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Summary: Amanda has a new house and old memories.

MOVING DAY – R-4

By Becky C.

(Rockville, Maryland 1989)

Amanda Stetson placed her water glass on a nearby box and slowly lowered her pregnant body into a chair in the den of her new home. Surveying the surrounding organized mess, she smiled wearily. //Moving is one job experience fails to make easier.// From the driveway came the sound of Lee’s voice as he commandeered their two sons, Phillip and Jamie, and their new step-grandfather, Curt, on the last batch of unloaded boxes.

Memories of the busy weekend flashed through her mind. Even though both days were tiring and hectic, today was the roughest. Yesterday she'd been busy preparing for the future. She'd organized her new kitchen, cloth's closets, and baths. Today, however, was the time to say "good-bye" to the house where her sons had grown up.

As she wandered through her old home for the last time, she heard the echoes of voices from events past. Fingering the pantry door where the boys' heights and ages were marked, she glanced over to where the breakfast table used to sit. The memory of Phillip excitedly telling Jamie and her about his first day of kindergarten was vivid. She could still picture him gobbling up a glass of cold milk and a handful of warm cookies while he described the classroom gerbil and turtle. It was truly amazing how many cookies a five-year-old boy could stuff in his mouth at one time and still talk somewhat intelligibly.

Unfortunately, not all the images were happy ones. The memory of the first day she and her first husband, Joe King, owned the house was in some ways as painful as it was pleasant. They had laughed and giggled with all the enthusiasm of a young couple in love and purchasing their first home. The first night he'd carried her over the threshold, and as her parents babysat for the boys, they'd enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner on the floor of their new living room in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace. The fact that it was June, and they had to open the windows and doors so they wouldn't swelter didn't seem very important at the time.

As warm a memory as that first day was, it wasn't warm enough to dampen the chill of the next remembered events. Amanda involuntarily rubbed her arms as if warding off a cold wind. Scenes of Phillip and Jamie huddled on the stairwell, their faces scared and sad after one of their parents' ever more frequent arguments flashed across her mind. Then came the day Joe left for Africa for the final time. She and the boys had stood in the hallway and watched him move out. That afternoon they’d signed the divorce papers, and that night was the first of many she’d cried herself to sleep from loneliness and fear of the unknown.
 
 

Her somber thoughts were interrupted by Lee sticking his head in the kitchen door and telling her they were just about ready to go. A smiled broke through her melancholy mood as she looked out her kitchen window and watched him load the last boxes into the back of the station wagon. He'd caught her watching him. Knowing she was a little down, he’d grinned encouragingly. A secure feeling swept over Amanda as the memories of the development of their relationship blotted out the previous aches of the failure with Joe. The new security didn't make leaving any less poignant, however. The evening before they'd strolled around the house and yard talking about the days when their relationship had been a secret and laughing about all the conversations held through the kitchen window. She was going to miss looking around this house and being reminded of all the crazy events of the past four years.

Amanda was startled out of her reverie of yesterday’s activities and back to the present by Phillip and Jamie entering the house arguing.

"Well, I have a better view of the pond from my window," Phillip snapped.

"No you don't," Jamie shot back. "The trees block off the far right edge."

Just as Amanda was about to chastise her sons for bickering, she heard Lee's voice as he entered from the back door. "Enough already. Upstairs and get at least two boxes unpacked and put away by the time I come up."

Looking up at Lee standing with his hands on his hips and an exasperated expression on his face, she noted loud enough for him to hear, "Different house, same boys. Some things don't change."

Lee looked in her direction as if noticing her presence for the first time. "Yeah," he nodded in agreement. "Taking a break?" he asked with an ever so slight concerned edge in his voice. He was trying very hard not to get on his wife's nerves by treating her like a Ming vase, but his protective instincts were hard to hide. Even though the doctor had assured him she was in great condition, he still couldn't help worrying about her tiring more easily than normal. He'd never know Amanda not to have more than her share of energy, and her slightly slower pace and afternoon rests were hard for him equate with "everything is just fine."

