telling me that whatever your mom decided was alright with him, but he wanted her to also...add my name, since she and I worked together anyway, and he saw how she trusted me so well, and also, in case anything were to happen-"

Phillip swallowed hard, saying painfully, "Which it did, anyway..."

Amanda, seeing the sad looks of her sons, stated soothingly, "I'm so sorry, Boys...I still can't believe it happened either..."

Jamie queried softly, "So, are we supposed to live with Lee now, or-"

Lee and Amanda shook their heads, with Lee answering gently, "N-No, Ace...You guys stay with your mom and grandma...This won't change anything, really-"

Phillip frustrated, got up from the table, and commented tearfully, "You're kidding, right, Lee?! We had a dad who loved us, then walked away, then came back, and now he's gone and can't come back ever! Gl-Glad your mind's at ease! C'mon, Jamie! Let's get outta here!"

Jamie, getting up from the table slowly, looked over at Amanda, and hesitated, seeing the pain in her eyes, and asked quietly, "Mom? Are you okay?"

Amanda gestured to him, and as he came to her side, she hugged and kissed him, stating softly with a gulp, "I'll be fine, Honey...Go on with your brother now, and tell your grandmother we'll be along soon, alright?"

And as Jamie went to catch up to Phillip, Lee called to him, "Hey, Jamie! Also tell her to put away the pitchfork, will ya?"

Amanda stared at Lee dumbfounded and asked, "Was that really necessary?!"

Lee countered back as they rose from the picnic benches, heading for Lee's car,"Yeah! Let me replay what the conversation was like...It went something like this..."

As Lee retold it, Amanda, shaking her head, muttered, "Oh my gosh! Now I'm really getting a headache..."

TBC