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Thursday, July 4, 1985
Amanda clapped with appreciation along with the rest of the crowd at the shower of fireworks overhead. The boys whooped with delight as yet another spectacular burst lit up the sky above them.
Dotty leaned closer, squeezing her arm. "This is always such a special day, isn't it, Darling? I'm so glad we could spend it together."
"You say that every year, Mother," Amanda teased her, pulling her in for a side hug.
"And it's always true!" Dotty replied. "But it's extra nice that you got to have the whole week off. It makes the celebration even better!"
"Well, it's been very quiet at work," Amanda agreed, "and with the week broken up by the holiday, it wasn't hard to get the time off."
The last few weeks had been very quiet indeed, at least for Amanda. Fresh off their success at capturing the man trying to steal nerve gas ingredients from the Bethesda Ordnance Lab, Lee had been sent off to Oregon to help wrap up the details from the theft at the lab out there, and then on to something in Los Angeles. Exactly what he was doing there was a mystery because, of course, it was need to know and she didn't need to know. What she did know was that it had been horribly dull without Lee around the office. Even Francine's jibes hadn't been enough to keep it interesting, although the nature of her teasing suggested there was a bit of a thaw happening there, a bit more cordial and perhaps a bit of grudging respect.
Something pinged on her radar. Mixed in with the sound of the happy crowd, she thought she heard a low-pitched voice, saying her name. At the next burst of light, she glanced around, half convinced she'd imagined it.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. Several feet to the side of her was Lee, looking relaxed and grinning from ear to ear. She felt her own face light up with a smile, and she moved unconsciously towards him. The next instant, it went dark again and when the next firework went off, he'd vanished.
"Oh," she repeated, this time in disappointment. She continued to look around but there was no sign of him anywhere. Finally, she had to admit it to herself - she'd been wishing so hard for him to come home that she'd conjured him up. After all, why on earth would Lee be standing in a crowd on Gravelly Point?
"What's the matter, Darling?" asked Dotty, sensing her distraction.
"I thought I saw someone I knew," she answered, "but I must have been wrong."
The fireworks continued, a symphony of noise and light that drew continuous applause from the crowd. Even from here, they could hear the roar of the crowd on the National Mall as well. The night sky might almost have been day as the pyrotechnics increased in crescendo, until eventually they ended, capped off with a single rocket that gave off the distinctive 'shave and a haircut' rhythm, making everyone laugh.
"They don't want you to doubt it's finished, do they?" twinkled Dotty. "I'm certain the show gets better every year!"
"You always say that, Grandma!" exclaimed Jamie.
"And it's always true!" Dotty replied, meeting Amanda's eyes as they both smiled. "Now, let's find our way back to the car. It's going to be a while until we can make it back to the house in this crowd!"
"I'm starving!" said Phillip.
"That's why I have a late-night picnic in the car," said Amanda. "We can have it while we wait for the worst of the traffic to clear out of here."
"Yay Mom!" shouted both boys.
Amanda leaned forward and grabbed each boy by a shoulder. "Now slow down and stick with me and your grandmother until we get back there. If we lose you in this crowd, we won't find you again until tomorrow!"
Unable to help herself, she scanned the crowd once more, seeking out the lanky shape she wanted to see, but sighed again. He had definitely been a figment of her imagination.
It was almost midnight and Amanda was puttering around the kitchen putting away the leftovers from dinner and from their tailgate picnic. The boys had barely made it to their beds before dropping onto them exhausted from their stimulating day. In fact, she and Dotty had only just managed to get them to change out of their clothes and into pajamas, and once that was done, Dotty had done the same, claiming she was going to sleep until noon.
Amanda hummed quietly as she carefully placed the picnic leftovers in plastic containers and put them in the fridge, and then began putting things back in cupboards. She was just looking for her cake cover when she realized there was a light noise coming from the back door. She froze and turned her head, realizing that the handle was turning. She barely had time to think about grabbing something as a weapon when the door opened and Lee poked his head in.
"Sorry," he grinned, seeing her expression. "I know you hate it when I do that."
"Oh, it is you!" she exclaimed, hurrying forward. "I thought I saw you at the fireworks, but then you disappeared!"
