I can't decide who is more excited to arrive at the golf course. Matt or Conor. Once Donna told me that Matt misses golfing on occasion, I checked with Ron. It turns out that a golf course is a pretty easy thing for them to secure, especially when no one knows in advance that the President is going to play. And they had already cleared the tee times around mine and made arrangements for my detail. When I explained all this to Matt he jumped at joining our foursome. And when you are the President, no one is going to blink if there are five in the group.

He may be a Republican, but my Father-in-law is not immune to the pomp and circumstance of arriving in the Presidential limo. He's sitting back against his seat in stunned silence with a look of wonder. I may have forgotten to tell him about the fact that the President was joining us in advance. Knocking him for a loop gives me the upper hand. But in this moment, I see both my wife and my daughter in his face, and it momentarily endears him to me.

Conor on the other hand is on the edge of his seat. He's drinking in every word that Matt has to say. This a Moss look I'm very familiar with. And it's equally enamoring. I'm so glad he chose to attend Georgetown. I can't wait to have him around more.

Finn's not completely unaffected either. But he's aware enough to see that I'm playing his Dad a bit. He doesn't seem to mind, because he's smirking at me. And that's a Donna look too.

It's hard to stay angry at the Moss men when they remind me so much of my wife.

As we play, Matt is using the captive audience to talk about his true passion, changing our educational system. By the back nine, Finn has found his tongue and is engaging in spirited debate, pushing back on some of Matt's crazier notions. Notions that I know Matt is resigned to never seeing implemented during his administration but still likes to take out for a spin from time to time. I appreciate Finn's real world experience and his willingness to share it with Matt. It's information that is invaluable, and hard to get sometimes. Most people only tell you what they think you want to hear. Or they just tell you that you're wrong. It's really nice to engage in a real debate where everyone involved really does just want to do what's best for our kids.

Jim and Conor are pretty quiet, but they chime in here and there. It reminds me of Donna in the early days. She was a sponge, absorbing every morsel, filing information away in her brain for later, then asking a question or making a statement that would stop me in my tracks and get me looking at the situation from a completely new perspective.

"In a free society you need a reason to make something illegal, not legal." I blurt out.

Matt stops in his tracks and looks at me. "What?" I can tell from his expression that my comment has nothing to do with the current discussion.

"Nothing. It's just something Donna said one time. I don't know why I just thought of it."

Matt smirks. And I see him get a calculating gleam in his eye. "Probably because your wife is one of the most brilliant women I know."

His head tilts a bit and he looks out of the corner of his eye at Jim. "Wouldn't you agree, Jim?"

Jim's mouth is hanging open just a bit, but he has the presence of mind to snap it closed and stand a little taller. "Yes, Donna was always good at school."

I'm a little surprised at his attempt to get the topic back to education. And if I wasn't immediately pissed that he seems to be trying to divert it off my favorite subject, I might be a little impressed. But DAMMIT, the President of the United States just complimented your daughter, and all you have to say is she was good at school?

I'm about to lose it on Jim, but Matt quickly slides in.

"Oh, I'm sure she was. But that's not really what I'm talking about. Not only is Donna incredibly intelligent, she's really smart. There's a difference, you know. Intelligence is just about what you know. Smart is what you do with it. She took what she had and found a way to do so much more with it than anyone would have ever expected from her. She's been advising the President of the United States for the last 12 years. Do you know why not one, but two, Presidents have listened to her?"

Jim shakes his head slightly.

"Because not only is she smart, she's also got really good instincts. She's a very good judge of character."

At that Jim frowns. I know what he's thinking. Her choice in men hasn't been stellar.

But Matt doesn't let either of us keep that thought for very long before he obliterates it. "Oh, I know all about Dr. Freeride, as Josh likes to call him. But at first that probably wasn't a bad choice. Med student, he was probably charming, abusers usually are some of the time. And she may have stayed with him too long, but that speaks to Donna's tenacity, and her incredible capacity for forgiveness, and unfortunately also to her low self-esteem at the time."

