Disclaimer: Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions are the rightful owners of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, its characters, and its premise. The plot for this story and any original characters remain property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended; this work is written solely for the pleasure of the author and the readers, and no profit is being made. This story, however, does belong to its author, and any reproduction or distribution is prohibited without authorization of said author.

Shadows Fall

Chapter One                                                                                        Thursday, October 12, 1989 noon

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.                                                                                          - Maori Proverb 

Amanda and Lee sat quietly at their desks in the Q Bureau, sorting through files of recent cases. They had just wrapped up a protracted security detail for a series of White House dinners and were ready for a quiet weekend at home. For once, the boys didn’t have school or sports activities scheduled and everyone was looking forward to some much needed downtime.  As Amanda stood to take some files to the vault, the phone rang. Lee looked up and grumbled, “That better not be Billy with a new case! I’m not giving up our weekend!”

 Amanda chuckled.  It still amazed her sometimes how much Lee had changed over the years. The Lee she had met 6 years ago would definitely not be excited about a weekend spent throwing a baseball with teenagers and playing with a teething 7-month-old. She grabbed the handset and answered, “Q Bureau. Oh, hello, Joe,” she smiled as she greeted her ex-husband. She glanced over at Lee and saw him give a visible sigh of relief. She resumed her conversation, “How’re you doing? How’re Carrie and Sarah?” She nodded as she listened. “Today? Sure…no, we don’t have any plans…sure, we’ll see you then…bye.”

“I take it that was Joe?” Lee questioned. “What’s up?”

“He wants to meet us for lunch. He said he has a favor to ask,” Amanda answered. “I think it has to do with their anniversary tomorrow.”

“So…I guess we’ll have Sarah for a visit. Sounds good to me,” Lee chuckled. Sarah was only 7 months older than their daughter, Katie, and a frequent guest at the Stetson-King house. The boys doted on their sisters and Dotty relished being a surrogate grandmother to Joe and Carrie’s daughter. Joe’s parents had died when Phillip and Jamie were small and Carrie had lost hers in a car accident while in law school, so they, in turn, appreciated the many offers of babysitting the Stetsons gave and the love everyone felt for Sarah.  “What time are we meeting him?”

“12:30 at Christie’s. Is that OK?”

 “Sure…as long as we don’t get a new case between now and tomorrow, I don’t care what we do!” Lee grinned as Amanda gave him a pointed look and walked into the vault.

SMK SMK

Lee and Amanda entered Christie’s a few minutes late and spotted Joe at a table near the back. Joe smiled a welcome to them and waved. As they were seated, Joe said, “I’m so glad you could join me today. It’s been awhile since we were able to have lunch together.”

“No problem, Joe. Amanda tells me you need a favor,” Lee responded.

“Yeah, I hope you guys don’t mind. Tomorrow is Carrie’s and my anniversary. Can you believe we’ve been married two years? Sometimes it just doesn’t seem like it’s been that long… Anyway, I was hoping to take her out for a nice dinner and maybe some dancing…a real night out on the town. I’ve been real busy lately with this new position at the EAO, and I don’t want her to feel…neglected,” Joe shared, feeling a little embarrassed about the last remark. He knew he hadn’t been the best of husbands to Amanda, and had resolved not to make the same mistakes with Carrie.

“So you want us to watch Sarah? Joe, you know that’s not a problem at all. You certainly don’t have to take us out to lunch for us to watch her. We love having her,” Amanda responded, placing her hand over Joe’s. She looked over at Lee and he nodded.

“Yeah, Joe, we love having Sarah. She’s a great kid and we have a lot of fun with her. You’ve got a standing invitation to drop her off anytime,” Lee added. “Now, I know you aren’t asking for advice, but why don’t we just plan on her spending the night? That way you and Carrie can do whatever you want and you don’t have to worry about picking her up. We don’t have any plans, other than staying at home. You can sleep in and get her anytime…really.”

Amanda smiled at her husband. It amazed her how he could be so welcoming to her ex-husband and his family. Sure, it was a little difficult at first when Joe had realized that she worked for the Agency as Lee’s partner, and later when Lee had openly become a member of the household, but he and Joe had eventually formed a good friendship.

“You guys are great! I knew I could count on you!” Joe gushed with a grin. “So, would 6:00 be OK for us to drop Sarah off?”

“Sure, Joe, we should be home by then. If not, you know Mother and the boys will be there,” Amanda responded. “So, what shall we order? I’m starved!”

SMK SMK

The afternoon flew by. Fortunately, no new cases had cropped up, and Billy had been good enough to tell them that, barring a national emergency, he wouldn’t be assigning them anything until the next week at the earliest.“Have a good weekend…you deserve the rest,” Billy said as he lounged on the Q Bureau’s couch.

“If you don’t mind then, Billy, I would like to take the opportunity to reorganize some of the files tomorrow. The vault is getting a little out of control,” Amanda said. Billy smiled as the idea of the vault being out of control was ridiculous with Amanda now in charge. He also loved that she no longer called him “sir”. Once she and Lee had come clean about their “mystery marriage”, he’d finally convinced her to call him Billy.

 “I think that’s an excellent idea. So, any plans for the weekend?” Billy inquired.

“Absolutely none,” Lee responded with glee. “Well, except for Sarah coming over tomorrow. But that’s nothing…she’s part of the family.”

Billy laughed. “I don’t know, Lee, two baby girls…you might have to play with dollies!” He burst out laughing and Amanda joined in. Lee just shook his head.

Billy got up and waved at both of them, saying, “I’ll see you two tomorrow. Have a good evening!”

“Bye, Billy,” Lee called out with another shake of his head. As Billy left, Francine walked in, looking decidedly worse for wear.

“Hey, Francine, you look exhausted. What’s going on?” Amanda asked as she stacked some papers on her desk.

“Oh, I don’t know. This week has just stressed me out! If I have to go to one more State Dinner, I think I’ll scream!” Francine had also been a part of the security detail but, as a single agent and Billy’s personal liaison, she’d been required to attend several of the dinners.

“Wow, Francine, I never thought I’d see the day that you wouldn’t enjoy a chance to show off your designer originals,” Lee scoffed. Amanda glared at him and he held up his hands and continued, “OK, I can tell when I’m not wanted…‘Manda, I’m going to take these background checks to Beaman and then I’ll be ready to go. Meet you downstairs in 20 minutes?”

“Sure,” Amanda responded, waving him out. She turned to Francine who had slumped onto the couch. “What’s up, Francine?”

“Oh, Amanda, I don’t know. Lee’s right- normally, I love these kinds of things. But, lately, it just seems like…I don’t know. I’m just tired of everything.”

Amanda looked at her friend. Since July, she’d thrown herself more and more into her work with less and less satisfaction. Amanda had hoped that Francine would open herself up to the idea that Beaman could be the right guy for her, but instead she’d pushed him away and accepted every assignment she could on top of her other responsibilities as Billy’s assistant.

“I think, Amanda, that I’m ready for a change. Do you think I should talk to Billy about maybe getting into the field more?” Francine whispered.

“What do you mean? By yourself? No, Francine, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think you’re a great assistant to Billy,” Amanda responded. Amanda remembered how Lee had been when he was a “lone wolf”, reckless and uncaring about his own well-being. Looking at Francine, she was afraid that her friend was headed down the same path.Francine sighed.

“You’re right. I know you’re right. But, then, why do I feel so…dissatisfied?”

“I don’t know, Francine. Tell you what- why don’t you go home and have a nice bubble bath. Then, tomorrow night, why don’t you come hang out with us at the house? We’re not doing anything special, but we’ll have Sarah with us, and we can watch a movie or something. Please say yes,” Amanda pleaded with a gleam in her eye.

“Amanda, when have I ever been able to turn you down?” Francine laughed.

“Never…we’ll see you around 7. Now, go home!” Amanda smiled and hugged her friend. Francine had become her dearest friend at the Agency next to Lee, and she wanted her to be happy.

SMK SMK

Lee sat in Beaman’s tiny office next to the Agency’s classrooms. He couldn’t see how his fellow agent could stand being cooped up in this box every day, all alone. He’d go crazy! Beaman sat at his desk, thumbing through the background checks Lee had brought to him on prospective recruits. Finally, he stopped and sighed. Lee looked at him and realized that he had seen a similar look on Francine’s face not ten minutes earlier.

“What’s up, Beaman? Something wrong with the files?” he asked.

“No, Stetson, not that I can tell,” Beaman responded listlessly.

“OK, then…what’s going on?”

“Ugh! I don’t know, Lee, I just don’t know. I am just so sick of going through files like these! I can’t tell you how many classes of agent recruits I’ve evaluated, and most of them wash out. The only bright spot I ever had was Amanda, and I didn’t even recognize that while she was in the program! I want…I want…” Beaman took a deep breath. “You know what I want? I want to be in the field. I want to feel like I’m actually making a difference. I want to feel successful in some part of my life, since…”

Lee nodded his head. He knew Beaman wanted to date Francine, but she wasn’t budging an inch. Sure, in the past few months, she’d thawed considerably, but no more. They seemed destined to be friends, nothing more. It bothered Lee, because he knew Beaman could be really good for Francine, as Amanda had for him.

“You know what, Ephraim?” Lee had a sudden inspiration. “Sounds like you need a good home-cooked meal and some downtime. How about you join us for dinner tomorrow night? It’s been awhile since you came by, and we’ve got nothing special planned. I’m sure Dotty would love to add another plate to the table- you know how much she loves feeding you.”

