May, 1991
Lee sat at his desk in the Q Bureau, thinking, puzzling. He stared at the monitor again, with a tinge of guilt running through him. Being on DUTY the Friday prior to Mother's Day was not preferable to him. Especially since Michael was only five months old. And it was The Scarecrow's FIFTH Friday duty in a row—his codename of no use in squirming out of the assignment.
The JURY, he felt, was still out as to how good he was at the fatherhood thing. Still, Lee had no idea how much he could love a person. Amanda had opened the door, but their son had loosed the floodgates. It was with pride that Lee glanced at the family photo in its frame on the desk.
He returned his attention to the monitor, pressing the mouse here and there on the screen as needed. He shouted, "Woo Hoo!" and then said, "Oh, shit, not so LOUD, Lee-boy. Someone might find out."
The door creaked open, and there stood Amanda, little Michael gurgling at his father from the crook of her elbow. "Find out what?"
"Um, nothing," Lee felt his face flush. He couldn't lie to Amanda. Didn't want to, really, not about this. In a way, it was like a FEAR he could release. Not that he had much to fear from Amanda. Still, he could fib a little bit. "Just a surprise. Kinda."
She walked past her desk to come around to his right side. He clicked one more time with the mouse and sat back to take the baby from her. Michael was happy to see his father and gave him a squeal and a smile.
"You've been playing solitaire?" Amanda asked him.
"Yep. See that, I just won. It's my first time." He'd timed the last card just so Amanda could see the winning display.
"That's a surprise?" Amanda sounded doubtful.
Lee smiled. He felt silly, but, it was Friday, after all, "Well, it's a surprise to me. I never win."
"See, I knew you'd get along with these contraptions one day," Amanda said. "Playing solitaire in secret. I love your sense of danger."
"Hey, just because the game is interesting, it doesn't mean you'll find me getting here early or staying late for it. I'm only here cause that taskmaster, Billy, put me on duty."
"Well, I really do have a surprise for you, then."
"I can go home?" Lee was hopeful. Then he could be with her and Michael more.
"No. But, after using his charming looks on the `taskmaster,' Michael convinced him that you could take us to lunch. So, are you coming?" Amanda had headed toward the door already, unaware that Michael just spit up on her husband.
"Amanda, yes, I'm coming, but wait! Look!" Holding Michael at arm's length, Lee stood. If the baby wanted to spit up again, it would be in the wastebasket.
"Oh, honey, I didn't know he was going to do that. Maybe lunch wasn't a good idea. Here, let me take him."
"No, no, lunch is a great idea. Let me just go to the bathroom and wash this off. I've got a spare shirt down in the bullpen. You two wait right here. I'll be back." Lee had grabbed paper towels from the top of a file cabinet to get the worst of the baby goop off his shirt.
"Mmmmm, we'll be right here," Amanda said from his seat, a hand on the mouse, "Playing solitaire."
The End
A/N: I did play solitaire with a baby on my lap once, years ago, when my nephews were little.
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