Notes:
Thank you so much for your amazing patience as well as your reviews. Updates will be more frequent and the angst will be a little less, I promise.
Chapter 22
Morning rolled around and she could tell by the darkness in the room that it was going to be a cloudy day. They forgot to close the drapes last night and although it was only 6:30, there was no morning twilight out the window. Perfect for the mood she was in this Christmas morning. She pulled herself up keeping her back to Henry's side. It didn't matter. He wasn't there anyways. She figured he was out for a run with Hope.
She threw on her workout clothes, pulled her hair back in a ponytail and headed upstairs to the gym. Stepping out of the residence she gave her detail a quick smile as they followed her. She noticed the lights on in the gym as she came up the stairs.
As she pushed open the door, Hope came running to her. "Hey Girl!" she petted her head as she looked up at Henry running on the treadmill. "Too cold outside?"
He smiled at her, "Too cold and too dark. So says the detail."
"Ahhh my favorite Marine who can run in any kind of weather or light," she smiled back at him.
"You going to join me?" he asked.
"I was going to do a Peloton ride but I could walk beside you while you run first," she grabbed a towel from the wall shelf and headed over beside him.
She jumped up on the treadmill, "Listen about last night. I am sorry I didn't tell you about Allie. It's a conversation we should have had but everything has been so crazy. I really felt the pregnancy conversation should stay between mother and daughter."
"It's okay," he answered catching his breath a bit as he slowed down to walk with her. "We've been in a funk lately and both of us have said things we shouldn't have. No better day to turn things around than Christmas, right?
"Right," she beamed at him. "But, can we just get on a united front about Allie and Michael?"
"Oh I think we are definitely on the same page, Babe." He looked over at her. "But, there's not much we can do about it. You can't tell her."
Elizabeth sighed and she was about to respond when the door opened startling them both.
Michael stepped in, Hope growled. "Hey. I didn't know you were both in here," he said like they were good friends.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Detail outside should have tipped you off."
"Am I interrupting you guys?" he asked.
"Nooo," they both said in unison. "We were just finishing up. I have a meeting to go to." Elizabeth said hopping off and grabbing her towel.
Henry looked at her as she had barely worked out.
"Time to hit the showers," Henry said then finished with, "Enjoy your workout!"
Elizabeth and Henry walked down the hallway with Hope running ahead. Their details following with them.
She whispered to Henry, "Would it be bad if we asked them to not allow others in while we are working out? That was weird, right? I know he has clearance but we hardly know him and they just let him walk right in? What if I was by myself?"
Henry looked at her confused, "Are you worried about being around him?"
She shook both her shoulders, "I don't know. My career was literally reading people and there's just something odd about him."
"Well, I don't disagree with you there," he said. Then he kissed her and they went separate ways for a bit.
The Christmas dinner table was long, crowded and noisy. The tall red taper candles gave a glow to the room. The Christmas tree in the corner fit the spirit just right. Eliza and Joanna colored at the table together, the kids were all talking with each other. Henry sat at the opposite end from Elizabeth with Will and Mike B. Meanwhile, Elizabeth sat with Sarah and Daisy on her end talking about everything but business. Sarah's decision to go back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner. Joanna's struggles at school.
"Why don't you have her come in on Saturday's and I can help her with her math?" Elizabeth asked.
"Don't you have other important things to do?" Daisy joked back at her taking a sip of wine.
"Listen, I love the kid stuff. I tutored Chloe in math for a while. Math is not easy for them. Bring her in." Elizabeth took a bite of her salad.
She glanced over at Sarah, "How are you feeling?"
"I am good. The sessions with Dr. Sherman are working. Staying with Stevie has been a big help. It's been a lot of fun to babysit Eliza while Stevie works with the Inaugural Committee," she answered. "I am thrilled with my decision to stay in DC."
Ding, ding , ding! Henry stood up with his glass of wine, "So after one particularly long day on the campaign while we were apart, Elizabeth called me that night and asked, "So, if I don't win…"
Laughter erupted at the table. Her polling numbers were huge and there was no way she wouldn't win.
Henry held his hand up, "we can go back to being professors, horse owners and that's all we got to be, right?"