Ephraim smiled. Dotty always made a big fuss over him, and he enjoyed it, especially since his parents were living in a retirement center in Los Angeles and he barely saw them. He thought about it, then nodded, “You know, that sounds really nice, Lee. I’d love to come, if you don’t think Amanda would mind?”

“She’ll love it! We’re going to have Sarah with us, so she’ll be occupied with the girls. It’ll be fun to have a guy over to watch a game or something, maybe shoot some hoops with the boys. See you around 7?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ephraim responded.

Lee stood up and waved goodbye to his friend. ‘Well,’ he thought to himself, ‘I think I’m going to talk to Billy about putting Ephraim in the field, maybe as part of the Q Bureau expansion we’ve been discussing. I won’t say anything to him yet, but I think he’d be a great part of our team. Wonder who we could partner with him?’

Lee whistled happily to himself as he headed to the Georgetown Foyer to meet up with his wife. Tomorrow night was shaping up to be a great night.

Chapter Two                                                                                                                                     Friday, October 13, 1989 6:45 p.m.

Shadows fall on even the brightest hours                                                                                                                             –Bryan Waller Proctor  

Dotty bustled about the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dinner she’d been preparing. Amanda and Lee had each unknowingly invited a guest, and only realized it late Friday afternoon. When they discovered they’d invited Ephraim and Francine without the other’s knowledge, Dotty had burst out laughing. She reassured both of them that she was making pot roast with succotash and there would be plenty for everyone.

Amanda walked into the kitchen, carrying Sarah on her hip. Sarah was chewing on an arrowroot cookie and babbling away. “Mother, where is Sarah’s Sippy cup? I know I put it in here when I was feeding the girls, but now I don’t see it.”

“Try the refrigerator,” Dotty answered and smiled. Sarah waved at Dotty and babbled, “Ga”. Dotty laughed and wiggled her fingers at the baby.“Here it is, Sarah!” Amanda grinned. Sarah looked so much like Jamie did as a baby, except with the reddish blonde hair she shared with Carrie. “Mother, do you need any help with dinner?”

“No, darling, you just take care of the girls. Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes. Plenty of time for the guests to arrive. How do you think they’ll react?”

“I don’t know, Mother. I promised Francine a relaxing evening…I hope she doesn’t think I’m matchmaking, especially since I didn’t even know Ephraim was coming. But, they’re friends, so hopefully it will be OK,” Amanda rambled nervously. She really didn’t think Francine would get angry, but you never could tell. She hoped Ephraim would be OK if Francine got into one of her moods.

In the den, Lee was bouncing his daughter, Katie, on his knee. She clapped her hands and laughed, while he made silly faces at her. After a few minutes, she started rubbing her eyes and Lee brought her up to his shoulder. He realized pretty quickly that his baby girl was ready for a nap.

“Amanda!” Lee called out to her in the kitchen. “Can you bring me a bottle for Katie? She’s getting a little fussy.”

Amanda opened the refrigerator and grabbed a prepared bottle, then proceeded to warm it up, while placing Sarah on the floor to play with a plastic bowl. When the bottle was ready, Amanda swooped Sarah into her arms and walked into the den where Lee sat, rocking Katie.

“Here you go, Daddy,” Amanda cooed. Sarah clapped her hands at Lee then laughed. Amanda sat on the floor and put Sarah down on the blanket they’d spread on the floor and watched as Sarah toddled over to her and climbed back into her lap, sucking on her Sippy cup.

“I guess someone else is tired, too,” Lee smiled at Amanda, then glanced down at his daughter. She was so beautiful, with dark brown hair just like her mother and hazel eyes just like her dad. Lee still wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky, but he was thankful every day for the family he’d been given. He smiled at Amanda, who grinned back.

Just then, the doorbell rang. “I got it!” Phillip called out as he ran for the door. “Hi, Ms. Desmond. How are you?”

“Fine, Phillip. How’ve you been?” Francine answered.“Oh, good. I’m heading out to play catch before dinner. Catch ya later!” Phillip bolted out the door as Amanda called out to Francine, telling her to come into the den.

Francine stared at the scene before her. Amanda was sitting against the sofa with a toddler cuddled up in her lap and Lee was sitting in a rocking chair, with Katie wrapped up in his arms. “Well, I see we’re all cozy in here,” Francine grinned. “Where’s Dotty? Do you think she needs me to help with dinner?”

“No, Francine, she’s fine. You know Mother, she’s in her element. Come sit down with us. The girls will be down for a little nap in just a minute,” Amanda motioned for Francine to sit on the couch.

“Um, Francine, I, uh, need to warn…” Lee began, but was cut off by the doorbell.

“I got it!” Jamie called out, apparently on his way to join his brother. “Hi, Mr. Beaman. How are you? Mom and Lee are in the kitchen, I think. I gotta go catch my brother!” Jamie bolted out the door, calling, “Hey, Phillip, where’d you go?”

“Ephraim?” Francine whispered to Amanda, alarmed. “I thought we were having a quiet night? You didn’t tell me you’d invited…Ephraim, how nice to see you again…so soon.” Francine glared at Amanda, then turned to give Ephraim one of her sickly sweet smiles.

“Hey, Beaman, glad you could make it!” Lee said. “Sorry I can’t get up right now, but I’m a little occupied.”

Ephraim took in the scene before him. An obviously agitated Francine was giving him that look she always got before she went into full interrogation mode. Ephraim glared at Lee, obviously a bit off-put by Francine. Lee looked at Amanda, who shook her head. Amanda glanced down in her lap and realized that Sarah was nodding off.

“Francine, would you mind taking Katie from Lee and helping me put the girls down in the nursery?” Amanda whispered. Francine went over to Lee, glaring at him, then gingerly took Katie from him and followed Amanda up the stairs. As they left, Lee motioned for Ephraim to come over to him.

“Look, man, I had no idea that Amanda invited Francine over until about an hour ago. Just stay cool…I don’t think Francine will be a problem,” Lee confided.

“Lee, she thinks I’m an imbecile. I’ve tried to back off, but she’s just not going to look at me as anything other than a friend, if that,” Ephraim countered. Ephraim was mortified. Francine would never see him as anything other than the drunk idiot who’d hit on her at that Christmas party three years ago. He would never get her to see him for the man he really was.

Meanwhile, in the nursery, Francine attacked. “Amanda, why didn’t you tell me Ephraim would be here? I thought you wanted me to relax! Now, I’m going to have to deal with him all evening! I wish you would quit trying to fix us up!”

Amanda shushed her as she laid Sarah down in the portable crib they kept for her overnight visits. Then, she took Katie from Francine and placed her in her crib. She then motioned for Francine to follow her into the hallway.

“Francine, I didn’t know Ephraim was coming, alright? Lee invited him without telling me, and he didn’t know you’d be here. It’s all a big misunderstanding. For your information, Lee told me that Ephraim is really down on himself right now and thought he could use some friends tonight. Why don’t you try being just that, instead of worrying about him mooning over you? If you haven’t noticed, he’s stopped doing that, and he’s been trying to be your friend. Maybe you should try to be his friend for a change!” Amanda stared her friend down, obviously upset by Francine’s attitude. Francine stared right back, then shrugged and sighed.

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot…but no more matchmaking, deal?” Francine held out her hand.“Deal,” Amanda agreed.

SMK SMK

Once Francine settled down, dinner went well. Everyone had something to talk about, whether it was who they thought would be in the upcoming World Series, or the recent upheavals in Eastern Europe and China.

After dinner, Lee and Ephraim took the boys to the park for a little two-on-two basketball while the women straightened up the kitchen and sat in the living room with a glass of wine. Dotty enjoyed hearing about the different dignitaries Francine had mingled with over the past week, and Francine regaled them with hilarious stories of some of the little peccadillos that had made their way into the Washington gossip columns.

Around 8:30, Sarah woke up and Amanda brought her down to the den. Dotty excused herself to her garage apartment, pleading exhaustion from a busy week. Dotty winked at her daughter as she left, and Amanda knew that her mother was trying to give her a little alone time with her friend. Amanda popped in a video and she and Francine sat and played with Sarah while commenting on the movie.

“I’m sorry for getting so angry earlier, Amanda. This has turned out to be a really nice evening. Who knew sitting at home could be a fun Friday night?”

Amanda laughed. “Yes, it must be as strange to you as it once was to Lee. I know it’s not exciting or glamorous, but it is very relaxing. And, see, I told you that Ephraim wouldn’t be a problem. He really does want to be your friend, Francine.”

“You’re right, Amanda. I was wrong about Beaman. He really has changed…for the better,” Francine admitted. “And, I’ve thought more about what I want at work. I’ve decided I am definitely going to talk to Billy about going back into the field as a fulltime field agent.”

“Are you sure, Francine? You are indispensible as Billy’s assistant and, well,” Amanda hedged. “I’d really worry about you in the field on your own.”

Francine smiled. It meant a great deal to her that Amanda cared about her. She’d been alone for so long, since her mother lived in California and her father had walked out on them when she was a teenager. Although Francine had resented Amanda at first, she’d grown to respect and care about her fellow agent and had finally allowed Amanda to become a close friend.

“I thought about that, too, Amanda, and you’re right. You’re not the only one who remembers how Lee used to be,” Francine grinned. “So, I’m going to ask Billy to assign me a partner, although I’m going to insist that it not be Fielder!”

Amanda laughed. “Heaven help us from that! You’d eat him alive!”Francine laughed as well. The idea of being partnered with the great bumbler Fred Fielder would be a fate worse than death, in her opinion.

