Isabelle hugged her. "Hi, how are you?" "Last night is still hanging over me and besides, I almost didn't get a wink of sleep, I'm fine. How are you?" She looked at Isabelle searchingly. "You look kind of beat, too." She waved it off. "I was just worried, when you called me last night I panicked that something had happened to you. You don't know how relieved I was when I heard your voice and realized that you were just drunk." She had to grin. "How is Conrad? I only heard him in the background yesterday. But he seems to have had a great time, too." Bess had to laugh. "Oh, yes. It's done the poor man a world of harm. I haven't seen him that pale in a long time. I think after the fourth shoot he started talking crazy. But surely you caught that through the phone."
"Right. Remember, I am a spy." Isabelle laughed. "What do you say I tell you I already took care of the spy reunion dinner, I heard that he had mentioned something about it. Your office just got an email. So did Conrad and the others." "Really?" Bess's voice sounded excited. "Yeah, sure. Although I don't think he remembers suggesting it, but I thought it might be a good idea. I mean, the last one we had have all together was ages ago." Bess nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. I'd love to finally see you all again. Thanks for organizing this." She hugged Isabelle. When she separated from her again, she looked at her wristwatch. "It's about time...the appointment is in a few minutes. Let's go upstairs."
"Are you ready?" Her eyebrows were raised in concern. Bess looked at her. "Not in the least. After all, he's been by my side for more than half my life...and now it's over? It is still surreal and hard." "I'm really sorry." "Don't be. It's just as well. I finally got up the nerve."
"Finally?" Isabelle's worry lines on her forehead deepened. "What happened Bess?" Her hand rested on her forearm, preventing Elizabeth from turning away. "There's no room for that here now." She sighed. "It's been so long since we've seen each other. I have so much to tell you." She looked up the stairwell steps, then drew her gaze back to her friend in front of her. "Look. I have to get this over with now. Otherwise I'm going to buckle again. If you want we can go out for coffee in the days. Or you come by my place again sometime. Then I'll tell you."
She knew that she knew that this coffee drinking would never happen. Isabelle, however, had the decency to just nod and give her a hug. "Okay Bess. Listen. You can do this. I'm going to stay right here outside the door and wait for you. It's going to be okay. I promise. You hear me?"
"Thank you" With that, the two women had disengaged from their embrace and Elizabeth disappeared through the heavy doors into the room. The door slammed shut and the only thing left for Isabelle to do was wait. To wait for her best friend to walk through the doors as a divorced woman. She sighed. How could this have happened? What had happened. Bess had given hers no explanation whatsoever. To her, the two of them had always seemed like peas and carrots. Simply inseparable. And then suddenly she got a call in the middle of a night from a tearful Bess, who asked her to accompany her to the court and her divorce in eight hours time. She rubbed her eyes in despair. The way Bess had just responded to her questions, she didn't seem to remember that she had been crying the entire conversation. Her cell phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket and was a quick glance at the screen. She smiled as she read:
Very gladly. I look forward to meeting you all after that long of a time. See you soon, Henry
As their eyes met, a shiver ran through her. There he stood. His hair was disheveled and he had distinct rings under his eyes. The last few weeks seemed to have been exhausting for him, too. She lifted her head and straightened her shoulders. When she reached her lawyer, she extended her hand and greeted him. "Dr. Margraff." He greeted her back with a simple, but friendly "Elizabeth". She had asked him the very first time they met together to call her Elizabeth and not Madam Secretary.
Together they took the final steps toward the lectern in the center of the room and sat down across from Andrew and his attorney. When the judge entered the room, they all arose.
Isabelle's head shot up when she heard the heavy doors open. She could see her tension. Bess seemed tense to the breaking point. She seemed to be shaking all over. She rose and walked slowly toward Bess. Isabelle waited until Bess had said goodbye to her lawyer and then approached her. "Bess?"
Bess spun on her heel. "How did it go? Everything fine?" "You do realize that's an odd question to ask a friend who just left a courtroom to divorce her husband of many years." "Sorry. I didn't mean..."
"It's okay." Bess threw her hands up in the air and looked around quickly. "I need to get out of here. Now." Isabelle saw her eyes slide back and forth uneasily. At unease Bess repeated her request. "Now!"
Carefully, Isabelle put a hand on Bess's forearm. "Well, then let's get you out of here." She escorted her down the stairs and into the great hall of the courthouse followed by security. "I don't know what the press got hold of. You better be prepared for them to be outside the building and want a statement from you. Which, by the way, is what I want too. Or much more I want to have an explanation." Isabelle reminded Elizabeth. Now Bess was almost screaming. "I have to get OUT of here! NOW!" Isabelle's worry lines on her forehead deepened. She didn't like the way Bess was acting. It was so out of character for her. She really needed to get out what had happened. Not only what had happened, that Bess and Andrew had come to the conclusion that divorce was the only solution. But also what had just happened behind the doors of the court.