More laughter.
"Years ago, we never would have imagined we would be sitting here tonight. Not for a first term or a second, but here we are. Surrounded by those we love most in this life." Elizabeth gave him a look as he just gave her an idea for her Inaugural speech. It didn't get passed Henry as their eyes met in one of those fleeting moments.
"But, to the one I love most, you are my sunshine and my moon. There is nothing I treasure more on this earth than your love. You have given me the gift of three beautiful children, a beautiful granddaughter, and a peaceful, strong world for them to grow up in. So, tonight, a toast to you!"
The table raised their glasses as everyone took a sip, Stevie piped up "Following that, I just have some Inaugural news."
"Oh Stevie," Elizabeth sighed not wanting to think about it.
"No wait, Mom. You will like this. The committee has decided that you and Dad can each pick a song that you want to dance to. But, here's the kicker, it's a surprise to each of you." Stevie beamed.
Henry and Elizabeth stared at each other with small grins, a challenge they could easily succeed at.
Jason said, "Excuse me, while I go lose my Christmas dinner!" Elizabeth shot him a look as Will, Dmitri and Mike B. burst out laughing.
Stevie said, "Well bad news for you, bud! Because the family gets to pick music as well."
Will used his quick wit, "Done. Helter Skelter for me and my beautiful sister!"
Laughter erupted again.
After dinner ended and everyone but Stevie, her family and Sarah had gone home. Jason spoke up, "Does anybody want to watch a movie?"
"Frozen!" Eliza yelled.
"Again?" Jason asked. She grinned up at him and jumped into his arms, "Okay, let's go."
The family arrived to the movie theatre, drinks in hand. Jason had arranged for popcorn and candy to be ready and waiting for them.
Elizabeth turned and looked at Henry. She loved this side of their son that was so much like his father.
They all sat and the lights dimmed. Expecting to see men cutting ice, they were shocked to see an early photo of Henry and Elizabeth on the screen, the exact one from the book.
"What?" Elizabeth looked to her son. Henry was speechless.
"Just a little something we put together for you," Alison answered.
"This is our take on the both of you so it may not be what you expect," Stevie finished.
He hit play. She heard the piano first and looked to Henry, tears in her eyes.
"Highway run, into the midnight sun" photos of them in front of Henry's jet, a photo of her on her first day at CIA, taken by Henry. Her head turned looking back at him as she headed for her car. Her golden hair caught in the breeze.
"Sending my love across the wire," photos of some of their letters.
"Oh boy," Henry whispered in her ear.
"They say that the road ain't no place to start a family. Right down the line it's been you and me," Their first wedding photo rolled up on the screen.
"Lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be," Henry with his guitar from their UVA days.
"Ohhhhh girl you stand by me," Elizabeth pinning Henry when he became Captain.
"I'm forever yours, Faithfully," a beautiful photo of the whole family hiking when the kids were very young.
Elizabeth took a tissue from Jason.
The music shifted to "These Are Days."
Images of all three children at birth flowed through the music easily. Shots of them growing up. A favorite of Elizabeth's, Saturday morning on the couch, Allie and baby Jason in onesie pajamas watching Sesame Street. Birthdays. Multiple photos of them on the horses and at the farm. The trips to Disney. Individual school photos, professional photos, the three of them laying in a field, all of them on a bridge during a hike. Multiple photos of Henry and her taken by the kids streaming through. Some straight, some crooked which made them laugh. High school and college graduations… Allie's first fashion show featuring her mother.
Elizabeth and Henry couldn't help but smile as the song faded out.
A photo of Elizabeth first taking the oath of office. In the White House conference room with no family present. Her voice taking the oath the second time playing over it.
"WAIT! Pause!" Elizabeth said sternly. "Where did you get that?" she asked as she pointed at the screen while turning to Jason sitting beside her. Henry leaned over from the other side staring him down.
"It's in the archives. Nick said nobody knew it existed but they needed a photo of the swearing in that day. The White House photographer took it at the time and Russell told them to hide it away. He gave it to me. Trust me nobody else has seen it," he smirked at her.
Henry turned back to the screen and said, "Wow, Babe. You were as white as a ghost there."