“Alright, Francine. I see you’ve given it a lot of thought, so I’m behind you 100%, as long as you have a good partner. Let me know if you want me to go with you when you talk to Billy,” Amanda assured her. She was beginning to get an idea of where Francine could be placed, but knew her friend well enough not to mention the proposed Q Bureau expansion. Although Amanda would love to have Francine working with her more closely, Francine didn’t like to do anything unless it was her idea first.

“I really appreciate it, Amanda.”

SMK SMK

Later on, Lee and the guys came home, ready for drinks and to cool off after a close game. Phillip and Jamie had prevailed, and mercilessly rubbed it in Lee’s face.

“Mom, you should’ve seen my last shot! It was awesome! Lee couldn’t even get close!” Phillip exulted. Lee shook his head and Amanda laughed.

“Congrats on the win, boys,” Francine added. “I wish I’d been there with my camera!”

Amanda and the boys laughed and Lee shot her a warning look. Jamie patted Lee on the back and said, “It’s OK, Lee, you can’t win ‘em all!” With that, he and Phillip took off to their rooms. A minute later, Jamie came back down, holding a restless Katie.

“Mom, I heard her beginning to fuss,” he said as he handed her over.

“Thanks, Jamie. I think she needs to be changed. I’ll be right back,” Amanda said as she headed up the stairs.

Francine turned back to see Lee on the floor next to Sarah, who was contentedly playing with some fabric blocks.  Ephraim sat on the sofa, away from Francine and sighed. “I think I’m getting too old to play with teenagers, Stetson,” Ephraim sighed. “How do you keep up with them and a baby?”

“Practice, Beaman, lots and lots of practice. Though, babies seem to be a lot easier than teenage boys!” Lee laughed as he picked up Sarah. “Isn’t that right, Sarah?”

Sarah put her hands on Lee’s cheeks and pressed them in. She babbled and began to laugh.

“Looks like it’s easier, Scarecrow,” Francine smirked. “Of course, when Katie is a teenager, I’m sure you’ll be singing a different tune.”

Sarah threw her arms around Lee’s neck and grabbed his hair. “Ow, Sarah! No, no!” Lee protested.

“Looks like you still have a way with the ladies,” Ephraim chortled and Francine joined in.

“What’s going on in here? Sounds like a party,” Amanda said as she walked in with a freshly clean and happy Katie.

“Amanda, can I hold her?” Francine asked. Lee and Amanda exchanged a look, then Amanda  smiled and handed her over. “Aren’t you just the most precious angel there ever was?” Francine cooed at Katie. “You know, I never thought I liked children, but these two seem pretty nice.”

As Francine cuddled with Katie, Ephraim watched her and a look of longing came over his face. He shook his head, but not before Lee noticed. Amanda saw the look, too, and quickly spoke. “Would anyone like to watch a movie? I have several here, Romancing the Stone, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Never Say Never Again…”

“Sounds good, Amanda,” Lee chimed in. “I wouldn’t mind watching Raiders again. What do you think, Ephraim?”

“I don’t have a preference,” Ephraim sighed.

“Raiders sounds good to me,” Francine said. “I can’t turn down a Harrison Ford movie.”

“Lee, why don’t you take care of the movie and I’ll pop some popcorn,” Amanda suggested and headed to the kitchen.

“Need any help, Amanda?” Ephraim asked.“Sure, come on and you can get the drinks,” Amanda responded.

As they entered the kitchen, Amanda got a couple of bags of microwave popcorn out of the cabinet and Ephraim sat at the breakfast bar.

“So, Ephraim, Lee tells me that you’re thinking of requesting a field assignment. What made you decide to do that? I always thought you were great as an instructor,” Amanda said, trying to get Ephraim to open up a little.

“Oh, I don’t know, Amanda. My life just seems so dull. I do the same thing day in and day out. I don’t get any satisfaction out of training like I used to. I left Fabrication to get more involved and, at first, I really enjoyed leading the freshman candidates. But, I’m ready for something different, and I think I could really do some good out in the field. What do you think?” Ephraim confessed. Ever since Amanda had become a full agent, he’d seen just how good her instincts were. At first, he’d thought she was giving carte blanche due to Scarecrow’s influence, but eventually realized she was a born agent.

“You know, Ephraim, I think you might be right,” Amanda thought about what she and Lee had discussed earlier that day and decided to press on. “Just between you and me, Lee and I have been talking to Billy about expanding the Q Bureau. There are a couple of offices up near us that are not being used, and we feel that we could use a couple more agents to help us out. However, we don’t want just anybody. We want an agent who can think differently than Lee does or I do, but can get along with us. We were thinking of looking for another partner team. What do you think?” Amanda shared, a brilliant idea forming in her head. Ephraim and Francine were as different as night and day, similar to her partnership with Lee. They would complement each other, which could result in a great team.

“Who would want to partner with me, Amanda?” Ephraim sighed. “I can’t see anyone at the Agency wanting to be partners, with the exception of Fielder, and please tell me I don’t deserve that headache!”

“Anyone would be lucky to have you, Ephraim. Regardless, think about what I said about joining us in the Q Bureau, OK?” Amanda reassured him.

“I will…and…thanks,” Ephraim whispered. Together, they gathered the popped popcorn and the drinks and headed back to the den.

SMK SMK

The night passed quickly, with the four friends watching the movie, playing with the babies, and talking about old cases. Eventually, Amanda and Lee put the girls to bed and convinced the boys to go to sleep.

Around 11:30, Ephraim stood up and stretched. “Well, guys, I think I’m going to call it a night.”

Francine stood as well. “Yeah, I’m getting tired myself. I think I’ll head home.”

As Amanda and Lee stood to walk them to the door, the phone rang. Everyone froze. As agents, they knew that when the phone rang this late, it was never good. Amanda went to the phone and answered it, “Hello?”

“Amanda, it’s Billy. I’m sorry to call so late, but…”

“What is it, Billy?” Amanda responded, realizing that Billy sounded somewhat ill at ease. The other three agents in the room exchanged looks, wondering what the new case would be. Lately, most of the urgent cases had involved the unrest in Eastern Europe and none of them wanted to deal with an overseas mission unless they had to.

“Um, Amanda, I don’t know how to say this, but I was notified a few moments ago that there’s been a serious car accident involving your ex-husband and his wife,” Billy confided.

“Oh my gosh!” Amanda dropped the handset as her hands instinctively went to her mouth and Lee rushed over and grabbed it.

“Billy, it’s Scarecrow. What’s going on?” Lee growled.

“Lee, it’s Joe. The Agency monitors caught a police call a few minutes ago about a car crash involving Joe and his wife. It isn’t good. They were taken to Galilee General. Lee, it was a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler,” Billy sighed.

“Thanks, Billy,” Lee answered and hung up. He grabbed Amanda and held her close. “‘Manda, it’s going to be all right…shh…it’s going to be OK…”

Francine looked at Ephraim and said, “What is it, Lee?”

“Sarah’s parents were in a head-on collision. The Agency monitors caught it and notified Billy, since Joe is on Amanda’s family list. They’ve been taken to Gali…”

“Go,” Ephraim interrupted. “Go now! Francine and I will stay here. We’ll take care of everything. Just go!”

Amanda looked at Lee, then ran to the kitchen where she grabbed her purse. She rushed back to the front and took Lee’s hand. He led her to the Corvette and they took off in the night.

“This isn’t good, Ephraim,” Francine whispered. She hung her head, thinking about the little girl and the not-so-little boys asleep upstairs, unaware of the night’s misfortune.

“No…it isn’t good at all,” he responded and put his arm around her waist, pulling Francine close to him. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and sighed.

Chapter Three                                                                                                                         Saturday, October 14, 1989, 12:15 a.m.

May you always remember when the shadows fall…you do not walk alone.                                     -Irish Blessing

Amanda paced back and forth as Lee watched her. When they’d entered the ER, Lee had immediately flashed his badge and requested information on Joe and Carrie King. Now, they were waiting impatiently for a doctor to come speak with them. After a few minutes, a young man, Dr. McManus, had greeted them.

“Agent Stetson, were you the one asking about the King couple?” he asked.

“Yes, doctor. Do you have any information on their injuries?” Lee answered.

“I wasn’t aware that this was a government issue,” the doctor said, looking at Lee warily.

“It’s not,” Amanda interjected. “It’s family. I’m Joe’s ex-wife, and we were watching their daughter for them. We’re the only family either one has.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to check and make sure that I can release this information to you,” Dr. McManus replied. Lee handed him an Agency card with a number for him to use. He walked away to the nurse’s station and picked up a phone.

“Lee, I’ve got to find out what’s going on. I’ve got to call Mother and let her know what’s going on. I don’t know what I’m going to tell the boys and Sarah…oh my gosh, Sarah! Lee, I’ve got to take care of the girls!”

“Amanda, calm down! Francine and Ephraim will take care of everything. You know that. Let’s take this one step at a time…”

“Excuse me, Agent Stetson? I’ve confirmed that you both are who you say you are…will you please follow me?” Dr. McManus took them to the elevators and they headed to the fourth floor.“Now, Agent…”

“Doctor, please stop calling me Agent. I’m Lee, and this is my wife, Amanda. Please tell us what’s going on,” Lee interrupted, exasperated by the delay and the obvious distress Amanda was under.

“Of course, Lee, Amanda. Mr. and Mrs. King were brought in a few hours ago after sustaining major injuries in a serious car accident, most likely a head-on collision. Mr. King suffered multiple internal injuries and is currently in surgery as we try to repair the damage. Mrs. King suffered several broken bones, as well as a significant head injury. Her bones have been set and she is currently in ICU Room 4. We’re watching her for signs of internal bleeding, but she’s semi-lucid.”

