Twenty-two: When Bitches Face (truths)

"Hey, Ma!", TJ greets her as he walks into the kitchen and hugs her from behind. He plants a resounding kiss on her cheek and places one side of his face on her shoulder. "Baby, what's with all the cheesy drama?", she teases laying her palm on his face.

"I wanted to thank you again for the other day, you and Susan were amazing! I'm sorry I didn't run into you sooner to tell you, but the club is always full and we end up at crazy hours!", he explains. "I'm glad things are going great, and is your brother doing as well as you are?", her mother inquires, "Of course! He has a great sense of business!", he reassures her.

"You rather!", he carries on after a moment of hesitation, looking at her with a complicit expression, the woman raises an eyebrow, unaware of what the boy wants to say, "What?", she asks after a while. He sighs knowingly, "Mom…", he chants at her, "What, TJ? Explain yourself!", she suggests slightly impatiently.

"Well… let me tell you… you'd make a cute couple!", he ventures. "TJ!", she admonishes him, whipping him with the washcloth. "Haha! Gotcha! You didn't even ask me who I was referring to!", he challenges her with bright eyes. "Stop it, TJ!", she orders him trying to keep a serious face. "Well... I'd think about it!", the young man suggests to her grabbing an apple and running towards his room.

—

"Little shits, we need to talk!", Grandma Barrish announces firmly, setting a huge roasted chicken and a bowl filled with perfectly cooked potatoes on the table. Without being too slow or precise, she dismembers the still steaming bird and serves her grandchildren, undecided on how to start the conversation. She waits for TJ to take care of the side dishes for everyone and sits down crossing her hands in front of her, watching the two youngsters with their jaws already working.

"Your mother needs a little nudge", she begins in an imperious manner. "You're right, Grandma, we have to do something or she'll never get there!", TJ confirms, sensing the argument. "Why? What's wrong with Mom?" Doug asks focused on his chicken. "Yeah! We need to let her know that we just want her okay and happy!", Grandma continues, ignoring the younger brother's question and watching the older one nod with belief.

"We need to talk to her a little more clearly, because I've been showing her how much I consider Susan family for a while now, but she just doesn't get it!", "I've thrown a few thinly veiled jokes at her, but nothing!", TJ confirms. "What's wrong with Mom and Susan?", Doug insists with his mouth full.

"Honey, we need to let her know that it doesn't make any difference to us if they've fallen in love!", in less than a second the boy coughs, spitting the mouthful onto his plate, jerks his chair back and stands up wiping his mouth with his napkin, his eyes bugged out, "What!?", he exclaims shocked continuing to back away. Grandma slumps in her chair overcome with disappointment.

"Doug, you're such an obvious macho egomaniac that he can't see beyond his nose when it comes to women! Just a total jerk!", the matriarch sentences grossed out. " I mean, where are your eyes? Can't you see how they behave around each other?", " Mom will never admit it to herself unless we help her out!", TJ adds.

Douglas is petrified on the spot, his eyes dancing madly between his grandmother and his brother, - It's a nightmare! Wake up! It's just a damn nightmare! Wake the fuck up! - he repeats himself frantically. He points his finger at the two diners, "You two are totally insane!", he accuses them with little conviction as images of his mother and Susan mentally flash through his mind as they smile and joke with each other. Anger mounts within him, until he is forced to leave the room, fleeing who knows where.

TJ gets up to join him, but Grandma Barrish places a hand on his arm, "Leave him, he'll calm down", she orders him in a calm voice. "Grandma, I didn't think you were so soft, you know?", TJ confesses amused. Margaret sighs, "Eh, my dearest girlfriend, at the time of the shows, always used to say to me, 'Under a seemingly tough heart… there's plenty of butter!'", she recounts thoughtfully.

—

Susan Berg is proofreading a short article to be printed the following day, when she is interrupted by a frantic knocking at the door. She gets up in a huff because she already knows that she will lose the thread and will have to read it all over again. On the other side of the peephole she notices a visibly impatient Douglas Hammond, she rolls her eyes, wondering what's so urgent and opens the door, Doug almost sweeps in like a tornado. He turns around, nervously touching his face.

"Are you fucking my mother?", he growls at her in anger. Susan is speechless, the rush of adrenaline making her hands shake. She takes a deep breath to regain control of herself.

"Okay, get out of here", she orders, throwing open the door that was almost closing by now. The boy approaches her menacingly, pointing a finger at her, "Do you, fuck, my, mother?", he punctuates through clenched teeth.

The reporter crosses her arms in front of her, tears welling up in her eyes from anger, biting her tongue. "Fuck off, Doug! It's not like that", she says in a calm voice. Her reaction seems to have an effect on young Hammond, who suddenly deflates.

"What's going on, then? Why are Grandma and TJ so convinced there's something going on between you two?", he asks confused, not exactly remembering the succession of events and words that led him to the reporter's house. "Because there is, Doug, she's just not ready", the woman admits with sincerity.

"Leave her alone, she can take care of herself", she adds walking away from the doorway. The man follows her, even more confused, "No, wait…", he insists taking her by the arm. "Doug, I'm not… fucking her, okay? Is that clear to you?", she retorts. "For fuck's sake! Don't you see me? I absolutely adore her! Don't you see that?" ,she exclaims, spreading her arms wide with shining eyes.

The young man raises his arms in surrender, he realizes what she's saying, of course he does, how could he not realize it before? "Okay, um... I overreacted, I recognize that…", he admits approaching her as if to comfort her. "So... you have feelings for her…", he states watching her nod silently, "... and... she has... feelings for you…"

"Yes, Doug", Berg replies slightly impatient, he nods thoughtfully. "If you hurt her I swear I'll come after you", he threatens unconvinced, she snorts in laughter and a tear escapes her control.

"What can we do?", he asks surprising himself. "Nothing, Doug, you don't have to do anything, just leave her alone, she needs her time", she replies decisively, "Please don't get on her nerves, don't get in the middle of this", he insists. "I just don't understand you, what do you mean leave her alone? Are you two in love or not? Then what are you both waiting for?"

"Do you have any idea what this means to her? Do you have any idea what may be going through her mind? After more than 30 years with your father, eight in the White House as First Lady? And now the fourth figure in order of succession to the presidency? Do you realize the weight she must feel on you guys as well as herself?", she explodes in disbelief. "Is it also necessary for you to get involved?", she insists in disbelief.

"But she'll never make up her mind otherwise! Grandma and TJ are right… At least you have to help her on this, Susan!", "I am helping her, Douglas!", she retorts raising her voice. "Oh yeah? How?", he asks spreading his arms impatiently. Susan gets closer.

"Tell me, what could be more… right… than showing a person how you feel every day, while still leaving them free? By not making her feel the… weight of expectation or responsibility that is not hers? She's not responsible for how she makes me feel, just like I'm not responsible for how I make her feel", she tells him softening her tone, "But she's hurting you", he retorts.

"No! That's not true at all! I'm happy to feel what I feel, regardless of what she feels or wants!", Susan states confidently, "Then why do your eyes glow so much?", the young man insists, "Doesn't love make your eyes glow?", she asks quickly.

"Listen... this isn't about what I want or whether or not I'm suffering from this thing, which I repeat, I'm not hurt, this is about what's right", she tells him. "What if she never makes up her mind?", he asks doubtfully, "Then it means you don't know your mother, but on the off chance, as long as I feel that being around her is worth it, then it means it will have been worth it really", she smiles serenely.