Matt fixes Jim with an accusing stare at the last bit, and Jim squirms just a little, while I try to keep from smirking.

"But she learned from that situation, and she picked herself up, and made an incredible life. And the next man she chose was the opposite. Far from charming."

Matt grins at me. "But of unimpeachable character." He turns back to Jim. "Do you hear what I'm saying? I trust Josh without any reservation. The only person on my staff that I might trust more than Josh is Donna. I didn't need them to tell me that the Tabloids were lying. I knew it the minute I read it."

Jim looks more than a little embarrassed. "I've told Josh that I believe him. But you're right. I should have had more faith in him to begin with."

"Not just him," Matt insists. "How do you think your lack of faith made Donna feel?"

He steps up to the Tee. "FORE!" He yells before taking a mighty swing.

Jim is quiet again through the next couple holes. I can see that he's working through some things in his mind. His expressions are so much like Donna's when he's thinking.

But Conor is getting bolder and bolder. He's having an actual conversation with the President. They are talking about Matt's experience at Annapolis and what it was like to live in a place so unlike home for the first time.

We are walking towards the carts to drive to the final hole when Jim lightly touches my arm.

"Is Donna okay?" He asks in a gruff voice.

I'm tempted to lay into him. To assault him with every harsh word he's ever said to his daughter. To remind him of every disapproving stare. To interrogate him over the unjust childhood punishments that she's hinted at. But all Donna really wants from her family is peace and a modicum of acceptance. Tearing into Jim now won't help. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let him off the hook. So I look him square in the eye.

"I will always make sure she's okay. But sometimes you guys really hurt her. She's been trying to get your approval her whole life and she thinks that you don't see the things she's achieved as real accomplishments."

"We do! We're very proud of her." Jim is quick to respond in what sounds like a sincere voice. I stare at him for a minute, evaluating whether or not to push harder. I do think he means it. But I can't resist one more zinger.

"It's not me you have to convince."

. . . .

It's almost 2pm when I get back home, so I enter the house as quietly as possible since Lulu might be napping. I tiptoe past her door and into our bedroom where I find Donna propped up in bed with a book.

God, she's so sexy. I just stand and start for a moment, enjoying the view. When Donna looks up, she jumps.

"Geez o' pete, Josh!" She hisses at me. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Geez o'pete?" I laugh. "Is that the best you can do?"

Donna looks sheepish and just shrugs at me. Our swears have gotten ridiculously mild now that we have a little two year old parrot living with us. I used "Gosh darn it!" In front of Matt Skinner the other day and he almost peed himself laughing. But neither Donna or I want Lulu to "take the Lord's name in vain" in front of any of her grandparents. It's just not worth it.

"How was golf?" Donna asks, putting her book down.

"It was good. Matt had a little chat with your Dad."

"Ugh." Donna groans. "Helen had a go at Mom while we were at the Sculpture Gardens."

"Really? How'd that go over?" I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall for that.

"Oh, you know my Mom. She's not going to make a scene in public, especially with the First Lady, and cameras around. But I'll probably hear about it later. I really kinda wish that Matt and Helen hadn't stuck their noses in."

"They love you, they just want to help."

"I know. But it'll probably just do more harm than good. The story seems like it's finally blowing over. We really don't need to stir things up again with the family."

"I know, but it seemed like maybe your Dad was actually listening to what Matt had to say."

Donna perks up a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"He really is starting to mellow in his old age." Donna is thoughtful for a moment. "Well, if we can get Dad on our side, then maybe I won't hear as much from Mom, at least while he's around."

"Has she been bad?"

This was a big concern of mine. Taking the guys golfing this morning while all the girls went to a museum meant leaving Donna on her own to deal with her Mom. And after how things went at Easter, I really didn't like that idea. But Donna insisted that she could handle her Mother. And she reminded me that she is a grown woman, with the God given right to make her own choices. She appreciates my husbandly protectiveness, but only in small doses.