"Yep, thought I'd sit down for a minute and take another look at our new place," she replied as she began to get up and willingly accepted his outstretched hand of assistance. She knew Lee was biting his tongue in an attempt not to tell her to take it easy and appreciated his effort. Right now she was dealing with enough emotions. She didn't need to add his to the list.

Lee glanced away with a thoughtful look on his face. After a second, he again faced her, "Why don't you come join me in the back yard? Something I want to show you."

"Okay" she smiled, taking his hand as they headed out back.

Suddenly Lee stopped and raised his index finger. "I just remembered. I need to do a few finishing touches on something before I forget about it. Would you get me a glass of water and meet me outside?"

"Sure". Amanda lifted her cheek for his departing kiss and headed towards the sink. She was just about to put some water into the chosen glass when she noticed that someone hadn't done a very good job of cleaning it out. A milk ring was still in the bottom. Her sigh of acceptance gave way to a gasp of surprise as a face and two raised hands appeared in the window.

Gathering her wits, she stifled a retort as she recognized her smiling husband. Leaning over the sink to open the window, she scolded, "What in the world are you doing? I thought you were going to tie up some loose ends."

"Ahh, yes," Lee teased. "The old bait and switch strategy. Manual 2, Lesson 3, page 45. Get your victim thinking in one direction and then attack from an unexpected location."

"I didn't know I was under fire," Amanda replied trying very hard not to giggle. Then noticing for the first time that his uplifted hands held a sparkling soda bottle and two glasses she inquired again. "What are you doing?"

"Well, if you'll join me I'll show you."

A minute later found them sipping the soda out of fluted champagne glasses as they sat on a blanket in a flowerbed underneath the kitchen window. "I intended to pour the drinks and hand them through the window to you like I did after that football case we had. Remember? Your mother was talking about your Uncle Iggy leading a double life and how she never would have to worry about that with you."

Amanda almost choked on her drink. "How could I forget?" Then with a gleam in her eye, she added "last time you brought wine. This time we're having soda. Is the romance going away?"

Lee looked at her in mock rebuke. "What do you mean? It's because of romance that we’re drinking soda instead of wine. You weren't pregnant back then."

"True," she conceded. "Didn't ever expect to be again, either."

"Also," Lee continued. "I didn't think about the screen being in the way. That wasn't a problem before."

"Ahh, that's because a couple of days before you recruited me at the train station Dean was washing the screens, got into a water fight with the boys and stepped through that particular one."

"Who?" Lee interrupted.

"Dean," Amanda retorted rolling her eyes at Lee’s habit of either never pronouncing the name of her former boyfriend correctly or refusing to remember it. It had become a personal standing joke.

Lee frowned as if trying to place the name before shrugging his shoulders and motioning for her to continue the story.

"I meant to replace it, but then you came along and things never were quite the same again."

"Any regrets?" He asked watching her closely. Unknown to Amanda, he'd watched her walk around the old house for the last time. He knew that even with all the new and good in their new life, that it was hard for her to leave the house with so many memories. In fact, he'd found himself being more nostalgic than he’d expected.

Amanda studied the ground for a second and then looked up with a firm, "No not really. Things change no matter what we do. It's just a matter of whether it's good or bad, and what we have is good."

Lee regarded her tenderly as he lifted her hand to his lips. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Hey, I almost forgot."

Helping her up, he directed her back into the house, as he suggested rather mysteriously, "the boys and I did something earlier today, and I think you'll approve."

Getting behind her, he placed his two hands one her shoulders and propelled her towards the utility room. Her confused expression almost turned to tears as she saw three lines on the inner door facing. The lowest line was entitled "Jamie 13". The next one up was "Phillip 15," and the third was "Lee, 1988".

"Part 2...the saga continues." Lee whispered into her ear.

"No age on yours?" she questioned softly.

"No. It’s hard to measure growth as a husband and a dad on a doorframe, but I wasn’t going to be left out." He teased.

Amanda turned her head and kissed his hand before reaching up and clasping it in hers as she studied the three lines. Then her gaze fell to the bottom of the door where in a few years more lines would be drawn for the baby growing inside of her. The past was secure in her memories, and the future held a lot of promise. It was going to be okay. Different, but okay.

THE END

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