"Ella, baby, Aunt Liv will be here to pick you in a little while. You need to hurry," I said peeking into her room. "Okay, Daddy," she says picking up the last of her toys on the floor. I was trying to distract Ella, the best I could, until Olivia arrived. Cyrus has been brooding, ever since he arrived home from the White House.
"How about this dress, sweetie?" I asked her, holding a two-tone pink sailor dress with frills. She nodded her head yes. As soon as I finished putting ribbons on Ella's Pocahontas pigtails, the doorbell rang, twice. "Auntie Liv, Auntie Liv!" Ella chirped happily, dragging her little Princess and the Frog luggage behind her. "The door is locked. Let me get it, sweetie." I just took the cookies I had baked out the oven. I took the oven mitt off, putting it on the counter, before answering the door.
"Auntie Liv!" Ella launched herself into Olivia's arms as soon as I opened the door. Olivia was wearing a dress similar to Ella's, with matching pink pumps, she had dark brown sunglasses atop her head. "Hi, Ella-Bella! How are you, sweetie?" she asked kissing Ella's forehead. "Good," she replied, before burying her face in the side of her godmother's neck. "How are you, James?" Liv asked politely, shifting Ella from one hip to the other. "I'm just fine, Liv. You look stunning by the way. I am just getting this little jumping bean ready, for her weekend with her favorite Aunt and Uncle," I said handing off Ella's suitcase to her.
"How's Cyrus?" she asked, her eyes searching for a sign of my husband. I sigh, before answering. "He's still brooding. He hasn't said a word to me, since he got home from the White House. Would you mind telling me, what's going on? He won't tell me anything," I pleaded.
"Cyrus and Fitz got into a heated discussion about Defiance. One thing led to another, and Fitz put his foot down, letting Cyrus know that things were going to change in the second term. Long story short, Fitz let Cyrus go as his Chief of Staff."
It was six o'clock. Ella and Olivia had been gone for an hour. Cyrus came out of his self-imposed exile, once dinner was ready. "Hungry?" I asked him, in a neutral tone, as I fixed his plate with pot roast, scalloped potatoes, and green beans. Cyrus grunted in response to my question.
We sat across from each other at the dining room table, for a half hour with no conversation, silently eating dinner. "Do you mind telling me, what happened with you and our daughter's godfather at the White House the other day?" I asked him, the first to break the thick air of tension between us. "He fired me as his Chief of Staff, that's what happened!" Cyrus exploded, banging his fist against the table making the dishes and silverware jump.
"Why would Fitz fire you? I'm sure he wouldn't fire you if it wasn't for a good reason," I said, trying to get him to open up and tell me what happened. "He called me in his office, to say that there would be changes in his second term, then he fired me," he huffed. "I know you, Cy. You are not telling me the whole story. There has to be more to it than just that," I said, trying to use my journalistic skills to get him talking.
"You really want to know what happened, huh?" Cyrus scoffed at me. "If I tell you will you leave me alone?" I kept silent. Cyrus was only like this when he was getting exasperated because his buttons were getting pushed. "Fine, James. I'll tell you. Fitz and I got into an intense argument about Defiance. He said he could not trust me, and then he fired me. I am not allowed on the White House grounds. I am no longer a part of the Grant Administration. Are you happy now?"
"No, I am not happy, about you losing your job Cyrus. Just put yourself in Fitz' position for a minute. If you were running for President, and your campaign was desperate, how would you feel if he had resorted to the tactics that you had, of bribery and election rigging? You would feel cheated wouldn't you? You were playing God, Cy. That was not the thing to do. When I found out, I was devastated. Just imagine how he felt when he found out from Verna Thornton. He was hurt, betrayed, and angry. Someone betrayed him that he considered a friend. I am your husband, Cyrus. I love you. However, I don't blame Fitz for firing you."
And that dear readers, was chapter 28. There will be a part two to this conversation, don't worry! Tell me what you think of this chapter in your reviews. Chapter 29 will be posted ASAP! Until next time…Tay
