Chapter 16

"Ohh Noodle, unbuckle and come here," Elizabeth's heart broke into a million pieces.

"Really? This motorcade is going at like almost 80 miles an hour and you want me to unbuckle your grandchild?!" she half-joked through her tears.

"You can buckle up quickly over here. They won't let me move," she shot back at her.

She jumped the seats and leaned against her mother and let her tears flow, Elizabeth stroked her dark brown hair away from her face as she held her tight. Nothing was said while Alison shed the tears she had been holding in for several hours.

"When?" Elizabeth whispered to her.

"Last night, he said he never wanted this at our age. He also complained to me that we could never be fully alone as we always had a detail and another four years of that seemed impossible," she whimpered through her tears and sniffles.

Elizabeth joked back, "I meant when are you due? But, if you want to discuss the break up first, we can."

"Due in early May," she sat up and looked at her mother. "Honestly, there's not much else to say about the breakup. Dating while being the President's daughter is not an easy task."

Elizabeth sighed and reached out to cup her face, "Look baby, we gave all three of you every opportunity to say no. I never wanted this to impact your life. Unfortunately, the President's children can not be without Secret Service." Elizabeth wanted to finish with "especially now," but she kept that thought in her head. Her children had no idea two more plain clothes agents were now on their details. Despite them being grown up, she told Henry she did not want to panic them.

"How are you feeling? Physically. I think I get the gist of how you are emotionally," Elizabeth winced at her.

Alison plopped her head back down on her mother's shoulder. "Sick in the morning. Sometimes in the afternoon too. But, if I stick to peanut butter, the afternoons go better," she chuckled a bit.

"So, the same way I felt when I was pregnant with you? Except with you it was noodles. Any kind! Pasta, Udon, Lo Mein. As long as I had some kind of noodles for lunch I was good. That's how your Dad and I came to nicknaming you 'Noodle.' You were 'Noodle' before you were Alison," she said looking down on her running her hand through her hair.

"I love when you tell that story. Was it that way with Stevie and Jason?" she asked.

Elizabeth loved these conversations with her daughters because they were the ones she missed out on with her own mother.

"Nooo, I was so sick day and night with Stevie. Jason was not much better. But, you were always my easy child," she smiled at her.

"Not anymore," she sulked.

"Oh Allie, we all go through things in life. This too shall pass. Can I say that I am excited to be a grandmother again? You will make a wonderful mother!" she beamed at her a bit.

"Do we have to tell everyone this weekend? Can we just keep it between you, me and Dad for now?" she asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, "Of course we can."

The car pulled into the small hotel near the farmhouse.

"Listen, they are dropping Shayne and Sarah here. Your father is going to jump in with us. Do you want to tell him or do you want me to do it at the house?" she asked.

"Can you?" she asked, her brow furrowed just like her mother's.

"Absolutely," she answered, just as Henry got in the car.

"Hey Ladies, how was your ride?" he asked, placing a hand on Elizabeth's knee as he moved to the seat opposite her.

"Just fine," Elizabeth said looking out the window. She turned and smirked back at him. He knew that look. He was really in it now.

"Noodle, did you show Mom your sketches?" he asked.

"Not yet," she said quietly. "I want to be able to lay them out so she can see them all together."

"Maybe your Dad would like to pick my inaugural gown out since he has become such an expert in fashion?" Elizabeth smirked at him.

"C'mon, it was one comment," he brushed Elizabeth off.

Alison chuckled, "Ummm, I spoke with Daisy. It was a little more than that."

Elizabeth turned from her daughter back to him.

He fired back, "Noodle, you are not helping."

The car pulled into the farmhouse driveway.

She turned to her father while climbing out of the car, "Well, next time talk to Mom and don't make it so you need my help."

Elizabeth laughed following her daughter out of the car and into the house.

After dinner, Henry and Elizabeth cleaned up the kitchen while the kids were off in their rooms and Stevie put Eliza to bed. The rush of everything and an impromptu meeting, kept Elizabeth in her shirt and skirt. She was just finishing drying the last pan, when Henry put his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. He glanced down where he could follow the line of their matching necklace down into her cleavage.

"I noticed your schedule has nothing on it in the morning. We can stay in bed a little longer," he was hitting that sweet spot for a reason and she knew it.

She hung the pan back up on its' hook and threw the towel on the table. "Can't. Didn't you hear Eliza ask me for a pre-breakfast horseback ride?"

She turned out the light and headed up the stairs. After a quick shower, and changing into a Frampton shirt and pajama pants in the bathroom, not in front of Henry. She headed to join him in the bed.