She smacked him on the arm.
Eliza asked, "Wait, you were President before?"
"ACTING President," Elizabeth corrected her. "Hit play, Jason!" As everyone giggled.
The photo cut to the video of her taking the oath at the Capitol, music from Kenny Loggins "Conviction of the Heart," began to play underneath it. For the next few minutes, photos of her in her CIA days. Funny ones with Isabelle and Juliet, many with Conrad. The families together over the years. Elizabeth wiped another tear. Conrad swearing her in as Secretary of State. Photos of them with work friends over the years. Beautiful photos of her with her own children and other children on the campaign trail. Many photos taken by the White House photographer. The song bled into "Show Me The Way," family photos, photos of and with Hope, Eliza birth announcement photos. Photos of Elizabeth and Henry with Eliza over the last few years. One of her crawling in the Oval. As a three-year old coloring under the resolution desk while Elizabeth worked. It ended with the family on the last election night and it bled into their Christmas family photo.
As it faded on the screen, Elizabeth stood up, with tears in her eyes and hugged the kids. "That was the most wonderful Christmas gift."
Eliza piped up, "Can we watch Frozen now?"
It was almost 11pm, before everyone left and Allie and Jason went to their rooms. Henry came out of the bathroom. Their personal Christmas tree was the only thing lighting the room, giving off a golden glow. The blinds and drapes were drawn. He looked over to the bed and stopped short. Elizabeth was dressed in beautiful full lace red lingerie. He could see every inch of her body through the lace which clung to her. She held up a small, rectangular white box with a red bow and twisted it through her hands while giving him the seductive look.
"One more gift," she said to him.
He growled, "That looks like more than one gift." He threw a look back at her and took off his Marines shirt. He jumped in the bed beside her and took the gift while kissing her.
He pulled the ribbon off as she smiled at him. He caught her smile and proceeded to place the box on the nightstand.
"No, no," she held up a finger to him, "Open first."
He pouted a bit and took the box back. He took the ribbon and tied it around her wrist. The warmth of his hand giving comfort to her cool wrist. "See, two more gifts as you are the best gift of all."
"Oh Henry…" she laughed. "That might be one the of cheesiest ones you have ever thrown at me."
He opened the box revealing a sterling silver fork sitting in red tissue. Written just under the prongs was "I forking love you." He burst out laughing as did she.
"And you make fun of me! Wow!" he pulled the fork out. "This is pretty special."
She raised an eyebrow at him, "Do you remember?"
"Of course, I do. Our first place together. We moved in on like the hottest day in August. It was that green two family about a mile from campus. We had the second floor and had to bring boxes and luggage up the stairs. We decided on ice cream for dinner that night but hadn't unpacked spoons yet. So, we used forks," he laughed.
"Which is when you said," she began. They finished together, "I will never go back to a spoon. The fork is the way to go."
They both laughed and he kissed her, pulled back and said, "I forking love you too!"
He placed the fork back on the nightstand. Placed his arm around her back and slid her down underneath him. Wasting no time because he had been waiting all night, he kissed her neck and used his legs to spread her hips open.
Entering her, he moaned as she was soaked and gripping him tight. Her long legs curled up around him, pulling him in further. She whispered in his ear, "Merry Christmas!"
They rolled over and she was on top of him. The red lace clinging to every inch of her body. Her nipples were perked and poking through the lace. He slid his hands up her slim core and teased her left nipple, the most sensitive one. She moaned and rode him harder. She threw her head back, arching her back and leaning her breasts into his hand. The glow from the tree hitting her honey gold hair just right. When she came back around and their eyes locked, their passion for each other overtook them. She gripped him tighter pulling up on his length enjoying every inch of it. She couldn't get enough of him. In this moment they were not only husband and wife but lovers. Their passion over the years had deepened since those first days together and tonight it was fierce.
They went from one to another being on top, taking charge of each other's pleasure. They took a break and she laid under Henry as he was turned on his side running his hand over the inside of her thigh. He hit the tickle spot he knew so well and she curled into him laughing. He ran his hand up beside her cheek and kissed her passionately. It didn't take them long to fall back into their circle of two.