Reunion
Chapter 4-Sasha
Sasha was fussing over some of the decorations when Tom walked back into the entryway for the banquet hall. He started shuffling through her folder of paperwork that she had so carefully organized. He had a habit of doing that and despite how much of a Type A personality he had, he was a walking disaster.
"Are you looking for something?" Sasha finally asked.
"Do you have the paperwork for the caterers? I need to see their names." Tom asked. He seemed almost frantic.
"Uh…here. I don't know if they are all listed though because we hired through the hotel. That's why we choose this place. It could house everyone, was on the Secret Service's list of approved places for Mike and provided the catering and an open bar. The open bar sold us, remember?" Sasha joked.
"I need their names." Tom deadpanned.
"Okay, Tom; talk to me, what's going on?" Sasha ordered.
"There's a young woman-well, she's in her early thirties. She looks…so much like Mike's oldest daughter, Katie." Tom answered.
"Okay, I had to sound pessimistic, but Tom? Mike was President for eight years, and even before that, he was all over the news. If Katie or Hannah was alive, they could have found him. You and Mike are close, as close as brothers. You knew Katie and Hannah. Maybe having them declared deceased is bothering you too? Its just one more link to the past that's getting cut." Sasha mentioned.
"Sash…I can't explain it, but there is just something." Tom commented.
"Alright. I'll go see if I can get a list. I'll tell them that Mike's main agent needs it." Sasha said before walking to the hotel area. Tom looked back into the banquet hall, where the young man was moving the equipment. He was about six-foot-two inches tall, had reddish brown hair, and had a stocky frame. He was about twenty and the way he narrowed his eyes at Tom was exactly how Mike did.
Tom knew that Mike and Christine's marriage had been on shaky ground before Mike left the Arctic, but he also knew that they had a very passionate relationship. They fought hard, but they also loved hard. It would not have been a huge shock if they had conceived a baby before he left. He specifically remembered the afternoon they left and seeing Mike saying goodbye to his family. The kids had run off for a moment, looking at a dock and Mike and Christine had shared an extremely passionate kiss. When they got along, they really got along great.
A lot of people had been shocked with Mike when he married Susan. They had only dated about four months before they eloped and had lived with each for two of those months. A lot of people thought that Mike would do better with a woman that was more passive, but most people hadn't known Christine. Susan and Christine shared one characteristic; they were both strong-willed. Exactly what Mike needed. Susan was also fiercely protective of Mike and had gone several rounds with his chief-of-staff, even one time; calling him a weasel. She hated the man.
If Katie or Hannah had come forward, and the chief-of-staff had hidden it, Mike would be destroyed because it would mean he had lost time with them. Susan would be livid that Mike had to suffer for even longer. And if the young man was Mike's son; it meant he had lost out on raising him and being a part of his life.
Sasha walked back in with a list. She handed it Tom and then walked back out. He focused on the list. The only 'Kate' on the list was a woman that went by Kate Graham…Christine's maiden name. It was a common last name and there was not a man on the list, going by the same last name.
Tom couldn't say that the Kate Graham that was helping to cater the dinner was actually Mike's daughter Katie. It wasn't a huge leap, though. But, what about the young man and where was Hannah?
Sasha watched Tom reading over the list and watching the young man. He was fixated. She turned around and noticed the young woman walk back into the banquet hall. She gave her a slight smile in response to Sasha's nod. Her crisp blue eyes reminded Sasha of Mike and her smile, the way the corners of her mouth quirked, was all Mike. The next couple days would be leading to more than one reunion.