December 25, l987
The sun peaked its way into the bedroom window at 4247 Maplewood Drive casting its morning rays on the sleeping occupants. It had been a bitterly cold week, culminating in a snowstorm that started on Christmas Eve.
Dotty West stood at the kitchen sink looking out the window at the wonderland of white that had fallen during the night. As far as her eyes could see, everything was coated with a white blanket of fresh fallen snow. Turning from her musings, she started the coffee brewing, knowing that soon everyone would be awake.
Up in the master bedroom Amanda Stetson, slowly opened her eyes and felt her husband’s arm draped over her waist, as they had gone to sleep spooned together. Everything was so much easier now that all the secrets were out in the open. The idea of a secret marriage had lasted only six months; neither she nor Lee could stand being apart any longer. The secrecy and lies had started to take a toll on each of them, so they both agreed it was time for honesty, to let everyone in on what was occurring in their lives. Stop pretending they were something less than what they were, including their jobs.
It had taken a little time, but soon after Lee moved in, everything had returned to normal, or as normal as a spy family can be. Dotty was in seventh heaven, planning the renewal of their wedding vows that would take place on their first anniversary.
Amanda turned in her husband’s arms to face him, putting a hand to his check to softly caress it. Feeling his wife move in his arms, he opened his eyes. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Stetson,” he told her as he softly kissed her lips, reveling in the fact that he was able to wake up with his beautiful wife each and every morning.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Stetson,” she replied as she snuggled into his arms.
Lee hugged her closer to him, “I still can’t believe how wonderful it is to wake up with you next to me each and every morning. I could kick myself for ever having suggested the stupid secret marriage idea in the first place.”
Looking up at him and placing a finger to his lips, “Well you could kick me too, because I agreed to go along with the idea. Now, all we have to worry about is getting through your first Christmas in the King-Stetson household. It’s going to be hectic; at least Aunt Lillian agreed to come to the wedding instead of now.”
Kissing the tip of her finger, “I know it was a hardship for her not be here, but I do appreciate her sacrifice in letting us have our first Christmas alone together as a family. You know…hmm, what is that wonderful aroma I smell?”
“Mother is already up and starting the traditional Christmas breakfast of French toast, eggs and bacon. I really need to get up and go downstairs and help her, the goose needs to go into the oven and the rest of the meal needs to be started. Besides I’m surprised the boys have not waken us up yet to open their presents.”
No sooner had she spoken, there was a knock on the bedroom door. “Mom, Lee get up Grandma says breakfast is ready and we want to open our presents,” Phillip yelled from the hallway.
“We’ll be right down,” they both answered.
Kissing Amanda one last time, Lee sat up on the side of the bed and put his slippers on. He stood up to get his bathrobe from the back of the chair and looked outside the window. “Amanda, come here you have to see this.”
Amanda put her slippers and robe on and walked to see what her husband was talking about. Looking out the window she saw a snow covered world. “Its beautiful Lee, after we eat breakfast and open presents we’ll have to all go out and build a snowman.”
Lee wrapped his arms around her, “my love that would be a pleasure. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for some breakfast. The coffee aroma is driving me crazy.”
Tightening the belt on her robe, she turned in her husband’s arms, “I still can’t believe I actually have you eating breakfast.”
“It’s a miracle. Someone once told me breakfast was the most important meal of the day, I finally saw the light.” Kissing her one last time, “Shall we go downstairs Mrs. Stetson, I don’t think our boys will wait much longer to open their gifts.”
Entering the kitchen, Amanda saw that her mother had already set the table and had started on preparing the goose for the oven. “Mother you should have woken me up earlier, I would have helped you get everything ready.”
“No need sweetheart, I have everything under control. I wanted you and Lee to sleep in. It is his first Christmas as a member of the family and your first Christmas as man and wife. I want to make it a special day for both of you. Have you looked outside I can’t believe we have a white Christmas, it’s beautiful.”
Lee walked over to Dotty and kissed her on the cheek, “Thank you, Dotty. I feel pretty special already just being a member of this family and in answer to your question, yes we have seen the snow from the bedroom window.”
“You’re welcome Lee, now the both of you go eat your breakfast.”
Phillip and Jamie were already seated at the kitchen table devouring their breakfasts. Amanda poured two cups of coffee after she and Lee sat down to join their sons at the table.
“Mom, when we’re done eating can we open our presents?” Jamie asked as he looked at her with pleading eyes.
