My Shot

She was unable to move from the dining room chair she had been sitting in. She was baffled, to say the least. She was at the table when they had all received the news of the death of Vincent Marsh…but this. She was definitely not expecting this. 'Mom some lady is calling from the president's office.' Jason's words replayed in her head. She didn't quite comprehend her son's statement. She never imagined it was The President of The United States Office calling. She simply asked if it was the PTA. But the moment she heard the sirens ring out…The minute she saw the motorcade drive up the gravel pathway, she knew this wasn't a joke.

Her hair was in braids. She had hay on her clothes, and dirt on her boots. She had just been mucking out the stalls half an hour ago. Yesterday she had been at UVA, going on normally, unknowing of what tomorrow would entail. She was a teacher for god's sake, had been for the last ten years.

She had nearly spit out her water, hearing Conrad's request. 'I want you to step in.' He had told her. 'Step into what?' She had asked him, confused. 'Secretary of State.' He explained. She had believed that he was kidding; there was no way his demand was serious.

He had given her reasons. Reasons as to why she was right for the job. He listed off the explanations, saying them as if he truly meant them. But did she? Did she believe in herself? Conrad had told her that she was his first pick for the job, but was talked out of his choice. He told her they could affect real change in the world.

Now she sat dumb folding, unsure if her encounter with The President had really just happened. Hearing the last of the sirens fade away, she headed towards her office, knowing Henry would be there waiting for her. Peering through the glass doors she could see her husband leaning on her desk, nervously tapping his fingers against the wood. He quickly glanced up, hearing the door creak open. Henry moved on his feet, wanting to be closer to her. "Babe?" He questioned. She was staring at the ground, not ready to look at him. She took a deep breath and met his eyes. "He wants me to be his Secretary of State." She breathed out, excited.

His mouth fell agape in surprise. Of all the things she could have said just now, that was not what he was expecting. "Wow." He couldn't manage to say anything else at the moment. "I know." She muttered, still unbelieving of what had just been asked of her. "This would be a big move for our family, Elizabeth." He said a bit sadly, but she didn't pick up on his emotion. "It's huge!" She exclaimed. "This could be my chance. I could really do things." She said, overwhelmed with happiness. She began pacing the room, thinking of everything she wanted to accomplish. He could almost see the physical spark of light behind her eyes. "Lizzie…" He began, drawing her from her reverie. She stopped moving, and looked at him, finally noticing the negative expression on his face. "Think of our family." He commanded. Her mouth opened to say something, but immediately closed. "This isn't just a moment, it's a movement. Aren't you happy with where we are? I mean we just settled down." He fought, but keeping his voice low. "It's been ten years, Henry. Ten years…Don't you think it's time to move on to what's next?" She asked him.

She took a step closer to him. "I could affect real change in the world. I can do big things." She repeated Conrad's words. "You'll change our family." He argued. She shook her head. "I wouldn't have even considered this job if I didn't think we could handle this." She defended.

"Henry I'm hungry for this." She admitted, moving her hands about. His eyes met hers again. "I can make the world a better place. A better place for our children." She pleaded. He nodded his head. "This is my shot." She told him. "Then take it Elizabeth. You can't throw it away. Take it." He encouraged her, smiling at his wife.