“Can we see her, doctor?” Amanda whispered.“It’s against hospital visitation rules,” Dr. McManus hesitated.

“Come on, doc. We’ve got Carrie’s daughter at home. It might help to reassure her,” Lee exclaimed.

“All right, but only one of you and only for a few minutes,” the doctor answered.

Amanda followed the doctor and Lee headed over to the phone bank to call the house.

SMK SMK

Amanda entered the darkened room and heard the steady beep of the monitors. She walked over to the bed and saw the still form of her friend, Carrie.

“Hey, Carrie, are you feeling OK?” Amanda whispered as she took a limp hand in both of hers.

“Aman…Amanda…what’s goin’ on? What happened?” Carrie could barely croak the words out.

“Shh…shh…don’t try to talk. You’re in the hospital. You and Joe were in an accident…” Amanda soothed.

“Joe!” Carrie exclaimed, then began breathing rapidly. “Sarah…”

“Shh…shh…Sarah is fine. She’s at my house with the boys. Joe…Joe…Joe is being treated by doctors right now. You need to rest and not worry. I’m here now, and I’ll take care of you,” Amanda quieted, not wanting to alarm Carrie about Joe’s condition.

“Promise…promise…” Carrie started breathing rapidly again.

“Shh…don’t try to talk. Don’t worry about Sarah. Lee and I will take good care of her until you’re better.”“If I don’t….”

“Hush…you’re not going to think about anything bad. You are going to fight for your daughter. She needs you,” Amanda commanded, frightened by the mottled look on Carrie’s face.

Carrie’s breath became even faster and the monitors started beeping. Amanda rushed to the door as nurses rushed in. Amanda slipped out the door and down the corridor to Lee.

As Lee watched Amanda hurrying towards him, he caught her in his arms.

“Oh, Lee, something’s gone wrong with Carrie. I don’t know how I’m going to tell the boys,” Amanda sobbed into Lee’s shoulders as he held her tight and kissed her hair.

SMK SMK

Back at home, Ephraim, Francine, and Dotty sat in the den. Francine had dozed off, her head lolled over onto Ephraim’s shoulder. Ephraim was flipping channels on a silent TV, and Dotty was sipping a cup of coffee.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Dotty dove for it, while Francine jumped awake. It was Lee, sharing the devastating news that both Joe and Carrie had suffered traumatic injuries and it would be awhile before they had any word.

As Dotty hung up, she shook her head and said, “It’s not good.”

Ephraim sat up and said, “What do we need to do?”

“I don’t know, Ephraim. Lee said Amanda is taking it really hard, but didn’t tell me what to do about the boys. What do you think I should do?” Dotty sighed. Although Joe had maddened her at times over the years, she still cared about him. And Carrie…well, she couldn’t bear to think of that beautiful baby upstairs being left without her mother.

“Dotty,” Francine said. “I think we need to tell the boys. I think we need to take the boys to the hospital, in case…well, just in case.”

“I agree with Francine, Dotty,” Ephraim interjected. “They are old enough to understand the possibilities and they deserve to see their father and stepmother in case…you know.”

“What about the babies?” Dotty sobbed.

Francine hugged the older woman to her and said, “Ephraim and I have it covered. Don’t worry about the girls, we’ll take care of them. We’ll bring them to the hospital later on after they wake up.”

Dotty smiled and said, “I’m so grateful to have you here together. You make a good team.” Then, she turned towards the stairs and headed up to break the terrible news to her grandsons.

SMK SMK

Around 2:30 a.m., Dotty arrived with two sleepy teenagers in tow. As soon as they saw their mother, Phillip and Jamie ran to her and wrapped their arms around her. Dotty walked over to Lee and gave him a hug. “Any news?”

“Carrie had a lung collapse about an hour ago but they were able to get her on oxygen. She lost consciousness, though, and the nurses are afraid she’s slipping into a coma. Dr. McManus said she could have internal bleeding, but she’s too unstable to perform surgery on yet. Joe is still in surgery…they’ve removed his spleen, but they’re still concerned about bleeding. His liver is in bad shape,” Lee shared. The boys looked at him with grief-stricken eyes, then buried their heads in their mother’s side.

Amanda walked over to a couch and put an arm around each of the boys. “I’m not going to lie to you, boys. It’s pretty bad. I wish I could make it better, but I can’t.”

About 30 minutes later, Dr. McManus walked up to the family. “Not much has changed, I’m afraid. Mr. King is out of surgery, but still very critical. The next few hours should give us an idea of where we’re headed. I’m afraid he can’t have any visitors at this point. Mrs. King has stabilized, but is unconscious. We’re prepping her for surgery to see if we can find the cause of the bleeding.”

Amanda nodded and glanced at Lee. He walked over to the doctor and asked, “Have you heard any more about how the accident occurred?”

The doctor responded, “They are sending over the accident report as we speak. Hopefully, it’ll give us an idea of where Mrs. King was injured specifically. Her body is pretty battered and we can’t pinpoint it. I’ll let you know what the report says.”

Lee rejoined the family in their quiet vigil.

SMK SMK

At Amanda’s house, Francine handed Ephraim a cup of coffee. “Not exactly the relaxing evening we were promised, is it?” Francine whispered, trying to inject some levity into the tragic evening.

“No, it sure isn’t. God, I can’t imagine what they’re all dealing with at the hospital. What if both of them die? I don’t envy Lee and Amanda right now,” Ephraim responded.

Francine shook her head and sat down. “Hey, Ephraim, I’m really sorry for getting so irritated about you coming over. It’s not an excuse, but I’ve had one helluva week and I just…”

“Just didn’t want to deal with me ‘mooning’ over you, right?” Ephraim laughed, catching Francine’s sheepish look. “It’s OK, really. I know I’ve been a pest in the past, especially that Christmas I got a little…well, I drank too much. But, Francine, I understand that you don’t feel the same way about me…and it’s OK…really. I’d really like to be your friend, though. It seems like you could use one right now.”

Francine smiled. “I’d like that, Ephraim. I’d like that a lot. So, what should we talk about…as friends? We’ve got a couple of hours to burn until the girls wake up, I think. How long do babies sleep anyway?”

“You know, I don’t know…I think Amanda mentioned that Katie ‘was finally sleeping through the night’, but how long is that?”

“Got me. So, how’re things down in freshman candidate world?” Francine asked, trying to get away from the troubles of the Stetson-King clan.

“Actually, not so good. I’m really tired of dealing with them to be honest. In fact, I’ve been talking to Amanda and Lee about possibly moving into field work,” Ephraim shared.

“Are you kidding me?” Francine laughed.

“What? Is it so impossible to see me doing field work?” Ephraim retorted, obviously hurt.

“No, I mean…I’ve been talking to Amanda and Lee about possibly moving into field work,” Francine chuckled. Ephraim stared at her then joined her laughter.

“Really? Well, I guess it’s true about great minds thinking alike. Have they mentioned to you the possibility of joining the Q Bureau?”

“What are you talking about? Lee and Amanda are the Q Bureau,” Francine responded.

“Well, Amanda told me they’ve been discussing with Billy the possibility of adding another team to the Q Bureau. Apparently, with all the unrest in the Soviet Bloc and the turmoil that’s ever-present in the Middle East, they have a pretty heavy workload,” Ephraim confided. “Amanda wants me to think about being a part of that team.”

“Why haven’t they asked me? I’ve known them longer and I would be a great asset to the Q Bureau! I’m going to have to have a little chat with Amanda next time I see her. The idea of asking you and not me…”

“Francine,” Ephraim interrupted. “I don’t think now is the time to get upset with Amanda…do you?”

Francine looked stricken. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I forgot. I’m such a terrible person!”

“No, you’re not. Besides, we started this conversation to try to forget a little,” Ephraim moved next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She looked down at her lap for a while and shook her head.

Looking Ephraim in the eye, she said, “Thanks. So, field work, huh? Are you thinking about going to the Q Bureau?”

“Yeah, I really am. From what I’ve seen, it looks like an interesting challenge. What about you? Want to join the Q Bureau?”

“You know,” Francine answered. “It might not be so bad. Maybe we could…try being partners? I mean, it could be worse…one of us could end up with Fred Fielder!”

“God help us all!” Ephraim laughed. Could he really have heard what Francine suggested? Had she really suggested being partners in the field? “Are you sure you want to be my partner, Francine? I mean…you’d have to be around me every single day. Do you think you could handle that?” He stood up and walked behind the couch, suddenly restless. He didn’t want to pressure her into anything, but…the idea of actually working with Francine on a day-to-day basis did have its appeal.

Francine watched Ephraim pace and thought about what he’d said. Partners…she’d thrown it out almost without thought, but it might not be so bad. Ephraim had a good head on his shoulders, and she had been impressed when he’d taken charge earlier when they’d heard about the Kings. She’d seen a new side of Ephraim tonight and she thought it might be interesting to explore the possibilities of a partnership- but only professionally, of course. Francine looked at Ephraim and smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. It could be fun…but, we’ll only do it if Billy agrees and only on a trial basis…say three months or so?”

“Sounds good…partner,” Ephraim grinned.

SMK SMK

Lee stared at the accident report. It wasn’t good. Apparently, Joe and Carrie had been heading back into DC and swerved to avoid a blown-out tire. He’d hit an oil slick and overcorrected, which swung him into the path of an 18-wheeler. The driver of the rig hadn’t been injured, but Joe’s car had been completely crushed, almost bent in two. From what Lee saw, it was amazing that Joe and Carrie had even survived, although that still seemed to be in question.

