Once inside, Amanda looked for Dorothea, but did not see her. Taking a booth where she could see the door, she ordered a coffee and felt time stop. A few minutes later, or three hours by Amanda’s inner clock, the door opened and Dot entered. She walked to the table and asked if she could sit down.
“Of course, please do.”
Dot also ordered coffee and once she had her drink the two women looked at each other for a few minutes. Amanda waited to see what Dot had to say to her.
Taking a bit of a deep breath, Dot began. “I know this is a little sudden, but after Jon and I talked this morning I realized that with Christmas only a few days away, sooner was better than later.”
Amanda nodded at her to continue.
“First, I want to apologize that you overheard Jon and me in his study the other day. I was wrong to call you names without even knowing anything about you.”
Her voice soft, Amanda said, “Thank you for that.”
“Will you tell me a little about yourself, Amanda? Please?” Dot asked from a genuine need to know who would be around their children.
Amanda talked about her life, giving details as necessary, explaining where she had come from and what her background was. Dot listened intently, asking questions that were not too personal, but seemed to provide her with the information she needed. The conversation lasted a good hour and at the end both women were quiet for a few minutes.
Trying herself to get a feel for where Dot was coming from, Amanda tentatively brought up their children.
“I would imagine that your primary concern is for the children. That’s also probably why you wanted to meet with me today, to see what kind of person I am and who might be around your kids. I can only tell you that if I had still been married or if Jon had, we would never have been together. That’s not the kind of person I am.”
Dot shook her head slowly. “I can see that, Amanda. It’s just that my kids are my life and lately Jon has been making some pretty bad choices. Granted, he never brought anyone around before, but now that he has I needed to see for myself just who would be around the kids.”
She paused, then continued. “Jon told me that he would accept Eric in my life and asked me to do the same with you.” Amanda held her breath. “Now that I’ve met you, I’m willing to do that.”
Amanda reached for Dot’s hand then, surprising her a little. “I can’t imagine how hard this must have been for you and I want to thank you for trusting me to be around your children.”
Dot put her other hand over Amanda’s and gave a small squeeze. “I think I’m beginning to see what Jonny sees in you. And THAT was really hard for me to say!” She gave a small smile then and they let their hands go.
Getting her purse, Dot rose from the table. “I’m gonna go now. I’m glad we met, Amanda. Thank you.”
Amanda also rose. “I’m really glad now that you called. It was good to meet you, Dorothea.”
Dot nodded at her and left the restaurant.
Amanda sat back down and ordered another coffee. Meeting Jon’s ex-wife wasn’t anything like she expected. She could see that the mother in her just had her kids best interests at heart. She sat quietly for quite a bit, just thinking.
~~~
Jon and Richie spent most of that time driving around, seemingly in circles, until Richie finally suggested they pull over and get some coffee. Inside the diner, Jon fiddled with anything and everything he could get his hands on. He tapped a fork, banged a spoon, arranged and re-arranged the sugar packets, and generally drove Richie freaking nuts until he wadded up a napkin and hit Jon in the face.
“Will you chill out, man? I mean Dot’s not gonna kill her or anything.”
“Rich, Dot can be a bit…harsh sometimes and I don’t want Amanda getting the effects of that.”
“You’re just going to have to give them a little bit of time.” Actually, Richie was a bit antsy too, he just hid it better than Jon. “How long has it been anyway?”
“One hour and 35 minutes” was the swift response.
Jon’s phone rang. He snatched it off his belt.
“Hello?”
“Hey, hon, when you guys are done, do you want to come get me? I’ll be ready whenever you get here.”
“You okay, babe?”
“Jon, I’m fine. It was a good talk. A really good talk. I’m glad she called me to meet.”
“It was a good talk?” his voice slightly disbelieving, “Really?”
Amanda snorted. “Yeah, smart guy, a good talk. Now get your ass over here ASAP!” and with that she hung up.
Jon looked at the phone, then at Richie. “She hung up on me!”
“But I heard you say it was a good talk?” was Richie’s confused response.
“Let’s go – NOW!”
With Jon driving Indy 500 style, they made it back to the restaurant in record time. Walking in, they saw Amanda sitting at a booth. She gave both men a huge smile that actually stopped them both in their tracks.
She chuckled softly. “Will you two get over here? You’re blocking the aisle.”
They moved then, Jon sitting next to her and Richie across. They silently looked at her, waiting.
“I like Dot, Jon. She wanted to know who was going to be around her kids and I can completely respect that. We both got our questions answered and I really hope she feels better now about me. I know I do about her.”
Exchanging looks with each other, the two men were speechless for a few seconds. Richie then began looking around, under the table, up at the ceiling, out the window. Amanda blew out air in exasperation.
“What are you DOING, Richie?”
“Looking for the four horsemen of the Apocalypse – ya know, fire, flood, famine – that sorta thing.”
He then made wide eyes at Jon. “She charmed Dot!”
“No…shit!”
“Oh will you two stop it! She had every right to want to see who I am, that’s all.”
Still exchanging glances, the guys only moved when she shoved Jon with her elbow and he “ouch’d”.
“Can we go now, please?”
Backing up quickly, Richie gave her a wide berth.
“Of course, please do.”
Dot also ordered coffee and once she had her drink the two women looked at each other for a few minutes. Amanda waited to see what Dot had to say to her.
