She had her suspicions from the early days. She had made her life's mission catering to him, always watching him, trying to improve him, trying to make him into a better politician. Their love had been long gone, if it ever was love to begin with. No, it had not been love. It had been a good friendship mabye. Yes, they had been friends at one time. So she had been waiting for him to be attracted to other women. She had been waiting and watching and anticipating. Yet for ten years , ten long years that made them lose their friendship; made them lose their respect and kindness to each other , he had never looked at another. He hadn't looked at herself, but no others either. It was like he had been a puppet, going through the motions of his every day life, not fully believing how he had gotten there. He had been living in darkness. He had a resigned look on his face. . So when She came into their lives , it was obvious from the start. He suddenly spoke up. He walked around with a smile . He had a lightness to his steps. At first she had thought, naively, that he finally enjoyed running for President of the United States of America. That he was finally becoming the man her despicable father in law had raised him to be. But that was not it, he was still distant at times to the public. And than one day, that faithful day in a hotel conference room in Idaho , she had been lazily observing him. Bored with the monologue going on around them. She had seen the same old Fitz as always, a good looking man, charming if he wanted to be, but a little boring and just a little off. Just a little not right. But than She entered the room and everything changed. He had his back to the door, but she saw him grow taller, better looking before her eyes. It only took a few seconds, but than he turned around and his eyes immediately found Her eyes and she saw a look in his gaze that she didn't recognize. She first interpreted it as a crush. But she learned over time that it was never a crush. Her husband reserved this look for only one person in the world. He had a look of love and adoration for his children, God bless him for being able to have enough patience to deal with their kids, and it showed a little of that just now, but it was like it was magnified. Highlighted. Underscored. Her husband had discovered what love looked like. It looked like Her. It looked like soft skin, caramel glow, large doe eyes, confidence, sexiness without trying, acceptance of who he was. It looked like being able to breath.
At first she had not realized that She precipitated in their Romeo and Juliet romance. She was a far better actor than him. He wore his heart on his sleeve, like he was proud or something. Like he was enjoying who he was when She was in his orbit. She was much more suddle. She was always guarded and hesitant. She was always warm and open with him, but she never crossed a line in public. She was his confident and she had naively thought that her husband just had a crush on a beautiful woman, on who's every word he hung. Who he mildly flirted with, to see what he could get away with. And since she had never seen Her go too far , she thought She was only a little flattered. What woman didn't enjoy a powerful man giving her attention, right? She actually felt thankful at first. Her husband was becoming a better politician , on his way to becoming The President of the United States of America. He had become pleasant to be around and he had somewhat become her friend again in the process. Not a good friend, no not that , but a partner to rely on. Indeed, a husband she could be proud of, proud of having shaped him to be successful. A success that would make her First Lady, who would make her the right choice made. She had felt relieved that her husband had his crush on a woman who was shaping to be their friend and colleague. She chuckled at his corny attempts of impressing Her. He was in a happy mood and he passed it on to her, so she tolerated him much better.
She had not realized the truth until three and a half months before the election. She saw scratches on his back. It looked like a woman's nails had raked him over his back. And he didn't even try to hide it. He paraded around her without a shirt on , as if he wanted her to see, as if he wanted her to ask about it, so he could proudly proclaim that Yes, they where, yes they are. For a second she thought that mabye he had had a one night stand with some slut. Even after she smelled a familiar perfume on his color when she checked his blouse, discarded on a chair. Even than she pushed Her out of her mind. It was a coincidence. She would never. She was too smart, too impressive to go for him. But the next day she started watching Her, instead of her husband and she finally admitted to herself that she had become the outsider in her own marriage. She saw Her gaze, she saw Her blush, she saw the stolen touches in the dark on the bus. And she just knew. It had been Her all along.