"Not too much. She gave me a few pointed looks, especially with Helen's passive-aggressive lecture. I tell you, if I wasn't the subject, I'd kind of like to see the two of them go head to head. But mostly Mom just doted on the grandchildren."

"Did they like it?"

"Julie, Carly and Peter really did. They got quite a bit behind us because Julie was spending a lot of time discussing each piece with them. I think it was a little over Miranda's head. She started out with them but ended up back with us at one point."

Something about the way Donna says Carly and Peter together makes my radar go off. I didn't even know Peter was going with them. He said he had too much summer reading when I invited him to golf with us.

"Carly and Peter?" I ask, just to test my theory.

Donna gets a slow smile. "Yes. They were as thick as thieves. I think young love might be in the air."

"They're only fourteen!"

"They'll be fifteen soon."

"Still." I'm going to have to do something about this. Carly is way too young to be dating. Her Dad isn't here so I'm pretty sure it's my job to put an immediate end to this whole thing. I like Peter but he's a boy!

"Joshua." Donna drags my name out, breaking into my thoughts. "You will not sabotage this."

"I'm not . . ."

"Josh." She says my name pointedly, with a raised eyebrow. And I know without a doubt that she can read my mind.

"They see each other once a year, and if they are lucky they'll be able to hold hands while surrounded by the Secret Service. I promise you are not failing as an Uncle if you just let this be."

"But . . ."

"I know from experience that Carly could do a lot worse for her first crush. This is Peter we are talking about. Really, if we should be worried about either of them it's him! He's the shy, sheltered one."

"Okay, but I'm not sure about this."

"I know. But since Lulu's napping, why don't I find a way to take your mind off it." Donna wiggles her eyebrows and slowly peels off her shirt.

. . . .

Having box seating for a baseball game never gets old. I love being able to get up and down as much as I want. And all the food is fantastic.

Matt and Helen are still on their "Donna is the greatest thing since sliced bread" campaign to her family. Finn and Julie are starting to get amused. I think they are looking for ways to mention Donna specifically to get a reaction. But Donna is over it. Her cheeks have been a perpetual pink for the last 45 minutes and her eyes aren't sparkling. It's time for me to tell the leader of the free world to knock it off.

I know they mean well. But that's half the problem. Donna is an adult. We should honor her wishes and let her fight her own battles. Except me. I can butt in.

"Did you know that Donna once saved social security?" Helen is telling Jim as I pull Matt to the side.

"Okay. I appreciate what you guys are doing, but I think we should lay off a bit and let it marinate. If we come on too strong they are going to see it as a snow job."

"Okay. You're the strategist. But it just irks me! How can they possibly not see how great Donna is?"

"I don't know. To some extent we're all guilty of under-appreciating those we love the most, aren't we?"

"Well said. Maybe we should have you working on the speech for the convention."

"Yeah. I think they are missing an important voice. So what do you think of this- You can lay down in front of the train or you can get on board?"

"I think you should stick to strategy."

"Ahkay."

When I rejoin Donna, she and Conor are talking about his tour at Georgetown tomorrow. I almost feel bad for the advisor coming in on a holiday weekend to meet with him. But his favorite aunt is a famous Alum, and that's worth something in this town.

Lulu spys the cracker jack box in my hand, and when I shake it at her, she abandons Gampa Moss and makes her way over to me. As she climbs into my lap, I give him a charming grin. He's no match for a master strategist.

After the cracker jacks, Donna cuts both Lulu and I off on the sweets. But the Mets beat the Nats 5 to 3. And Donna's Father's Day gift gave us a chance to create some great family memories while also turning a Friday night into free live ESPN coverage of POTUS and family enjoying the National Pastime. Brilliant strategy.

She really is the greatest thing since sliced bread.