Best to get it over with quickly. “Um, did you get our wedding invitation?”
They hadn’t sent out anything terribly fancy, but made sure to let their closest friends know the date so that they could start planning. They were working on short notice anyway.
“Indeed I did. Addie is, as you might imagine, extremely excited to attend.”
“I, uh, hoped you might do me a favor.”
“Name it.”
“Well-” Caroline pulled at a loose string on her sling and decided to spit it out as fast as possible. “I - you probably remember my parents aren’t around anymore. And this is my second wedding so I really don’t need anyone to do this but you mean a lot to me and I was hoping that maybe you’d give me away. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” she added. She looked up to find Bob staring down at his desk, and she blushed. “I’m sorry. I’ve overstepped my bounds. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“You’re a strong woman,” he said. “You don’t need anyone to give you away. Hell, you don’t even believe in any of that crap.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Caroline laughed softly. “I think it’s more me being afraid to walk down the aisle by myself more than anything else.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
“It’s kind of nerve-racking,” she said. “The last time I did this, both my parents gave me away.” As more of a symbolic gesture than anything else; Nicky’s parents had done the same.
Bob gazed at one of the paintings on the wall. “I’m sure you miss them very much.”
“I do.”
“I know how much you’d want them to be here for this.”
More than just about anything in the entire world. “Yeah.”
He looked her in the eyes. “It broke Addie’s heart that we couldn’t have children.”
Caroline took a deep breath. Bob never talked about that, not unless he’d been drinking heavily. And only if he was in an unshakably melancholic mood. He’d done it once in front of her but she suspected he brooded alone many times, and always with a glass in his hand. He never went into the specifics, never said whether they tried to adopt or attempt other methods…never revealed any of it to anyone. But he and Adeline very quietly took on familial roles for Caroline’s children as the years passed, even though they rarely saw them. Yet another reminder that she was quite lucky to have so many wonderful people in her life.
“You would have been fantastic parents,” she said.
“No one really knows that for sure, but thank you for saying so.” Bob got up from behind his desk and took the seat next to hers. “I spent some time with Jack while we were waiting for you to get out of surgery.”
“Really?” She hadn’t realized he was there.
“Yes,” he said. “He was quite worried about you. We went to the chapel together.”
“I see.”
“We prayed. Silently, of course but….you know. I knew what he was saying.”
“I’m sure that wasn’t very much fun.”
“It wasn’t.” He paused. “He loves you very much.”
“I know.”
Bob focused his gaze on Caroline again. “I was wrong. And when I’m wrong I say I’m wrong.”
“About Jack?”
He smiled. “Yes. About Jack.”
“Well,” she said. “I’ll be damned.”
“Don’t act so surprised. I’ve admitted my mistakes before.”
“Never in public.”
“Do we look like we’re in public?”
“I might be funneling gossip to the papers. Gotta pay off that mortgage somehow. Want to talk about any upcoming legislation?”
“I think you’ll be fine, given your future financial prospects.” Bob gave her a wry look. “Are there any reporters in here?”
“I can probably find one.”
“You’ll be good for McIntyre,” he said, without any irony. “And he’ll be the same for you.” He cleared his throat, taking her hand in his. “It would be my honor to give you away, sunshine.”
“Thank you,” Caroline whispered.
“Don’t you dare cry.” He released her hand and stood up. “Save that shit for your wedding day. And get your ass over here and give me a hug.”
Caroline was never one to disregard a direct order from the Speaker. “Yes, sir.”
Chapter Twelve
The Fed
Every day they’d come in and ask her if she was willing to talk, and every day she would say no. She’d vary her responses. She ran over them in her head, spoke them robotically, didn’t make eye contact.
I don’t know anything. Leave me alone. I’m not talking.
They tried at first. Put a chair in the middle of the room. Cuffed her hands tightly behind her back, until she could barely feel her