Chapter 41 – Elizabeth
Henry and Stevie left for the ultrasound.
Elizabeth decided to have lunch with Eliza by the pool. Jenny followed them taking photos from the back of Elizabeth and Eliza walking through the halls holding hands. They would stop a few times to talk to staffers. There was nothing cuter than Elizabeth McCord looking very presidential in her business suit walking the hallway with her granddaughter dressed in a summer pinafore dress.
The two sat at the umbrella table by the pool. Eliza ate her peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fries and an ice cream shake while Elizabeth dug into her salad.
"So, baby," Elizabeth started but was cut off.
"I'm not a baby." Eliza beamed back at her, "I am a big girl."
"Yes you are and I can't believe how big you are getting. I know you are going to be a great big sister just like your Mommy. What do you think what kind of baby she will have?" Elizabeth asked.
"I want a sister. No boys!" she said with her eyes lighting up.
Elizabeth laughed. "Well, I hope you get your wish."
"What do you want, Grammy?" she asked sipping from the straw in her cup. She was really mature for almost three, Elizabeth thought.
"Oh as long as she's healthy, I will be happy." Eliza furrowed her brow.
"Why would we name her "healthy?" she asked. Elizabeth laughed.
"That wouldn't be her name, sweetie. That means she is in good health. Strong and happy." Elizabeth answered.
Eliza's blue eyes went wide, "You think it's a sister too!"
"I do!" she answered reaching over to tickle Eliza's sighed. Eliza giggled back at her.
"Mom," Jason's voice echoed from across the pool.
"Uncle Jace" Eliza climbed down from the chair careful to turn onto her belly to get her feet on the ground in a big hurry.
"Hey Eliza!" he reached down and scooped her up as she ran toward him. He walked over to the table. "I just heard from Claudia. It wasn't too bad at the airport. About ten cameras and the state police were really good about escorting her, so thank you for that."
He sat down in the chair Eliza had been in and placed her on his lap. She reached over to grab her drink. The drink slips from her hands and Jason catches is it just in time. He looks up and his mother is staring at him, holding her fork in her salad with the scowl on her face.
"What?" he asks.
"C'mon, what gives? You have always disliked the press' attention on this family. You are now going to act like you are completely fine with this. No argument about the abuse of your privacy?"
He laughs, "Mom, you are almost done with your first term. We all know you are going to run. The good coverage for the family makes it easier for you. That is if you are going to run again?" he asked shoving a fry in his mouth.
She stared at her, taking a sip of her water. "Really? Mike B. has gotten to you as well as your father and Will?"
"Mike B.? Please! I barely talk to that guy. He is so rude. Why are you even friends with him?" Jason asked shaking his head at his mother.
She scowled back at her son, "We taught together at UVA. I trust him."
Jason rolled his eyes.
"Look, I know you don't like him. But, he has a bazillion contacts and leads in this town and I need him. He is the best political operative I have….besides Russell," she defended herself.
"So, you are running?" Jason moved Eliza to his other leg as she was beginning to squirm.
"I didn't say THAT," Elizabeth argued.
"I saw Kiefer this morning. He said there's rumors at UVA that you and Dad are going back there." Jason looked at her.
"We haven't made a decision yet." She said quietly. "When did you have time to see Kiefer?" redirecting his questions.
"The house is swarming with cameras looking for a glimpse of the grieving, but not really grieving Stevie. I had Kiefer come and pull into the garage. We loaded his car with Dmitri's clothes and stuff. He's going to drop them at the shelter in Charlottesville. I figured you and Dad would like that." He said reaching for more fries, handing Eliza one.
Elizabeth sat back in her seat and looked at him.
He saw his mother's look and said "What? You and Dad aren't the only one with amazing tradecraft skills in this family."
She leaned back up in her chair almost interrogating him. "You don't think it is weird that your sister is not grieving him at all? I mean she's told us what happened. But, they were married for a few years, have one child and another one on the way and she just doesn't seem to care?"
"Weren't you the one that said if Dad ever cheated he'd barely survive?" he asked her with a smirk on his face.
"Well, yeah but I didn't fully mean THAT," she answered defensively.
He threw more fries in his mouth laughing, "Okay Mom. That is so not true!"
Elizabeth laughed and said, "Let's head back in. I have a meeting. Can you take her upstairs? Stevie and Dad should be back soon."
"Of course," the three of them walked inside with Elizabeth and Jason swinging Eliza between them. Jenny snapped shots behind them.
Later that evening, she and Henry were in bed. They finally had an empty residence again and they were making the best of it. The day had turned out okay. The Justice and State Departments were working hard on the murder/hacking investigations. Stevie's ultrasound went well. Despite the stress, the baby was still healthy and Stevie's blood pressure was stable.
Elizabeth was on her side in her black lingerie, Henry was spooned in behind her, his hand resting just under her breasts and his leg draped over hers.
She quietly said to him, "Kiefer told Jason there are rumors about us returning to UVA."
"Really?! We are?" he asked with a sarcastically excited tone.
She slid her elbow slightly back at him, "Is that what you want?"
He paused, squeezed her tighter, "Sometimes. But, then I still feel you have more work to do. Education reform and justice reform still are not complete yet. I think you definitely need a few more years to complete that."
"You think if I leave now, I will regret it because we didn't finish what we came here to do? But, Henry I have to think of our family. Two members have been murdered, my niece was kidnapped, the kids lives are captured on camera daily. We have to think about that, don't we? Can we withstand another four years of that?" she asked not turning to face him. Her eyes fixated out the sheer curtains of the room, looking at the Washington Monument.
"Babe, I do think that you will regret it because YOU will not finish what YOU came here to do. Despite everything that has happened, the core of our family is strong and together. I don't think the next four years will be as hard as the first four. You have brought integrity back to this country, stability to the world and hope to parents that their children will have bright futures. You don't even have to campaign that hard. I think you should stay and I will stay right here beside you."
Now, he got her to turn towards him. She smiled at him, "Okay, I'm in."
She leaned up and kissed him as he rolled her over on top of him. They both laughed together.