Amanda looked at Lee and he shook his head. He didn’t want her to read this report…at least not tonight. He glanced at his stepsons who’d fallen asleep on their mother. Amanda had laid them down as best she could, laying their heads on her lap. How was he going to help them deal with the possible loss of their father, much less a much-loved stepmother. And Sarah? This accident was bringing back too many memories for Lee of his own childhood. He walked over to the chairs and slumped over.

Amanda couldn’t stop thinking about when she’d lost her father. She’d been older than her boys, but not by much. Of course, she’d had some warning, since her father had died of cancer. But, it didn’t change the fact that she’d missed having her father with her for all the milestones of her life- her first wedding, the births of all three of her children, Lee…it still hurt sometimes to think about it. Lee had to be thinking of the loss of his parents, especially given the current circumstances. ‘What am I going to do if they die?’ Amanda thought to herself. ‘How am I going to help my boys get through this? And, oh my gosh, what about Sarah? She’s going to be left an orphan, just like Lee was…’

SMK SMK

Around 4:00 a.m., Dr. McManus entered the waiting area. Amanda carefully lifted her sleeping boys’ heads and placed in the seat as she got up to walk over to him. She gently shook Dotty awake and Lee walked over to join the group.

“I’ve just come from the OR. Mrs. King survived her surgery, but she’s still critical. We were able to repair her liver, but there was significant damage. It appears that her kidneys may be shutting down and her other lung is compromised. Also, we’ve seen some swelling increase around her brain, due to the head injury. Right now, it’s all wait and see. The next 4 hours are critical,” Dr. McManus explained.

“What about Joe, doctor? Can we see him yet?” Amanda asked, glancing at the sleeping boys.“He’s still critical, but one of you can go in for a few minutes. I have to warn you…he’s going to look very different. His face suffered multiple lacerations and he’s got a lot of tubes and monitors. He hasn’t regained consciousness,” the doctor clarified.

“Amanda, are you sure you want to do this?” Lee asked. “I can do it if you want me to.”

“No, Lee, I have to do it. Though I appreciate the gesture,” she said as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “He’s the boys’ father and I need to see him for them.”Dr. McManus motioned to a nurse, who led Amanda to Joe’s room.

As she left, Lee pulled the doctor to the side and whispered, “Doc, give it to me straight. What are the chances either one is going to survive this?”

The doctor looked at the sleeping boys and at Dotty, who had returned to her seat. “I’ll be honest…it’s highly unlikely either Mr. or Mrs. King will survive more than 24 hours with their injuries. They are very critical- we’ve fixed what we can, and all we can do now is watch, wait…and hope,” Dr. McManus patted Lee on the shoulder and walked off.

Lee turned to look at his family and caught Dotty’s eye. She raised her eyebrows and Lee shook his head. As tears welled in her eyes, Lee walked over and sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Oh, Lee, why did this have to happen?”

“I don’t know, Dotty , I just don’t know.”

SMK SMK

Amanda entered the darkened room to the sound of numerous beeps and whooshing noises. She could barely see Joe under the jungle of tubes and wires. It was like a scene out of one of those medical dramas she occasionally watched on TV, only it was very, very real.

She sighed and walked over to the side of the bed. Joe was so still. “Oh, Joe…” she whispered. “I can’t believe this is happening. Joe, you’ve got to fight to come back to all of us. Your boys and your daughter need you. Your wife needs you.”

She found his hand and placed hers on top. A million memories were flying through her mind: the day they met at that frat party; hanging out at McDragon’s; dinner at Dooley’s; the evening he proposed in that park that overlooked the Potomac; their wedding; Jamie and Phillip’s births; buying the house; that Fourth of July when she asked him for a divorce; Lee helping her clear Joe’s name; Joe and Carrie’s wedding.

Amanda didn’t try to hold back the tears any longer. She looked over as the door opened and the nurse motioned to her. Amanda nodded and turned back to Joe. “Joe, know this…if anything does happen to you, the boys will be OK. Sarah will be OK. You can count on me. But, don’t give up…please try and fight.”

She walked over to the nurse and turned one last time to look at Joe. Then, she headed out the door and walked back to the waiting room.

Lee saw her coming and walked over to her, pulling her into an embrace. “Oh, Lee,” she sobbed. “I don’t think he’s going to make it.” Lee pulled her closer and rocked her back and forth.  

Chapter Four                                                                                                                                               October 14, 1989 6:00 a.m.

I will see you, in a little while, in a place where no shadows fall                                                                                                                 –Delenn, Babylon 5   

After a couple of hours of restless sleep while sitting up in an uncomfortable chair, Lee stretched and realized it was around the time Katie normally woke up. He thought about his baby girl- she was so adorable when she slept. He loved going into the nursery every morning before she woke and watching her sleep for a little while. It had become a little ritual for him, and he felt a little off for not being there this morning.

He glanced over at Amanda, who was sleeping with both boys’ heads in her lap. Her head was lolled to one side, and he knew she was going to have a crick in it if she didn’t move it soon. He thought about how she was dealing with the probable loss of the boys’ father. He remembered how he used to be so jealous, and a little resentful, of Joe. He was so convinced that Joe wanted Amanda back. Who wouldn’t want her? But, when he saw Joe and Carrie together, he realized he had no reason to worry. Joe and Carrie belonged together, just like he did with Amanda.

Now, these two people were in a desperate fight for survival, and he could do nothing except sit here and hope for the best. He watched the boys sleeping. Their father was most likely not going to survive, and he knew they would have a hard time of it in the coming months. ‘They will never feel alone like I did,’ Lee thought to himself. ‘Between Amanda, Dotty, and me, we will never let them grieve on their own. I’m going to make sure they know that I am always going to be here for them.’

A nurse entered the waiting area with a different doctor. Lee stood up and walked over to them. “Mr. Stetson?” the nurse asked. “This is Dr. Peters. He’s Dr. McManus’s replacement on this shift.”

“Hello, doctor,” Lee said, shaking the man’s hand. “Do you have any updates?”

The doctor looked at the nurse, then nodded. Lee held up his hand, and walked over to Amanda, shaking her awake. “Amanda, the new doctor is here with an update.”

Amanda jerked awake, then took Lee’s hand, standing up. “Yes, doctor?”

“I’m afraid it’s not good news. A few minutes ago, Mr. King’s heart stopped. We began immediate resuscitative measures but, unfortunately, there wasn’t anything we could do. His injuries were just too severe and we were unable to save him. I’m so sorry,” the doctor said. He stepped back from the couple and waited at the nurses’ station.

Amanda stared at Lee, who embraced her. After a moment, she pulled away and walked over to her mother. “Mother,” Amanda whispered.

Dotty opened her eyes and looked at her daughter’s face and shook her head. “Joe?” she asked.

“He’s gone, Mother,” Amanda whispered.

“Do the boys know yet?”

“No, the doctor just told us.”

Dotty stood up and went to stand with Lee while Amanda knelt in front of the sleeping boys. As she began the sad task of telling her sons that their father was dead, Lee watched the boys faces crumble. It tore him apart to see all of them hurting like this, especially since there was nothing he could do to fix it. As he stood there, he wondered if this was how the Colonel had felt, all those years ago, when Lee had been the one sitting in the chair with his entire world ripped apart.

As the boys began sobbing, Lee walked over and put his arms out. Phillip held onto his mother, while Jamie grabbed Lee. Dotty walked over to the phone bank and called home.

SMK SMK

Ephraim woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. He groggily answered it and heard Dotty on the other end, telling him that Joe King had died. He hung up and was about to wake up Francine when he heard a distant crying sound. He jumped up and rushed up the stairs to see Sarah and Katie, both crying in their respective cribs. He went and got Katie out of her crib and she latched onto his shirt. Then, he reached down and pulled Sarah up as well. As he headed down the stairs, he knew he needed help.

Francine kept trying to shake that wailing out of her head…was it a train? Why would there be a train in her room? The wailing got louder and she felt someone shaking her.

“Francine! Francine!”

“Not now, Mother, I just need five more minutes…” Francine moaned.

“Francine! You need to get up and help me with these babies!”

Francine jerked awake. “Babies?” she yawned and opened her eyes to see a frantic Ephraim, holding a squalling infant with one arm and another who was trying to get out of his arms and onto the floor. Apparently, she’d fallen asleep on the couch in the den.

“Francine, please! I can’t make them stop!” Ephraim begged. Francine had to stifle a laugh. The poor man looked like he was barely hanging on.

She stood up and grabbed Sarah, who was about to fall. “What time is it?”

Ephraim looked at his watch. “A little after 6…I think we need to change them. Do you know how to do that?”

Francine grimaced. “Yes, but you’re going to help me. Amanda showed me how that time I watched Katie in the Q Bureau. It’s not the most pleasant experience, I can assure you.”

They walked back up the stairs to change the girls. “I guess we need to feed them, too,” Francine mentioned. “I think there’s some stuff in the refrigerator…I don’t know what to feed them, though.”

“Me, either, but we’ve got to do something!” Ephraim responded. “Hey…do you think we could call Billy? He’s got kids…surely he knows what to feed babies!”

Francine stared at Ephraim in amazement. “Ephraim, that’s a brilliant idea! Why don’t I call, while you…”

“No way, Francine. You and I are both going to change these kids…don’t even think of weaseling out!” Ephraim insisted.

Francine again stared at Ephraim. ‘Wow,’ she thought to herself. ‘He really has changed…good for him!’ She nodded and together they began the task of cleaning the girls up.

SMK SMK

As Lee sat with the boys, wrapping each of them with an arm as they sobbed into his chest, Amanda walked up to the nurses’ station. She motioned to Dr. Peters.

