In Limbo

Chapter 78

Lee took the boys back to his place after dinner to continue their talk.

As he led Phillip and Jamie in, he gestured as he headed to the kitchen, "Go on and sit on the couch...I'll be right with you. I just want to put the pizza away."

A few moments later, Lee joined them as he sat in the chair adjacent to the couch, and queried, "Okay, so where were we?"

Phillip replied, "Well, you were about to tell us about old or current girlfriends you have."

Lee sighed, answering, "Right...Well, old is the operative term here, meaning I have only old girlfriends-"

Jamie asked, "So, where does Mom fit in?"

Lee chuckled stating, "Well, Sport, she went from being a co-worker, to a friend, to a girlfriend, to finally a fiancee', see?"

Phillip nodded querying, "Yeah, but what took so long to figure out she was the one?"

Lee, clearing his throat, thought carefully and said, "Well, I was what you call a loner...Had basically been one most of my life. Growing up on a military base, I moved a lot, never forming any lasting relationships...After getting the job with IFF, I traveled quite a bit, dated a few women now and again, and came close once to proposing to someone along the way...But she already accepted another proposal before she knew how I really felt."

Phillip sighed answering, "Bummer."

Jamie shrugged commenting, "Aw, he was just shy, like Mom says he is...Anyway, he's sure about Mom."

Then looking at Lee, he asked, "You are, aren't you?"

Then Lee, getting up from the chair, clearing his throat, stated softly, "Excuse me a minute, Fellas...I just want to grab something from my room..."

The boys watching him go, looked at one another pensively and Phillip queried, "Wonder what's up?"

Lee returned, and taking a seat on the coffee table facing Phillip and Jamie, answered carefully, "Guys...I wanted us to have this evening alone for our guy talk, but also to ask you for your permission to give this to your mother..."

Reaching in his jeans pocket, he pulled out a small box, and opening it, showed the boys the diamond ring inside, replying with a swallow, "Y-You see, I had proposed to your mother a while back, but forgot, with everything going on, to give her this to seal the deal, as the saying goes...Now, I won't do anything if you both aren't okay with it. If you are, great, we can move forward. But if not, she and I will date until you're more comfortable with me and the whole idea."

The boys were quiet as they looked at the ring, and then looking at each other, they then looked at Lee, with Phillip answering, "Um, excuse me, Lee, but Jamie and I need a minute. Can we use your room, please?"

Lee nodded nervously, responding carefully with a gesture, "Oh, um, s-sure...Take all the time you need."

And as Phillip and Jamie went into Lee's bedroom and closed the door, Lee moved back over to the chair and putting the ring box back in his pocket, sat down, and then looked up, asking, "God? You got a minute? I could really use some help down here..."

-SMK-

Meanwhile, Phillip and Jamie sat on the bed, with Phillip asking Jamie, "Well? What do you think? And don't answer the way you think Mom would want us to, because Lee's asking us, so it's a big deal here!"

Jamie sighed replying, "Well, I don't know why he's asking us anyway. Isn't it up to Grandma, since Grandpa's gone?"

Phillip remarked, "I think you know how much Grandma likes him, so she's okay with it...But I'm asking you...Because of Dad, you know?"

Jamie, puzzled, queried, "But I thought we-"

Phillip swallowed, and nodding, commented with a heavy sigh, "I-I know, but I get mixed up sometimes, like if I start to care about Lee, is that wrong because of Dad?"

Jamie asked, "Like, even though he sorta said he didn't want us, y-you still love him, right?"

As tears came to Phillip's eyes, he wiped them away, responding gruffly, "Y-Yeah! Don't you?"

Jamie nodded as tears came to his eyes answering, "Yeah," as well, and Phillip shaking his head, commented, "Great! Now we're both bawling like babies! Let's go clean up, and we'll tell Lee that we need to take of something before we give him our answer, okay?"

-SMK-

A little while later, the boys came out of the bedroom, and Lee, looking at a magazine from the table, got up from the chair asking with concern, "Everything okay, Fellas?"

Phillip said, "Yeah, but we need a favor...Before we give you our answer, and if it's not too late now, can you take us to the cemetery in Chevy Chase to see Dad?"

Lee was bewildered, but answered calmly, "S-Sure...But I think I'd better let your mom know so she doesn't worry, okay? And then I'll bring you home."

The boys nodded as they got their jackets, and as Lee, putting the magazine down, got his, saying, "I'll call your mom from the car," and grabbed the keys as they left the apartment...

TBC