“Yea,” Phillip agreed with his brother, “then can we go out and play in the snow?”
Lee looked up from his breakfast, “I think that’s an excellent idea, your mother even suggested building a snowman.”
“All right,” both boys replied with relish as they started eating once again.
********
Lee sat on the couch and had an amazing time watching Phillip and Jamie tear open each of their gifts; he could hardly believe the amount of time it took. Paper seemed to fly in all directions. The boys were thrilled with all their gifts, especially the new video game that they had both wanted desperately. Dotty was overwhelmed with emotion as she admired the bracelet Lee had given her. This year no scarves, Amanda had helped him pick out appropriate gifts for everyone.
Phillip and Jamie walked over to Lee with a present and placed it in his lap. “Merry Christmas Lee, we thought you would like this.” Lee opened the gift to find a model car the exact replica of his Corvette. “We thought we could both help you put it together. Ya know, a family project thing,” Phillip said.
Thank you, Phillip. Thank you, Jamie; we’ll have a great time putting this together. I have the perfect spot to place it when its finished, my desk at work.”
Dotty was next as she handed Lee a box to unwrap. “Merry Christmas Lee, I’m so proud to be your mother-in-law,” she told him as she sat on the arm of the couch.
Lee looked up at Dotty, “I’m proud to be your son-in-law.” Opening the box he saw a beautifully hand knitted, midnight blue sweater. “Dotty this is beautiful. Did you make it yourself?”
“Yes, I try to make all my gifts special and from the heart. Lee, I do have one more Christmas wish you could fulfill?”
“Anything Dotty,” Lee replied wondering what the wish could be.
“Lee, could you please call me Mom or Mother, I know you lost your mother when you were a young boy. I would be honored for you to call me Mom. It is my most dearest wish.”
Lee stood up from the couch; pulling Dotty up from the couch armrest, he put his arms around her in a hug. “Dot…I mean Mom, it is my honor to call you that,” he said as he kissed her gently on the cheek.
Amanda, sitting on the couch, was getting misty eyed, she was so happy her mother and sons had accepted Lee into their family. Looking up, she saw tears in her husband and mother’s eyes. “Lets not cry, today is supposed to be a happy day,” she said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around both of them.
Walking over to the tree, she reached down and picked up a small box. Sitting back down next to her husband, “Merry Christmas, I love you,” she kissed him and handed him the gift.
Lee was overwhelmed with happiness; he had never known Christmas could be so loving and special. “Thank you, I love you, too,” he said as he unwrapped and opened the gift. Inside the small box was a gold signet ring with his initials engraved on it. “Amanda, this is beautiful,” he told her as he took the ring from the box and placed it on his right pinky finger. Putting an arm around his wife, “There is still one more gift to be opened. Jamie would you please hand me the last gift under the tree?” he asked his youngest stepson.
Jamie and Phillip had been engrossed in reading the instructions to their new video game, and trying to ignore the mush the adults were displaying. Upon hearing Lee’s question, he got up from the floor and went to the tree and picked up the last small gift. “Here ya go, Lee,” he said as he handed the small box to his stepfather.
“Thanks Sport,” Lee replied. Lee had started calling his stepsons by nickname a short time ago, Phillip was Chief and Jamie was Sport. He was beginning to believe it actually was helping them to bond.
Lee took Amanda by the hand and led her back to the couch to sit down. Sitting next to her, he handed her the gift. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Stetson,” he said as he kissed her gently on the lips.
Amanda slowly unwrapped the gift and opened the box; sitting nestled inside was a pair of diamond heart shaped earrings that matched her necklace. Amanda for once was speechless, “Lee…I don’t know what to say they’re beautiful,” she said as she put her arms around her husband and buried her face in his neck. “I love you,” she whispered to him.
********
Dinner was finally prepared. The goose was stuffed and in the oven happily getting brown. The green bean casserole was ready to go into the oven as soon as the goose was done. The potatoes and carrots were peeled and ready to be boiled. The only thing that did not need to be made, were the desserts. Dotty and Amanda had spent the week baking up a storm. The house had permeated with the smell of gingerbread cookies and pies for days. Trying to keep the boys and Lee out of them proved a daunting task, but they had managed to lose only a few to sneaky fingers.
Finally joining Lee and the boys in the living room, Amanda and Dotty stood in the doorway watching as they played the new video game. “Ok everyone, ready to go out and play in the snow?” Amanda questioned the engrossed trio.