“Excuse me, Dr. Peters?” Amanda said. “I was wondering if you had an update on Carrie…Mrs. King.”

“I know that she is still extremely critical, but let me check and see if I have any additional information,” he answered. He turned and headed towards Carrie’s room.

Amanda turned and looked at her boys. How were they going to deal with the loss of their father? She saw how they were leaning into Lee, making a mess of his shirt. Lee glanced up and looked at Amanda, a grim smile on his face. She realized that everything would eventually be OK, and that Lee would be a big part of helping piece the lives of her boys back together. She once again realized how blessed she’d really been that October day 6 years ago.

She began walking back to the seating area when Dr. Peters returned. “Dr. Peters?” she asked warily. He had a decidedly grim look to his face.

“Mrs. King is extremely critical. Her body is in what we call Grade Three Shock. Her kidneys have almost completely shut down, the swelling on her brain has not lessened, and her blood pressure is at a dangerous level. We are doing everything we can, but…I think you need to prepare your family,” he conveyed as he touched her shoulder.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered as tears came to her eyes. She glanced at Lee and her mother. Dotty stood up and walked over to her. “Carrie’s probably not going to make it, Mother,” she whispered.

Dotty wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close. “It’s going to be OK, Amanda,” she comforted. Together, they walked over to the guys.

“Fellas,” Amanda croaked. “I, um, I…need to tell you something.” She looked at Lee and shook her head. He looked down and sighed. Then, he increased his hold on the boys. “The doctor told me that Carrie isn’t doing very well…and, well…you need to be prepared for…for…”

“Boys, I know this is hard, but your mother is…” Lee tried to continue.

Phillip looked up at his mother and whispered, “Carrie’s going to die, too, isn’t she?”

Amanda nodded her head. “It looks like it, though she’s still hanging on.”

Jamie whispered, “Mom, what’s going to happen to Sarah? I mean, we’ve all lost Dad…” he started crying hard and leaned into Lee.

Lee pulled him close and said, “Jamie, don’t worry about Sarah. We’ll take care of her. She has a home…with us…if Carrie…well, if Carrie…doesn’t make it.”

SMK SMK

Billy chuckled at the sight of Francine when she answered the door. Her hair was unkempt and her shirt had seen better days. “Good morning, Francine. I can see babysitting agrees with you.”

“Can it, Billy,” Francine snapped. “Can’t you hear that we have an emergency? We have two screaming banshees in here and we have no idea what to feed them!”

Billy glanced in and saw Ephraim desperately trying to comfort Katie while Sarah sat on the floor, screaming. He swallowed his laughter and walked in the door. He went to Sarah and picked her up, crooning, “Poor baby! Is mean ole Francine not feeding you? Let’s see what we can do about that!”

Sarah looked at Billy with a confused look and stopped screaming. She whimpered and squirmed in his arms. “Come on, Sarah, want some cereal? I bet Amanda has some Cheerios around here somewhere….ah, here they are!” He pulled the yellow box out of the cabinet as he walked over to the kitchen table. “Francine, come strap this booster seat into the chair.”

Francine hurried over and completed the task. Billy placed Sarah into the seat and buckled her in. Then he grabbed a plastic bowl out of the drying rack and poured some of the Cheerios into the bowl. Sarah dived for them, cramming them into her mouth. Billy laughed and said, “Francine, pour a little milk into that Sippy cup and make sure the top is on tight…or else you’ll be cleaning Amanda’s kitchen!”

Ephraim walked in, still bouncing Katie, trying to get her to stop. “Billy, a little help here would be great!” he urged.

Billy looked into the cabinets and found some baby food. He pulled out a jar of applesauce, some pears, and a jar of banana. “I’m sure Amanda probably makes her rice or oat cereal, but we’ll just stick to fruit for now. Hand her here, Ephraim,” he said, taking the baby. “Poor Katie, have they been rough on you?” He walked her over to the high chair and placed her in the seat. “Now, use these rubberized spoons to feed her. Don’t put too much on the spoon, unless you want it all over her and all over you.”

“What do you mean?” Francine squeaked. “Aren’t you going to do it?”

“Nope,” Billy replied with a smile. “You told Amanda and Lee that you had it covered, and you do. I think the two of you will handle this just fine. Now, let me see what I can find for you to feed them at lunch, and you’ll be good to go.” He pushed Francine into the seat next to the high chair, and she gingerly gave Katie a bite of plums. She eagerly ate it and opened her mouth for more.

Billy rummaged in the refrigerator and found some ham and American cheese. He fixed up a little plate of bite-sized pieces for Sarah and covered it with plastic wrap. Then, he pulled out some more baby food- some carrots, peas, plums, and some more applesauce. He fixed a Sippy cup with some juice and fixed several bottles of formula. “You’ll need to warm the formula up for Katie when she’s done eating and later when she’s ready for a nap. Just run it under water, then put some on your arm to make sure it’s not too hot. Regular milk will work for Sarah- and you don’t need to warm it. I’ll be at home this morning, so just give me a call if you run into any problems. Jeannie and I’ll come over this afternoon to give you a little break. Have you heard anything at all?”

Francine walked over to them, not knowing the answer. Ephraim glanced at Francine and nodded, “Yeah, Dotty called a little while ago. Joe’s gone, and Carrie is in critical condition.” Francine gasped and Billy shook his head.

“That’s too bad. Joe was a good man,” Billy said. He’d seen too many good men die in his day, but that didn’t make it any easier. “Amanda and Lee are going to have a rough time of it for awhile.” He glanced at Ephraim and Francine, then continued, “It’s a good thing they’ve got good friends like the two of you to help them out. You’re doing a good thing here.”

He smiled at them, then glanced over at the table. Sarah was attempting to feed Katie a Cheerio, and Katie was laughing. “Looks like you two better get to work,” he laughed as he made his way out.

SMK SMK

Lee, Phillip, Jamie, and Amanda stood outside Carrie’s darkened room. Given the seriousness of Carrie’s condition, the doctor had agreed to let the boys see her for a brief time. As they walked into the doorway, Jamie huddled closer to Amanda.

“Jamie, if you don’t want to come in, it’s OK. Nobody is going to think any less of you if you don’t. Lee’s right here and you can look in the window,” Amanda soothed. Jamie looked up at her and shook his head. Amanda led them in, and Lee stood right outside.

“Mom?” Phillip whispered. “She’s so still…is she…”

“She’s still here, Phillip. She’s just unconscious,” Amanda reassured him. Carrie was very still, with even more tubes than she’d had earlier, when she’d been awake. She was so pale and small…it didn’t seem possible that this was the vibrant woman who’d been at her house…yesterday.

“Mom…I, uh, I think I’m going to go…” Jamie bolted out the door into Lee’s arms.

Amanda glanced back at Lee and nodded.“Phillip, you can talk to her…if you want,” Amanda whispered.

“Uh…no…I…uh…” Phillip stuttered and backed into Amanda.

“Phillip, you don’t have to stay. I know it’s a little scary to see her like this, and you can go to Lee, too, if you want. Nobody is going to feel bad…I promise,” she reassured him and gave him a hug. He turned and went out the door.

Amanda turned back to the friend she’d known for too short a time. She walked over to her and put her hand over Carrie’s.

“Carrie,” Amanda croaked. “I want you to know that we all love you. You have made a difference in our family and you are a wonderful mother and friend. Joe loved you so much. I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about Sarah. We’ll take care of her and love her and protect her. We’ll raise her as a part of our family and she’ll never forget you. You can count on me.”

As she stood there, Amanda began to weep for this young woman who would never see her daughter graduate or get married, never hear her call her Mama, never take her to school for the first time. She wept for the loss of a family, destroyed by chance. She wept for the tiny girl at her house, who would never remember her mother holding her in her arms or her father singing her to sleep.

Amanda turned to leave and whispered to Carrie, “Say hello to Joe for me and tell him…we’ve got it covered.”

She walked out the door and into the arms of her loving husband and her grieving sons. Deep down, she knew she’d never see Carrie alive again. 

Chapter Five                                                                                                                                         October 14, 1989 11 a.m.

And the greater shadows fall from the lofty mountains                                                                                                                   -Virgil

Amanda stood at the phone bank, talking to Francine. After being reassured that the girls were fine, she hung up the phone and walked back to where Dotty and the boys sat.

“The girls are OK,” Amanda sighed as she sat down. “Apparently, Billy came over to help them figure out what to feed them earlier this morning. They are playing in the living room right now.”

“That’s good,” Dotty said, putting her arm around her daughter. “You’ve got some good friends there. Where’s Lee?”

“He told me he had to take care of something. He’s probably on the phone with Billy somewhere. We’re going to need someone to cover the Q Bureau this week while we…” Amanda trailed off, not wanting to go into the details of the arrangements she was going to have to make.

Dotty nodded her head, then kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Darling, why don’t you go and get some coffee? It’d do you some good to walk around a little bit.”

“I don’t know, Mother,” Amanda wavered, looking at the boys who had fallen asleep again in chairs next to their grandmother.

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. If news comes, there isn’t anything you can do, now is there? Go…you’ve got to take care of yourself if you’re going to be any good for anyone else,” Dotty said, pushing on Amanda’s back.

Amanda got up and walked over to the nurse’s station. “Sherry?” she said to the nurse. “I’m going to go to the cafeteria for a little while. Um, if anything…happens, could you wait until I get back to tell my family…I, uh, I need to be here for that.”

The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile. “Of course, don’t worry about a thing, Amanda. I’ll make sure of it.”

