Disclaimers: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. This story, however, is copyrighted to the mentioned author. This story is for entertainment purposes ONLY. If you would like to add it to an archive, please just let me know.
Time frame - about 15 months after marriage - everyone knows
My Father and My Dad
Chapter One
Jamie watched his mother and stepfather as they sat in the backyard talking. They looked so happy. Jamie couldn't remember his mother ever looking at his father they way she looked at Lee. As he watched his mom lean closer to Lee to share a lingering kiss, Jamie wondered why his mom thought this marriage would work when her first didn't. What was so different, so special, about Lee?
Jamie thought back to last summer, when his mom had finally told the family about her marriage to Lee. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. His mom had been married for five months before sharing the news with him and his brother. As she explained her reasons, Jamie nodded his understanding but inside he was confused.
A week after announcing their marriage, Lee moved in. Phillip was thrilled. He loved having Lee around permanently. Phillip and Lee were always hanging out together. Lee was at Phillip's baseball games, played one-on-one basketball with him in the driveway after dinner, helped him with his homework, and was even talking about giving him driving lessons. Jamie shook his head recounting all the time Phillip and Lee spent together. Sure, Lee always invited Jamie along but Jamie always declined. He avoided spending any time alone with Lee and turned down any offers Lee made to help him out in anyway. He even told Lee to stop showing up to his photography shows at school. Jamie winced, remembering the pained look on Lee's face after he said that. Lee no longer found Jamie after each show to congratulate him, but Jamie knew Lee still went. In fact, Lee hadn't missed a single show yet.
Jamie just couldn't figure Lee out. He seemed to really enjoy all the time he spent with Phillip. Jamie was jealous. He wanted more than anything to accept Lee. But he wasn't foolish. His father had left because he and Phillip were too much of an inconvenience. Jamie wanted to cry every time he thought of how sad his mother was at that time in her life. She was so happy now. Jamie didn't want Lee to leave because he was too needy. He had done okay without a father so far. If he started leaning on Lee now, Jamie was sure he would leave, too. And as much as Jamie pushed Lee away, he loved waking up every morning knowing he was just down the hall. Jamie wasn't taking any chances of losing this family.
Chapter Two
Lee broke away from Amanda's kiss and sighed.
"What's wrong, Lee?" She asked, concerned.
"Jamie's watching us again."
"So?"
"It must make him mad to see me kissing you. I don't know. I just . . . I just don't understand. I love that boy as if he were my own but he just keeps pushing me away. I don't know what to do."
"Lee." Amanda said softly. "You are doing everything you can. Jamie's always been my baby. It's going to take time."
Lee stood up and ran his fingers through his hair and began to pace. "Time? Amanda, we've been married for over a year! I've lived here for almost a year!" Lee sat down, frustrated. "Of course I will always be here for him and he can take as much time as he needs I just wish . . ."
Amanda reached out to hold his hand. "You just wish he was ready now." She said knowingly.
"Yeah." Lee sighed softly.
Chapter Three
Later that evening
"Boys!" Amanda called. "Dinner's ready!"
Jamie was the first to enter the kitchen followed closely by Phillip.
"Hey guys," Phillip said "can you come outside with me for a sec?" he asked Lee and Jamie. Lee looked at Jamie and shrugged.
"Sure" they both replied and followed Phillip out the back door.
"Okay." Phillip began, "Mother's Day is this weekend and I want us all to do something special for Mom. I think it'll be really nice if we do something together for her."
Lee nodded. "Great idea, Sport. What did you have in mind?" Lee glanced at Jamie and saw that he looked nervous.
As Phillip began to explain his idea, Jamie suddenly blurted out, "I already got mom something, we don't' need to do anything together." And with that he ran back inside.
Lee sat down on the ground and sighed.
"Hey." Phillip said. "Don't take it so hard"
Lee looked up at Phillip and gave him a small smile. "I can't help it. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."