"How long is this going to go on?" he asked looking up from his book.

"What?" she asked pretending to be unsure of what he was talking about.

"This. The whole pretend you're not mad but cancel sex for a while act," he asked.

"Henry, I am exhausted and besides I have something more important to talk to you about. Can we just get through that and go to sleep?" she asked.

He took off his glasses and put the book aside after her hearing her tone.

"Allie's pregnant," she said matter-of-factly.

His mouth was wide open.

"Henry, close your mouth you don't want to catch flies," she said.

Knock-knock. They both threw their heads back. They knew that knock on any door.

"Come in, Stevie," Elizabeth spoke out.

"Hey. Hope I'm not interrupting anything." She began as Hope jumped up out of her dog bed after hearing her name. "No, I wasn't calling you." She reached down and petted the dog's head, playing with her ear.

"No," Henry answered. 'What's up?"

"I heard Allie crying so I went to check on her. She's pretty upset," Stevie had the concerned look on her face.

Henry began, "Well, I should hope so."

"Dad!" Stevie raised her voice.

Elizabeth put her hand on him and gave him the 'shut up' look.

"I feel bad that Michael broke up with her," Stevie sat on the end of their bed. Elizabeth shrugged because she really needed her out of their room.

"Your Mom was just about to start telling me THAT," Henry glanced over at Elizabeth.

"Well, she is asleep now but I am going to sleep in there with her tonight. I just want to make sure she is okay. I know it is further from Eliza so if you hear her, can you come get me. She's exhausted so she should sleep through the night." Stevie got up and moved to leave the room.

"Sure, no problem, Elizabeth said back.

Stevie say good night and left.

Henry turned to her and said, "Now we're even. How did you not get to that part?"

"She walked in! I was just about to tell you," Elizabeth stressed.

"How long have you known?" he asked, turning himself to face her.

"She literally just told me in the car. She is due the beginning of May. He broke up with her last night. Told her this is not what he wanted," she said softly. "Henry, she's a mess and I am worried about her."

"I know. I'll take care of it," he pulled her into his arms.

"Oh no. This is not your territory and it can't just be taken care of. Although, I do love when you say that," she said pointing her finger on his chest trying to create just a bit of distance.

He took her cue, "Okay, I am sorry but can you really blame me for wanting to see my wife look hot in power suits and dresses?" Henry asked.

"Still doesn't give you a pass for that conversation you had with Daisy. You should have known I can easily break her," she chuckled.

"Yeah, I should have remembered that part. She is a weak link," he smiled at her. "But, it worked. You looked amazing today." His face got more serious, "I love you, Babe."

"I love you too," she whispered back.

He laid her down underneath him, kissing her passionately. The kind of kiss that would take everything else away leaving just the two of them.

She broke away. "1998. Your parents came to visit in July. It was so hot. We went out on a date night in my old convertible Mercedes. God, I loved that car. Black exterior, beige interior. You hit something in the road and the tire blew. We pulled over. It was 95 and humid, you could see the heat permeating off the road."

Henry voice was a low growl, "You had on white, spaghetti strap sundress with pale yellow flowers on it. You were just a few months…"

"Pregnant with Allie," she sighed.

"The most beautiful baby bump you ever had. She was so tiny during your whole pregnancy," he said, he ran his hand over her flat core.

Elizabeth beamed up at him, "We're getting off track. Anyways, you kissed my hand in the car and said, 'I'll take care of it.' I stood outside the car and watched you change the tire. You had to take off your shirt you were so sweaty and you looked so good."

"We never made it to the restaurant that night," he laughed.

"We got subs from a nearby shop and parked the car in the hiking trail parking lot at one of the mountains. I can't remember which one," she said, rubbing her hand over the curve of his biceps, which were just as strong now as they were back then.

"Does it matter," he leaned down and kissed her.

"We watched the sunset and made out in the backseat under the stars," she smiled and kissed him, rolling herself on top of him.

"All sweaty and sticking to the leather seats," he laughed.

She threw her head back laughing, "So gross."

He put his arms around her waist, just under her shirt, "Hey.."

She looked down at him, her crystal eyes turning a little more blue, "Yeah" she whispered back.

"I admire your beauty both inside and out every minute of every day. Doesn't matter what you are wearing. It wasn't meant as a comment on your looks, Babe. Just time for a change." He pulled her down to him.

"I have a feeling we are in for a lot of change," she said.

He rolled her back over and made love to her quietly since they once again had a full house.