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Amanda Stetson placed her soft drink can on a nearby box and tiredly lowered herself to the den floor of her new home. As she surveyed the surrounding somewhat organized mess, she smiled and shook her head in resignation. Moving is one job that experience fails to make easier. Cocking her head slightly, she listened as Lee commandeered Phillip and Jamie 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, clothes' closets and baths. Today however, had been the time to say "good-bye" to the house where her sons had grown up.
Wandering through her old home for the last time, she seemed to hear the voices of 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 and remembered Phillip's first day of Kindergarten. She could still picture him running up the driveway and hear his excitement as he told her and Jamie about it while he gobbled up a glass of cold milk and handful of warm cookies. 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. Because of later events, the memory of the day she and her first husband, Joe King, moved into the house was as painful as 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 the boys, they'd enjoyed a romantic candlit dinner on the floor of their new living room in front of a roaring fire. 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 events that came to mind. Amanda involuntarily wrapped her arms around herself as if to ward off an unseen cold wind. Scenes of finding Phillip and Jamie huddled on the stairwell, their faces scared and sad after one of their parents' ever more frequent arguments crossed her mind. Then came the day Joe first left for Africa. Later, she and the boys stood in the hallway as he moved out, right before filing for divorce. That night proved to be one of many in which she cried herself to sleep in loneliness and fear of the unknown.
Her somber thoughts were interrupted by Lee sticking his head in the door and telling her they were just about ready to go. A smile broke through her melancholy mood as she looked out her kitchen window and watched him load boxes into the back of the station wagon. He caught her watching him and, knowing she was a little down, 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 rendevouzs 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 thoughts 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 the back door. "I don't care who has the better view. This is the third time this week you've argued about the pros and cons of your rooms. You know, the basement doesn't have any view at all." He left the threat open-ended as the bickering boys quieted.
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. New beginnings only go so far."
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 edge of concern 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 shape, he still couldn't help worrying about her tiring more easily than normal. He'd never known Amanda not to have more than her share of energy, and her slightly slower pace and afternoon rests were hard for him to 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 backyard? There's 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 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 about her, 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 out there? 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 shot back, trying very hard not to giggle. Then noticing for the first time that his uplifted hands held a Sparkling Cider bottle and two glasses, she inquired again, "What are you doing?"
"Well, if you'd quit talking and get out here, I'll show you."
About a minute later found them sipping the cider out of fluted champagne glasses as they sat on a blanket under 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'd never have to worry about that with you."
Amanda almost choked on her drink. "How could I forget? My, how times have changed." Then with a gleam in her eye, "Last time you brought wine. This time we're having fake champagne. 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 this instead of wine. You weren't pregnant last time."
"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, knowing full well this was an old habit of Lee's to either never pronounce the name of her former boyfriend correctly or refuse to remember it. It had become a personal standing joke.
Lee frowned as if trying to place the name, but then just shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to continue her story.
"I meant to replace it, but you came along and it just didn't seem to be the right thing to do, but then things never were quite the same again."
"Any regrets?" he asked, watching her closely for a response. Unknown to Amanda, he'd watched her walk around the old house for the last time. He knew that even with all of the good things in their new life, it was hard on her to leave a place with so many memories. In fact, he'd found himself being more nostalgic than he expected.
Amanda studied the ground for a second and then looked up with a firm shake of her head. "No, not really. Things change no matter what we do. It's just a matter of whether it's a good or bad change, and what we have is good."
Lee regarded her tenderly for a moment and then lifted her hand to his lips. Suddenly he broke the moment by snapping 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 on her shoulders and propelled her towards the utility room. Her confusion 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.
"Naw. From now on my growing with age will be learning to be a husband and a dad." Pausing slightly, he concluded, "I don't think you can measure that on a door frame."
Amanda reached over and gave him a hug as she kept looking at 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.