Phillip sat down next to Lee. "Remember when we first met you? Jamie wouldn't even talk to you. Things have gotten a lot better. I know you and he aren't as close as you and I are but look what you do have. Jamie isn't rude or mean to you. In fact, he usually goes out of his way to do nice things for you. He doesn't share his feelings or spend a whole lot of time with you but he's weird like that."
Lee looked at Phillip and gave him another sad smile. "A whole lot of time? He doesn't spend ANY time with me."
Phillip shook his head. "Lee, who do you think washes your car every Saturday morning? Who mows the lawn? Who always brings the paper in each morning? Where do you think those car magazines come from?"
Lee looked up in surprise. "I thought you did most of those things. You or your mom."
Now it was Phillip's turn to smile. "Jamie ordered those magazines for you. They aren't mine. And he wakes up at the crack of dawn to wash your car. And just about everything else. I'm not sure why he acts the way he does. My guess would be he's afraid of being disloyal to dad."
Lee was in disbelief. He had no idea Jamie was behind so many of the things he took for granted. "What about you? He asked. "You and I, well, we hang out a lot. Do you, I mean, are you . . ." Lee began to trip over his words. He and Phillip didn't talk about Joe very often and Lee didn't want to put a strain on the boys' relationship with their father.
"Lee. My father is, well. . ." Phillip paused. Now was a good time to have this discussion with Lee. It was important to Phillip that Lee know just how much he meant to him. "My father is my father. But you're my dad." At that statement Lee's eyes filled with tears. "Don't get all mushy," Phillip continued, "but I thank my mom every day for bringing you into our lives. I can see how happy you make each other and that affects my life, too. I've had a father my entire life but until recently, I never had a dad. Jamie has a different way of showing it, but we both love you very much."
That was more than Lee could take. He pulled Phillip into a bear hug and the tears began to fall when he felt Phillip squeeze back.
"I love you, too, son, I love you, too."
Amanda, who had been watching the scene between her husband and son play out before her, smiled. Phillip's maturity and insight did not surprise her. She was glad her son was able to convey his feelings to Lee. That was just what he needed to hear.
To be continued . . .
Time frame - about 15 months after marriage - everyone knows
My Father and My Dad
Chapter One
Jamie watched his mother and stepfather as they sat in the backyard talking. They looked so happy. Jamie couldn't remember his mother ever looking at his father they way she looked at Lee. As he watched his mom lean closer to Lee to share a lingering kiss, Jamie wondered why his mom thought this marriage would work when her first didn't. What was so different, so special, about Lee?
Jamie thought back to last summer, when his mom had finally told the family about her marriage to Lee. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. His mom had been married for five months before sharing the news with him and his brother. As she explained her reasons, Jamie nodded his understanding but inside he was confused.
A week after announcing their marriage, Lee moved in. Phillip was thrilled. He loved having Lee around permanently. Phillip and Lee were always hanging out together. Lee was at Phillip's baseball games, played one-on-one basketball with him in the driveway after dinner, helped him with his homework, and was even talking about giving him driving lessons. Jamie shook his head recounting all the time Phillip and Lee spent together. Sure, Lee always invited Jamie along but Jamie always declined. He avoided spending any time alone with Lee and turned down any offers Lee made to help him out in anyway. He even told Lee to stop showing up to his photography shows at school. Jamie winced, remembering the pained look on Lee's face after he said that. Lee no longer found Jamie after each show to congratulate him, but Jamie knew Lee still went. In fact, Lee hadn't missed a single show yet.
Jamie just couldn't figure Lee out. He seemed to really enjoy all the time he spent with Phillip. Jamie was jealous. He wanted more than anything to accept Lee. But he wasn't foolish. His father had left because he and Phillip were too much of an inconvenience. Jamie wanted to cry every time he thought of how sad his mother was at that time in her life. She was so happy now. Jamie didn't want Lee to leave because he was too needy. He had done okay without a father so far. If he started leaning on Lee now, Jamie was sure he would leave, too. And as much as Jamie pushed Lee away, he loved waking up every morning knowing he was just down the hall. Jamie wasn't taking any chances of losing this family.