“You bet,” both boys and Lee answered simultaneously.
Walking over to her husband, Amanda leaned down to give him a kiss, “You guys go put your coats, hats and gloves on. I’ll meet you outside in a little while; I’m going to change into something warmer.
Lee looked over at his two stepsons, “I don’t know about you two but I’m ready for some fun in the snow.” Standing up, he put his arm around his wife, “We’ll be waiting for you to join us outside.” He told her as he kissed the tip of her nose.
Dotty had been standing the doorway watching the exchange between her grandsons, daughter and son in law. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to put my feet up and rest a bit. You guys go outside and have a good time.”
Amanda watched from her bedroom window as her husband and sons started making a ball of snow for the base of the snowman. Turning away, she walked to the bathroom and opened the linen closet. Finding the box she had hidden there several days before, she took it out. ‘There is no time like the present to do this. Besides it could be the perfect Christmas present,” she mused as she opened the box and took out the instructions.
Hearing the backdoor close, Lee turned to see his wife standing in the snow. “We’ve got the bottom and middle almost finished. Why don’t you start on the head?” He asked his wife.
Amanda nodded her consent and knelt down in the snow to start rolling a ball for the snowman’s head. Picking it up she brought it to Lee to be placed on top of its body. Phillip then produced a scarf to wrap around its neck and some rocks for the eyes and mouth. Jamie had gone into the kitchen to snatch a carrot for its nose. Stepping back they looked at their creation.
“You know, something is missing here,” Amanda said as she looked at the snowman.
“I know what it needs mom,” Phillip replied as he ran to the garage.
Waiting for Phillip’s return Lee suddenly realized, “Our snowman has no arms.” Walking over to a tree, he pulled down two small branches and broke them off and stuck one in each side of the snowman.
Phillip ran back from the garage, “Here this is what he needs,” he said as he placed a Bomber’s baseball cap on its head.
Stepping back they all admired their handiwork, not noticing that Phillip and Jamie had snuck off. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a snowball hit Lee in the back. Turning to see whom the culprit was, another one hit him in the chest. Then he heard the cry of ‘WAR’ from Phillip and Jamie as a barrage of snowballs came his way. “Ok you guys, you asked for it,” Lee said as he made snowballs of his own to return their fire.
Amanda could not keep herself from laughing as she watched her sons pummel her husband with snow. Lee glanced at his wife as another snowball hit the side of his arm. “So you think this is funny, Mrs. Stetson?”
All she could do was nod, tears forming in her eyes from laugher. Her eyes temporarily clouded and she failed to notice her husband’s approach.
Lee wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body to his and lowered his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Breaking the kiss, he brought his other hand up over her head, gently breaking the snowball, so that snowflakes gently flowed onto her.
Amanda felt the wet, cold snow in her hair and eyes. With a glint in her eye, “You want to play Scarecrow?” She asked as she leaned down to grab a handful of snow.
Seeing the glint in her eyes, he knew he was in trouble. Before he had time to think of a counter move, he was hit with a handful of snow. Licking the snow from his lips, “you asked for it,” he said gleefully.
Running quickly across the yard, she knelt to grab some more snow when she felt arms around her waist. Pushing her into the snow, Lee quickly rolled her over and pinned her arms above her head holding her in place. Looking her husband in the eyes, “You win,” she told him as she licked the rest of the snow off of his face.
Lowering his lips to almost meet hers, “No, we both win,” he whispered as he met her lips in a passionate kiss. Suddenly, Lee felt cold wet snow on the back of his neck. “What the…”
Standing over Lee and Amanda were Phillip and Jamie, each holding more snowballs. “Come on, no mushy stuff,” Jamie exclaimed.
“Yea, I thought we were having a snowball fight,” Phillip said as he held one up in his hand.
Lee helped Amanda stand up, “Ok. Your mother and I, against the two of you. Let the games begin,” he told them as he reached down to grab a handful of snow.
Dotty looked out the kitchen window and saw the frolicking foursome. Opening the kitchen door she yelled, “Anyone ready for some hot chocolate and marshmallows?”
Stopping the bombardment of snowballs, everyone turned to Dotty and chorused, “Yes.”
********
The leftovers were in the refrigerator, the dishes in the dishwasher and the kitchen cleaned. The boys had gone upstairs an hour earlier exhausted and full from their dinner and active day. Dotty had decided to take a long bath with the new lilac scented bubble bath the boys had given her for Christmas.