Amanda gave a glance to her family and her mother gave a shooing wave to her. She walked down to the elevators and headed to the main level. She felt like she was on automatic pilot as she headed to the cafeteria and found a coffee kiosk. She ordered a large coffee and some bottles of juice and water to take back with her. As she began to pay, she saw Lee enter the cafeteria and head towards her. She turned back around and ordered a second coffee, then paid. As she finished, Lee grabbed a coffee and walked with her over to a table.

“Everything OK?” Lee asked.

“I guess,” Amanda answered. “We haven’t heard any more about Carrie. I checked on the girls and Francine said everything was OK.”

“Good,” Lee said as he led his wife over to a table.

“Where’d you take off to?” Amanda asked as she sipped her coffee. The aroma helped wake her up and she sighed.

“Oh…uh…” Lee stammered. “Well…I…all right, Amanda. I asked the nurse who I needed to see about…um…making arrangements for the…for Joe…and Carrie…if she… I hope that’s all right. I called Billy and asked him to find out who we needed to talk to at EAO about contacting their attorney. I just figured…well, I just couldn’t sit any longer and…”

“I love you,” Amanda whispered, grabbing his hand. Lee looked into her eyes and saw she was about to cry again.

“I love you, too,” he soothed. “Please don’t cry. It’s going to be all right.”

“No, it’s not, Lee, not for a long time. But, I’m grateful beyond belief that you are here to help me through this. And…thank you so much for taking care of all that. I was really…dreading it.”

“I know,” Lee answered, kissing her hand. “We’ll deal with all of this together…just like we always do. We’ll get through this…I promise.”

Amanda smiled at him and knew that she could do anything, as long as he was by her side.

SMK SMK

A few minutes later, Amanda felt somewhat refreshed as she and Lee headed back to the ICU waiting area. As they reached the family, Dotty stood up and walked over to them. “I think I’m going to take the boys to the cafeteria for something to eat. What do you think?”

“I think that’s probably a good idea. They’ve got to be starving by now,” Amanda nodded. As the boys got up, she gave them a hug. “Fellas, try to eat something. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

Jamie hung his head and Phillip nodded. They followed Dotty towards the elevators. Lee walked over to the nurse’s station while Amanda walked over to the windows. A moment later, Lee joined her there.

“Any change?” Amanda asked, almost dreading the answer.“Not much…her organs are shutting down, but she’s still hanging on. Her status has moved to Grade Four Shock which, unless it can be reversed, is usually fatal. They can’t get her blood pressure stabilized and she’s too weak to go back into surgery. The nurse said it’s only a matter of time at this point.”

“Oh, Lee,” Amanda whispered as she leaned back into him. He wrapped his arms around her, wishing he could keep the world at bay. She closed her eyes and thought about the many changes that had occurred and were on their way.

They stood that way for quite some time, until they heard a throat clearing. Amanda opened her eyes to see Billy and Jeannie standing in the waiting area.

“Billy, Jeannie,” Lee began, “what are you doing here?”

“Well,” Billy said, “We thought we’d stop by and see if you needed anything. How are the boys handling everything?”

“Not well,” Amanda whispered. “I don’t think they can handle much more. I guess you heard about…”

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Amanda,” Jeannie broke in. “I know that you all had remained close. How is Carrie?”

Amanda took a deep breath. Lee looked at her and answered, “It’s only a matter of time. She’s hanging on, but the doctors don’t hold out much hope.”

Billy shook his head and Jeannie put her hand on Amanda’s shoulder. “Is there anything we can do? Would you like for us to take the boys home with us? We were planning on heading to your house after here, to give Francine and Ephraim a break.”

Billy try to stifle a grin, but couldn’t. “I wish you could’ve seen them this morning. Francine looked like she’d been put through the ringer!”

Amanda smiled. “She sounded exhausted on the phone a little while ago. I had a feeling she wasn’t giving me the whole story.”

“Well, they’ve done their best…and the girls looked fine when I left. Ephraim seemed to be taking it all in stride. I thought they were working pretty well together, believe it or not!” Billy shared.

Lee looked at Amanda and gave her a small smile. Amanda looked at Billy and said, “I don’t know if the boys want to stay or not. I’m not going to pressure them either way. They’re in the cafeteria, though. You’re welcome to ask them what they’d like to do. This has been so hard on them, losing their dad and preparing to lose their stepmother.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Jeannie soothed. “We’ll check with them and give them a choice. We’ll head over to the house either way. If they do decide to go, we’ll just stay with Francine and Ephraim, if that’s OK with you.”

“Jeannie, I can’t tell you how much this means to us. I really appreciate it,” Amanda sobbed, unable to hold her emotions in any longer. The older woman embraced the younger one as Lee led Billy off to the side.

“Billy, we’re going to need at least this week off. With funeral arrangements and dealing with all the legal stuff, our hands are going to be pretty full,” Lee confided.

Billy nodded. “Take whatever time you need. What’s going to happen with Sarah?”

“Back in July, we agreed to be her guardians if anything were to ever happen to them. God knows I never expected this. I don’t know what all it’s going to entail, but…” Lee expressed. He took a deep breath. “Anyway, I was thinking that maybe Francine and Ephraim could handle the Q Bureau for a few days…” Lee gave a knowing look to Billy.

Billy grinned. “So…you think they’ll go for it? I mean…Francine has never been subtle in her opinion of Beaman.”

“Amanda talked with him about the Q Bureau last night before…and thought he was interested. I think they’d make a good team, and Amanda and I trust them implicitly. Why don’t you mention it to them and feel them out? I have a feeling it’ll turn out all right,” Lee confided.

Jeannie and Amanda walked over to them. Billy gave Amanda a hug and whispered, “Don’t worry about anything, Amanda. We’re here for you.” Lee and Amanda smiled as the older couple left.

SMK SMK

Dotty returned to the waiting area with the boys. They’d eaten very little for lunch and had decided not to go with the Melroses. About an hour later, Dr. Peters walked up to the exhausted family.

“Mrs. Stetson, may I speak to you?” he asked.

Lee and Amanda stood up. “Yes, doctor?” she croaked.

“I’m afraid that Mrs. King has succumbed to her injuries. They were just too extensive and her heart gave out a few minutes ago. I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Um, thank you, doctor,” Amanda sobbed, then turned to let her mother and the boys know.

Lee remained with the doctor. “Dr. Peters, I’ve, uh, been making arrangements…”

“I understand. Go with your family, and the hospital will be in touch with you.”

Lee shook his hand, then walked over to his family. Jamie was standing off to the side, with his head hung down. Lee went to him and put his arm around his shoulder. “Jamie? You doing OK?”

“Sure,” Jamie responded.

“It’s going to be all right, son. We’re going to be all right,” Lee comforted.

Amanda looked over at Lee and shrugged. This was going to be difficult for all of them, but Jamie always seemed to take everything so hard. She remembered how he’d reacted to her injury in California, and this was so much worse.

“Why don’t we all head home…I’m sure Katie and Sarah would love to see their brothers,” Dotty suggested.

“Mom, what’s going to happen to Sarah now?” Phillip asked. “Where’s she going to go? Are we ever going to see her again?”

“Of course you are, Phillip. She’s your sister. She’s going to stay with us…as a part of our family. She’s not going anywhere…I promise,” Amanda answered, wrapping her arm around him.

“But, she’s not…yours, Mom. I mean, she was our sister, but she’s not…” Jamie stammered.

“Well, you and your brother aren’t mine, are you?” Lee asked with a half-smile. “Do you think I love you any less than I love Katie?”

“No…” Jamie responded.

“Well, then, don’t you think we can love Sarah just as much as we love all of you?” Amanda asked. “I promise you…it’s all going to be just fine.”

Jamie and Phillip looked at their mother, then Dotty, then Lee. Jamie sighed as if a burden had been lifted and gave his brother a look. Lee wrapped his arm around Jamie and said, “Come on…let’s go home.”

Amanda followed behind. She thought to herself how different life was going to be. Her family had just been dealt a tragic blow and now had difficulties lying ahead. Although she still didn’t understand how two good people could be gone so quickly, she was grateful that they hadn’t suffered much.

Now, she would have a new daughter to take care of. Four children…it was going to be difficult, but she knew that, as long as she and Lee were together, they would be able to handle anything life dealt them…even something as difficult as adding a child who’d suddenly been orphaned.

As Lee led the boys into the elevator, he gazed at Amanda. He realized that he now had more in common with Sarah than anyone else in her life. He alone knew what it was like to lose two parents in an instant. He knew what it was like to be all alone in the world. But, he promised himself in that moment, unlike him, Sarah would never feel lonely. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Sarah felt loved and wanted every single day of her life. Sarah would be his daughter from this day forward, just as much as Katie was, and loved as much as his sons were.

He looked again at Amanda and she nodded. As always, they were on the same wavelength. Although they would never replace Joe and Carrie, Sarah would never be alone. She had family.  

Epilogue                                                                                                                        

October 31, 1989 6 p.m.

Time flies, Suns rise and shadows fall. Let time go by. Love is forever over all.                                                                                                                  -From an English Sun Dial

Amanda and Lee sat in their living room, watching Katie and Sarah play with some plastic blocks. Katie kept laughing every time Sarah threw a block on the floor, which in turn made Sarah laugh. Lee watched as Amanda took her camera and snapped pictures of the girls.

“Amanda, you’re going to blind them if you keep that up,” he chuckled. She gave him a look, then laughed.