Chapter Two
Lee broke away from Amanda's kiss and sighed.
"What's wrong, Lee?" She asked, concerned.
"Jamie's watching us again."
"So?"
"It must make him mad to see me kissing you. I don't know. I just . . . I just don't understand. I love that boy as if he were my own but he just keeps pushing me away. I don't know what to do."
"Lee." Amanda said softly. "You are doing everything you can. Jamie's always been my baby. It's going to take time."
Lee stood up and ran his fingers through his hair and began to pace. "Time? Amanda, we've been married for over a year! I've lived here for almost a year!" Lee sat down, frustrated. "Of course I will always be here for him and he can take as much time as he needs I just wish . . ."
Amanda reached out to hold his hand. "You just wish he was ready now." She said knowingly.
"Yeah." Lee sighed softly.
Chapter Three
Later that evening
"Boys!" Amanda called. "Dinner's ready!"
Jamie was the first to enter the kitchen followed closely by Phillip.
"Hey guys," Phillip said "can you come outside with me for a sec?" he asked Lee and Jamie. Lee looked at Jamie and shrugged.
"Sure" they both replied and followed Phillip out the back door.
"Okay." Phillip began, "Mother's Day is this weekend and I want us all to do something special for Mom. I think it'll be really nice if we do something together for her."
Lee nodded. "Great idea, Sport. What did you have in mind?" Lee glanced at Jamie and saw that he looked nervous.
As Phillip began to explain his idea, Jamie suddenly blurted out, "I already got mom something, we don't' need to do anything together." And with that he ran back inside.
Lee sat down on the ground and sighed.
"Hey." Phillip said. "Don't take it so hard"
Lee looked up at Phillip and gave him a small smile. "I can't help it. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."
Phillip sat down next to Lee. "Remember when we first met you? Jamie wouldn't even talk to you. Things have gotten a lot better. I know you and he aren't as close as you and I are but look what you do have. Jamie isn't rude or mean to you. In fact, he usually goes out of his way to do nice things for you. He doesn't share his feelings or spend a whole lot of time with you but he's weird like that."
Lee looked at Phillip and gave him another sad smile. "A whole lot of time? He doesn't spend ANY time with me."
Phillip shook his head. "Lee, who do you think washes your car every Saturday morning? Who mows the lawn? Who always brings the paper in each morning? Where do you think those car magazines come from?"
Lee looked up in surprise. "I thought you did most of those things. You or your mom."
Now it was Phillip's turn to smile. "Jamie ordered those magazines for you. They aren't mine. And he wakes up at the crack of dawn to wash your car. And just about everything else. I'm not sure why he acts the way he does. My guess would be he's afraid of being disloyal to dad."
Lee was in disbelief. He had no idea Jamie was behind so many of the things he took for granted. "What about you? He asked. "You and I, well, we hang out a lot. Do you, I mean, are you . . ." Lee began to trip over his words. He and Phillip didn't talk about Joe very often and Lee didn't want to put a strain on the boys' relationship with their father.
"Lee. My father is, well. . ." Phillip paused. Now was a good time to have this discussion with Lee. It was important to Phillip that Lee know just how much he meant to him. "My father is my father. But you're my dad." At that statement Lee's eyes filled with tears. "Don't get all mushy," Phillip continued, "but I thank my mom every day for bringing you into our lives. I can see how happy you make each other and that affects my life, too. I've had a father my entire life but until recently, I never had a dad. Jamie has a different way of showing it, but we both love you very much."
That was more than Lee could take. He pulled Phillip into a bear hug and the tears began to fall when he felt Phillip squeeze back.
"I love you, too, son, I love you, too."
Amanda, who had been watching the scene between her husband and son play out before her, smiled. Phillip's maturity and insight did not surprise her. She was glad her son was able to convey his feelings to Lee. That was just what he needed to hear.
To be continued . . .