Lee stepped into the house, opening his arms to embrace her as she got closer. "Well, you know how I like to keep the man of mystery thing going," he teased, squeezing her in greeting. She breathed in for a moment, taking in the familiar scent of him, and the warmth of his hug before stepping back with a smile.
"But why on earth were you even there?" she asked, a bit breathlessly because she'd been taken by surprise by the spontaneity of his embrace.
"Well, isn't that the best place in Arlington to see the fireworks?" he asked.
"Well, yes, but why would you know that? You live on the other side of the Potomac."
"Hey, I've lived over here too!" he protested humorously. "For a whole week!"
She rolled her eyes. "And that taught you everything there is to know about life in Arlington?"
He grinned as he reached past her to pluck a cookie off the plate she hadn't put away yet. "No, but I had a lot of long boring evenings in my fake house and the community newsletter had a whole article about summer activities. I just figured you might be there." He swallowed the cookie in two quick bites, making a noise of appreciation.
"Are you hungry?" Amanda asked, and then, without waiting for an answer, she turned to pull a dish out of the cupboard and began digging through the fridge, pulling out fried chicken and potato salad, and fixing him a plate. "But why were you there?" She paused and turned to look at him wide-eyed. "Oh no! Is there another case in my neighborhood?"
Lee laughed as he accepted the plate and settled down on a kitchen stool to eat. "No, I just got home and I landed at National, and well," he shrugged, "I got to my car and then realized I could try and drive through DC on the worst night of the year or I could just dump my bag, walk over from the airport, watch the fireworks and maybe say hello."
"Except you didn't say hello," she pointed out. "You did your vanishing act, as usual."
"Okay, I didn't think through the part where your mother and the boys would be there," he admitted. He sighed happily as he wolfed down the simple plate of food. "This is really good, Amanda. Thank you."
"Would you like some dessert?" she asked. "We have cookies or, um, cake. Let me cut you a slice." She spun around and carefully sawed off a chunk and passed him the plate.
"Cake, huh? I thought for sure you'd be an all-American apple pie family." He leaned to look past her at the counter. "Oh wait, I get it, it's a patriotic cake."
"A what?" she asked.
He pointed at the letters that were left on the cake.
Happy
Birthday
Am
"Happy Birthday America," he said, "that's cute."
"Oh yes," she answered, seemingly flustered. "We're very patriotic."
He looked down at the piece in front of him and stared at the letters on the piece she'd handed him. "A.N.D.A" he said out loud, then looked up at her. "Wait a minute," he said with dawning realization. "It's not a birthday cake for America, is it? Is it your birthday?"
"Um, yes?" she squeaked, somewhat unwillingly.
"And you didn't say anything?" he asked.
Amanda waved her hands around, blushing with embarrassment. "Well, you don't just go around telling people your birthday when you're an adult, do you? Birthdays are for children and family and-"
"Friends?" said Lee. "Good friends? I mean, we're practically family at this point, aren't we, partner? Good enough friends to know about birthdays?"
Amanda nodded, scarlet-faced. "Yes, we are, she answered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
Lee sighed deeply, putting his fork down and pushing the plate away. "I just can't believe you didn't tell me it was your birthday," he said sorrowfully. "Your own partner." He tsked sadly.
"Oh well, you know," hedged Amanda, hanging her head. "It's not like we really do birthdays, is it? I mean, I didn't do anything for yours."
"Well, I was in California for mine," he pointed out. "But I like to think you'd have at least made me an apple pie if I'd been home."
"Oh, of course I would have!" said Amanda. "Birthdays are-" she stopped herself from going further.
"Important?" Lee supplied. "They really are. That's why it's a good thing that I brought you this." He pulled a small package from his pocket.
"What is it?" she asked, confused.
"Amanda." His voice was warm and honeyed and laced with laughter. "Did you really think I didn't know it was your birthday? That's why I came by – to bring you your present."
She looked up at him, catching her breath at the open affection on his face. "But how did you know?"
"Amanda," he repeated mockingly but teasing, "I did your security clearance, I see your files – of course I know when your birthday is. And it's a pretty memorable date so it's not like I'd forget." He waved the package at her. "Now are you going to open it?"
"Oh Lee," she breathed. "You didn't need to bring me anything!"
"You don't even know what it is yet," he pointed out. "Go on, open it." He glanced at the clock, then held the gift out to her. "Otherwise it's going to be past midnight and I'll have to take it back and save it for next year."