Taking a bit of a deep breath, Dot began. “I know this is a little sudden, but after Jon and I talked this morning I realized that with Christmas only a few days away, sooner was better than later.”
Amanda nodded at her to continue.
“First, I want to apologize that you overheard Jon and me in his study the other day. I was wrong to call you names without even knowing anything about you.”
Her voice soft, Amanda said, “Thank you for that.”
“Will you tell me a little about yourself, Amanda? Please?” Dot asked from a genuine need to know who would be around their children.
Amanda talked about her life, giving details as necessary, explaining where she had come from and what her background was. Dot listened intently, asking questions that were not too personal, but seemed to provide her with the information she needed. The conversation lasted a good hour and at the end both women were quiet for a few minutes.
Trying herself to get a feel for where Dot was coming from, Amanda tentatively brought up their children.
“I would imagine that your primary concern is for the children. That’s also probably why you wanted to meet with me today, to see what kind of person I am and who might be around your kids. I can only tell you that if I had still been married or if Jon had, we would never have been together. That’s not the kind of person I am.”
Dot shook her head slowly. “I can see that, Amanda. It’s just that my kids are my life and lately Jon has been making some pretty bad choices. Granted, he never brought anyone around before, but now that he has I needed to see for myself just who would be around the kids.”
She paused, then continued. “Jon told me that he would accept Eric in my life and asked me to do the same with you.” Amanda held her breath. “Now that I’ve met you, I’m willing to do that.”
Amanda reached for Dot’s hand then, surprising her a little. “I can’t imagine how hard this must have been for you and I want to thank you for trusting me to be around your children.”
Dot put her other hand over Amanda’s and gave a small squeeze. “I think I’m beginning to see what Jonny sees in you. And THAT was really hard for me to say!” She gave a small smile then and they let their hands go.
Getting her purse, Dot rose from the table. “I’m gonna go now. I’m glad we met, Amanda. Thank you.”
Amanda also rose. “I’m really glad now that you called. It was good to meet you, Dorothea.”
Dot nodded at her and left the restaurant.
Amanda sat back down and ordered another coffee. Meeting Jon’s ex-wife wasn’t anything like she expected. She could see that the mother in her just had her kids best interests at heart. She sat quietly for quite a bit, just thinking.
~~~
Jon and Richie spent most of that time driving around, seemingly in circles, until Richie finally suggested they pull over and get some coffee. Inside the diner, Jon fiddled with anything and everything he could get his hands on. He tapped a fork, banged a spoon, arranged and re-arranged the sugar packets, and generally drove Richie freaking nuts until he wadded up a napkin and hit Jon in the face.
“Will you chill out, man? I mean Dot’s not gonna kill her or anything.”
“Rich, Dot can be a bit…harsh sometimes and I don’t want Amanda getting the effects of that.”
“You’re just going to have to give them a little bit of time.” Actually, Richie was a bit antsy too, he just hid it better than Jon. “How long has it been anyway?”
“One hour and 35 minutes” was the swift response.
Jon’s phone rang. He snatched it off his belt.
“Hello?”
“Hey, hon, when you guys are done, do you want to come get me? I’ll be ready whenever you get here.”
“You okay, babe?”
“Jon, I’m fine. It was a good talk. A really good talk. I’m glad she called me to meet.”
“It was a good talk?” his voice slightly disbelieving, “Really?”
Amanda snorted. “Yeah, smart guy, a good talk. Now get your ass over here ASAP!” and with that she hung up.
Jon looked at the phone, then at Richie. “She hung up on me!”
“But I heard you say it was a good talk?” was Richie’s confused response.
“Let’s go – NOW!”
With Jon driving Indy 500 style, they made it back to the restaurant in record time. Walking in, they saw Amanda sitting at a booth. She gave both men a huge smile that actually stopped them both in their tracks.
She chuckled softly. “Will you two get over here? You’re blocking the aisle.”
They moved then, Jon sitting next to her and Richie across. They silently looked at her, waiting.
“I like Dot, Jon. She wanted to know who was going to be around her kids and I can completely respect that. We both got our questions answered and I really hope she feels better now about me. I know I do about her.”
Exchanging looks with each other, the two men were speechless for a few seconds. Richie then began looking around, under the table, up at the ceiling, out the window. Amanda blew out air in exasperation.
“What are you DOING, Richie?”
“Looking for the four horsemen of the Apocalypse – ya know, fire, flood, famine – that sorta thing.”
He then made wide eyes at Jon. “She charmed Dot!”
“No…shit!”
“Oh will you two stop it! She had every right to want to see who I am, that’s all.”
Still exchanging glances, the guys only moved when she shoved Jon with her elbow and he “ouch’d”.
“Can we go now, please?”
Backing up quickly, Richie gave her a wide berth.
She grinned at him. “Smart move, Sambora, very smart move!”
“Will you chill out, man? I mean Dot’s not gonna kill her or anything.”
Way to go Richie! Geez, Jon, have a little faith, will ya?
Great chapter and I really liked how you portrayed Dot and Amanda as grown women who understood one another.
And that Richie better watch himself...
I laughed out loud when Richie hit him in the face with a napkin LOL. Honestly, that's just what I'd do lol and have actually when my friends get twitchy! Liked the way Amanda and Dorothea handled themselves, too.
I could just picture Jon being all fidgety and annoying while waiting for Amanda to call him. The three of them together always puts a smile on my face : )