Lee stoked the fire that he had started earlier in the fireplace. The radio played Christmas songs softly and the Christmas tree lights sparkled in the dark room that was lit only with the glow of the fire.
Lee sat down on the couch waiting for Amanda to rejoin him. She had gone upstairs earlier. He watched the fire, savoring the moments of this, his first Christmas with his family. Still in awe of the day, he could think of nothing that could make it more perfect.
Amanda sat in the bathroom staring at the little plastic strip she held in her hands. She had suspected the result for the last couple of weeks. Now she had the proof in her hands. She had been afraid earlier to look at the test strip, not wanting to spoil the day, if the results had been negative. Standing up she looked at herself in the mirror, putting her hand on her stomach, knowing now she had one last gift to give her husband. Picking up the test strip she decided it was time to bestow the gift of life. Leaving the bathroom, she made her way downstairs. Spying Lee sitting on the couch, she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
Lee looked up when he felt her hand; he had still been immersed in his memories of the day. Putting his hand on top of hers, “Mrs. Stetson, this has been the most wonderful Christmas I could ever imagine. No spies, no international incident…Just you, our family and me. I love you.”
Leaning down to kiss him, “I love you, too.” Taking her hand from his shoulder, she moved to sit down next to him. “Lee, I have one more present to give you.”
“You’ve already given me enough for a lifetime, I don’t need anything else.”
“This gift is not exactly here, you will have to be patient until it is delivered. It’ll be several months, I won’t know for sure until later.”
“Amanda, I told you I don’t need….” Amanda put her fingers to his lips to quiet him.
Looking him in the eyes with all the love she had and seeing the same in his, she held out her hand to give him the test strip.
Eying the piece of plastic in his hand, “Amanda, what is this?” Turning it over in his hands he saw a box on the strip with a plus sign on it. “Amanda, I don’t understand?”
Taking his hand and placing it on her stomach, “You are holding in your hand a positive test result. We’re going to have a baby. I love you.”
Lee sat there hearing only the last word over and over again. ‘Baby, baby, we are going to have a baby,’ he thought to himself.
Hearing not a word from her husband, Amanda suddenly became worried. They had talked about having a baby of their own. They had used birth control at the beginning, but decided that with the renewal of their marriage vows, they would let nature takes its own course. They knew they were getting older and if it was meant to be that their lives would be changed forever. A change they were both willing to make. They had thought about their jobs and the changes that would entail, but decided that they would make those decisions, if and when, the time came. Taking his face in her hands she tried to get his attention, “Lee…Lee, did you hear me?”
Smiling from ear to ear Lee came out of his fog-induced state upon hearing Amanda’s voice. Caressing her stomach with one hand and the other on her cheek, he leaned towards her. “A baby. We are going to have a baby,” he whispered as his lips met hers in a gentle kiss.
Breaking the kiss, Amanda looked into his eyes, “Happy?”
“I’m the happiest man alive. I have a beautiful wife. Two fantastic stepsons. A mother-in-law from heaven. Now a baby. I love you.” He told her, as he placed soft, light kisses on her lips between each phrase. Lifting her shirt he gently caressed and placed feather light kisses on her bare stomach, then placed his ear against her as is if to hear the baby.
Amanda ran her fingers through his hair as he lay caressing her bare belly, loving her husband more than she ever thought possible. “You do know this means we will have to make a lot of adjustments in our lives? We will have to seriously begin house hunting as soon as the weather clears up. This house is not big enough for the growing Stetson family.”
“Amanda, as long as I have you and my family by my side, I will be able to adjust to anything,” he told her as he raised his mouth to meet his lips with hers. Holding his forehead to hers, “I believe next Christmas will be even better than today.”
Gazing into her husband’s eyes, “Merry Christmas, Lee.”
“Merry Christmas, Amanda,” Lee said then leaned down to her stomach once again. “Merry Christmas, Baby Stetson,” he told his unborn child.
The End
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters belong to WB and Shoot the Moon Productions. No infringement is intended. This is written for entertainment purposes only.
Thanks: Mel, Pam and Ashley for all your help and encouragement.
This is also my answer to a story challenge issued by Mel to pick a holiday. My holiday of choice is Christmas Day
Thanks: Mel, Pam and Ashley for all your help and encouragement.
This is also my answer to a story challenge issued by Mel to pick a holiday. My holiday of choice is Christmas Day