She laughed and leaned forward to take it from his hand, blushing with excitement. She unwrapped it, looking mystified for a moment at what appeared to be half of a plain grey rock.
"Turn it over," he grinned.
Amanda did as she was told, and gasped as she saw the flat side exposed. The rock was hollow and the inside was like a glittering jewel.
"Oh Lee," she breathed. "It's beautiful!"
"It's a geode," he explained, leaning forward to peer into its depths alongside her. There were a lot of them in the area where I was the past few weeks and they reminded me of you."
"I remind you of a rock?" she teased him.
"No" he responded instantly. "I meant that you have hidden depths and inner beauty that people don't always seen right away because-"
"Of my plain exterior?" she grinned.
"No! Because you're not flashy and at first you seem like…" he stammered to a stop. "This all sounded better in my head."
"Lee, I'm just teasing," she said, laying her hand on top of his where it lay on the counter. "I love it – and I'm very happy to be compared to something so beautiful. Thank you."
He turned his hand over beneath hers and gave a squeeze. "You're welcome."
They smiled at each other for another moment before catching themselves. Lee slid his hand free, picked up his fork and scooped up some cake from the neglected plate in front of him. "So," he cleared his throat. "You're a Fourth of July baby, huh? Did you ruin your parents' party plans for the day when you arrived?"
"Oh no," Amanda laughed. "They didn't make any plans because the due date was the Fourth, and you know me, I'm-"
"Always punctual," he chuckled.
Amanda nodded. She grabbed another plate and sliced her own piece of cake, leaning against the counter opposite Lee to eat it. "If I'd been a boy, my dad wanted to name me Daniel so he could call me Yankee Doodle Danny."
Lee's grin widened. "So they settled for Yankee Doodle Mandy instead?"
"Oh no," Amanda shuttered. "Mother wouldn't allow that – she said it sounded too lowbrow, like a stripper – no Mandy or Candy or -" she stopped herself on the pretense of taking another huge mouthful of cake.
"Randy?" said Lee with a wry look.
Amanda swallowed and nodded guiltily. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. She seemed very nice."
Lee shrugged. "She was."
They continued to eat in silence for a moment.
"So," said Lee finally. "What were your birthday parties like growing up? Big parties with red, white, and blue decorations everywhere?"
Amanda shook her head. "They were always a bit quiet honestly." Off his look, she continued. "School had always just gotten out and a lot of people had gone away on vacation, so it was usually just family and maybe a friend or two if they were home. But we always did something special – a picnic or an outing with my grandparents or my cousins and of course, there were always fireworks. When I was really little, I thought those were for me."
"I can't think of anyone who deserves them more," said Lee.
"Well, thank you," said Amanda dipping her head and blushing. "Anyway, it was nice most of the time even if it was just family. And nowadays Mother always makes me a cake, even though we don't make as much of a fuss about it with the boys."
"It's nice your mother makes a fuss though," he replied. "You deserve to be fussed over."
"Well, you know," she shrugged. "Family."
"Yeah, family's nice," Lee agreed.
Amanda cringed slightly, realizing what she'd said.
Lee stared down at his empty plate and cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I should get going. Your mother has usually shown up and almost caught me by now," he teased.
Amanda came around the counter as he headed for the back door. "Well, thank you again for my present and for coming by."
"Well, I couldn't miss getting to celebrate with you on the day, could I?" he said.
She glanced at the clock. "Well, it's past midnight, so you kind of did miss it," she teased.
"Oh no, I'm still on L.A. time," he answered. "I could still celebrate with you for hours." His eyes dropped unconsciously to her lips, then came back to her eyes.
He reached the door and opened it, then turned back to say goodnight. He leaned forward just as she did the same, both of them aiming for a kiss on the cheek, but somehow, perhaps unintentionally, perhaps not, missing the mark so that it turned into a light kiss on the lips. They froze for an instant before pulling back and smiling at each other.
"Thank you," she said, then blushed as she realized that it sounded like she was thanking him for the kiss.
Lee chuckled at her expression. "Happy Birthday, Amanda. Here's to many more." He leaned in again, this time aiming true and landing the kiss on her cheek. "Many more birthdays that is."
And with a wink, he vanished into the dark, whistling Yankee Doodle.