Madame President - Tara Sue Me Page 0,73
of my second year, mainly because it’s been a long time since I’ve darkened a door of higher education. I never thought I’d be so ready to quit GBNC, of the surprising relief at no longer being a news journalist. Now with all the decisions made and the plans put into place, I’m eager to get this part of my life done with. I’m looking forward to the challenges of law school and hopefully, one day, years from now, perhaps becoming a judge. I’ll be forever grateful to Anna for giving me that dream back. I’d rather have her, but even though she won’t be by my side, she’ll never be far from my heart.
It’s the day before the benefit and with a normal job, I’d be packing my desk up. But this is not a normal job and my desk in New York was packed up months ago. The only things I’ll be leaving the White House with are my laptop and memories. So many memories.
My family will be landing soon, and since Anna invited them, and me, to dinner in the Residence, I’m having a car pick them up at the airport and take them to their hotel to get checked in and changed before meeting me here an hour or so before dinner.
I haven’t seen my family since Christmas and I’m excited to spend time with them, and to show them around this city I’ve come to love. Dad will like it for the history it holds, mom will like it because it makes me happy. But Sunshine is a lot like me. She’ll love it for its people. One in particular.
Ever since I told her how Anna used to take ballet, has been borderline obsessed over our current Commander-in-Chief. I think she’s read every magazine article and book mentioning her that she can get her hands on. She’s talked about little else since receiving a personalized handwritten invitation to dinner from the President herself.
“Navin!” She giggles, nearly bouncing out of the car and into my arms.
I laugh and I swing her around the side entrance of the White House. Holding my little sister, hearing her sweet giggles, adding my own laughter to hers, and having my parents witness the entire thing, I feel a long injured part of my soul begin to heal.
“Is she here?” Sunshine asks in a whisper after I set her down and hug Mom and Dad. She doesn’t have to qualify which she. This is Washington DC and there’s only one she here.
“I certainly hope she is,” I say. “Especially since she invited us to dinner. It’d be rude otherwise and President Fitzpatrick is never rude.”
“I can’t believe I get to meet her. All the kids at school are so jealous.”
“She’s excited about meeting you as well.”
Her mouth opens in surprise and the resulting few seconds of silence are long enough for me to check in with Mom and Dad, make sure the hotel is acceptable, that sort of thing. As we’re talking, Mom takes something from her purse.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Just a little thank you for the dinner invitation.” She holds it out. Her little thank you is a five hundred dollar bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell her.
“I can’t show up for dinner empty-handed. You know me better than that.”
I smile and nod because as crazy as this world is, and as quickly as some things change, it’s good to know some things never will. “I know.”
“The Wilsons gave it to us for our anniversary a few years ago, and I don’t ever see us ever opening it, but it’s too nice to give to just anyone.”
Mom and Dad rarely drink, so what she’s saying makes sense. They don’t need to know Anna drinks even less. “I’m sure she’ll love it. Let’s get you guys in and through security so I can show you around.”
I take a certain kind of pride in showing them the behind-the-scenes tour of the White House and introducing them to different people. Sunshine is in complete awe. I’ve never seen her so quiet before and I don’t want to look too closely, because I’m afraid if I do, I’ll see a young Anna Fitzpatrick. Not that it would be such a bad thing. Anna is and will always be an outstanding woman. And a damn good President.
I think I’m doing a pretty good job at covering how I’ve really been feeling for the last few weeks, but when Dad and