“Lee, they’re just so cute in their costumes. I just want some pictures to remember Katie’s first Halloween! It’s also Sarah’s first with…us,” Amanda responded. Lee glanced at the girls. They really were adorable. Katie was wearing a little pumpkin costume and Sarah was dressed as a ballerina. They’d taken them to a few neighbors’ houses earlier that evening for “trick or treating”, which really meant letting the elderly women coo over the babies.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Amanda motioned for Lee to stay while she grabbed the bowl of candy. She opened the door to Indiana Jones, Batman, and a ghost. “Trick or treat!” the kids yelled, while Amanda complimented them on their costumes. “Thanks, Mrs. Stetson!” they yelled as they ran off to the next house.

Phillip and Jamie ran down the stairs as she was shutting the door. “Fellas, do you have to make such a racket?” Amanda exclaimed.

“Sorry, Mom. We’re going to head over to Linda’s right now, if that’s all right,” Phillip answered. “Come say goodbye to your sisters before you leave,” Lee called out. The boys went to the girls. Phillip picked up Sarah, making her squeal with delight. Jamie went to Katie and kissed her on the top of her head. Katie grabbed his hair and giggled.

Amanda grabbed her camera again and said, “Phillip, turn Sarah around and, Jamie, pick up Katie. Now look at me and smile.” The boys did as they were asked, then set the girls back down on the blanket before their mother could get another picture.

“Bye, Mom, Lee. See you later!” the boys called out as they ran out the door. Amanda smiled as she watched the boys run down the street to Linda Montez’s house. They had been so quiet for the last few weeks since the funerals. Neither one seemed to want to venture far from the house and barely spoke to anyone on the phone. When Linda’s mother had called Amanda about the party, Gail had been unsure about whether the boys would want to go. Amanda, though, thought it would be a good opportunity to lift the boys’ spirits and had thanked her for including Jamie. Phillip had been thrilled with the invitation and Jamie was ecstatic. Apparently, Linda’s little sister, Rachel, was a “friend” of his.

“Looks like the boys are in a good mood,” Lee said as Amanda returned to the couch. “It’s good to see them happy again.”

“I know,” Amanda sighed. “It’s been rough on them, losing their dad. I’m glad Gail thought to invite them. They need to get back into the swing of things…so do I. I think it’ll be good for me to get back to work next week. What do you think?”

“Is Dotty OK with having both girls now? It’s a lot of work,” Lee questioned.

“I can handle it,” Dotty responded as she walked in from the kitchen. “It’s time our life got back to normal. The boys need normal…I think it’s time to get back to business as usual.” She looked down at the girls and smiled. “Well, almost normal…you have that appointment with Joe’s lawyer tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, we’re meeting with him at 10 to discuss the adoption. He seems to think everything will go smoothly since we’re legally Sarah’s guardians,” Amanda answered.

“Good,” Dotty responded. Just then, the doorbell rang. “I bet that’s Andrei. Did I tell you we’re going to a faculty soiree? I think it’s going to be fun!” As she opened the door, Dr. Zernov walked in.

“Good evening, Dorothea. Are you ready? You look…how do you say? Beautiful,” Andrei gushed.

“Yes, I’m ready. See you later, Amanda, Lee! Don’t eat too much candy!” Dotty called out as she walked out the door.

SMK SMK

Around 8 p.m., the doorbell rang. “Isn’t it a little late for trick or treaters?” Lee asked. Amanda shrugged and grabbed the bowl of candy.

“Trick or treat!” Ephraim said with his hand held out. Francine stood just behind him with an amused look on her face. Amanda laughed as she held open the door and welcomed them in.

“Ooh, are those Snickers, Amanda?” Francine whispered as Ephraim walked into the living room ahead of her. Amanda smiled, then handed Francine the bowl. Francine grabbed a Snickers and carried it with her.

“Hey, guys, what’s up?” Lee asked as they walked into the living room.

“Oh, nothing much,” Francine answered. “We just wanted to stop by and bring Amanda up to date on the expansion.”

“Actually,” Ephraim chuckled, “I think Francine wanted to get some Halloween candy since you told her earlier today that Amanda had bought five big bags of Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.”

Amanda laughed at the horrified expression on Francine’s face. Francine elbowed Ephraim and said, “That is not true! I wanted to see the girls in their costumes. Amanda told me all about them last week when we met for lunch.”

“Sure, and that’s why you have a Snickers hidden in your purse!” Ephraim teased. Francine gave him a look, then laughed. Lee shook his head as Amanda grabbed her camera again.

“Do you mind if I take your picture with the girls? I think it’d be cute!” Amanda said as she handed Francine and Ephraim each a baby. She got them to smile, then snapped the picture. As she set down the camera, she took Katie from Ephraim.

“Well, I’m about to go put them in their pajamas. Want to come help me?” Amanda asked Francine. Francine nodded and, still holding Sarah, followed Amanda up the stairs.

As they reached the nursery, Francine let out a small gasp. “Amanda, you’ve done so much in here.” Amanda nodded and surveyed the room. While Amanda had been off for the last few weeks to take care of the many details that surround the loss of loved ones, she and Dotty had brought over several items from Sarah’s room and redone the nursery to incorporate them.

When they were going through Joe and Carrie’s house to prepare it for its eventual sale, they’d chosen some pictures Carrie had hung in Sarah’s nursery, along with her crib and a rocking chair that had been Joe’s. They’d also hung a picture of Joe and Carrie on their wedding day above Sarah’s crib.

Amanda carried Katie over to the changing table and wrestled her out of the pumpkin costume, changed her diaper, then put on some pink footed pajamas. “Here, if you’ll take Katie, I’ll change Sarah,” she said, reaching for the squirming ballerina.

“So, how is it going…with Sarah added to your clan?” Francine asked.

“It’s been fine. It really isn’t much more work dealing with two. Phillip and Jamie aren’t that much farther apart in age than Sarah and Katie, so I’ve just kind of gotten back into my old habits. Of course, it’s a lot easier now than it was then. I was on my own when Phillip and Jamie were small since…Joe…was always travelling. Now, I have my mother and Lee, and the boys even pitch in,” Amanda shared as she finished zipping up Sarah’s pajamas. “Now, your turn- how is it going with Ephraim? I know it’s only been a week or so, but…”

“Actually, it’s not that bad. The first week when you and Lee were both gone was a little awkward, especially since we were at your desks and trying to figure out what needed to be done. But, once Lee came back and we started fixing up our office, we’ve started getting used to each other. You know, he’s really not that bad a guy once you get to know him,” Francine responded, smiling at Katie as she tried to grab her earrings.

Amanda looked at Francine and smiled. She had changed so much over the years. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Francine used to throw little digs at her about being a housewife and a mom, and now, here she was, comfortable with playing with a baby.  

“What?” Francine said, noticing the look Amanda was giving her.

“Oh, nothing,” Amanda giggled. “I was just thinking about something from a long time ago. Hey, we’d better get back downstairs- it’s about time for these girls to settle down.”

SMK SMK

While Amanda and Francine were taking care of the girls, Lee and Ephraim headed to the kitchen for beer and some popcorn.

“So, Lee, has Amanda decided when she’s coming back?” Ephraim chatted as he leaned against the counter.

“Actually, she’s thinking about Monday. We have a meeting tomorrow with Joe’s lawyer, and then she and Dotty are meeting with the realtor to get their house on the market on Thursday. I think we’re all ready to get some normalcy back in our lives,” Lee answered as he put the popcorn in the microwave.

“How are the boys holding up?”

“They have their moments. Phillip will get angry at the drop of a hat, and Jamie holds it all in. We’ve got them a counselor Pfaff recommended. He helps teenagers deal with loss. They go to him once a week. I think it helps that they know Sarah isn’t going anywhere. Jamie really worried about that at first, so we showed him the adoption papers we’ve been working on,” Lee answered.

“So, how does this whole adoption thing work?” Ephraim asked.

“Well, according to the lawyer, it should be a pretty easy thing. Since Joe and Carrie named us as guardians, she’s already legally a part of our family. But, we decided that Sarah needed to feel that she was permanent, and not someone we just took in, as she got older. We talked to the boys about it and they seem fine with Sarah becoming a Stetson,” Lee explained.

“We thought it would be easier all around for Sarah to be a Stetson, since Katie is,” Amanda finished as she and Francine walked into the kitchen. “In fact, Jamie was the one who suggested it. He thought Katie might feel left out as the only one with a different last name.”

Amanda reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of formula and headed to the sink to warm it up. Katie was starting to get a little fussy.

“Here, Amanda, let me take her,” Ephraim suggested. A little surprised, Amanda handed her over and finished warming the bottle. Ephraim headed into the living room.

“I think Sarah’s getting sleepy, Amanda. Why don’t I go rock her?” Francine asked, then headed to the living room after Ephraim.

Lee watched as Francine walked over to the rocking chair and sat down, fairly close to where Ephraim was holding Katie. Lee looked at Amanda and smiled. “They make quite a pair, don’t you think?”

“I do. I think they are a great team in more ways than one,” Amanda replied with a grin.

“You promised Francine you wouldn’t play matchmaker anymore,” Lee warned as he put his arms around her.

“Who said I needed to?” Amanda replied as she gave him a quick kiss. “I think they are doing just fine on their own. Now, why don’t we go let Ephraim give Katie her bottle and let’s have a nice evening with our friends?”

“Sounds good, partner,” Lee smiled and kissed her again.

As they walked into the living room, Amanda looked around at the evidence of her family’s life. They had struggled to deal with the loss of a much loved father and stepmother, and their lives were forever changed. But, even though a shadow had fallen on the life they had created, the Stetson-King family would come through it and be stronger for the struggle.