Hi Everyone! It's Saturday and wedding day is here.
There will be one more chapter after this. I want to let you know I have made the decision to leave this one open ended. I will be writing other second term shorter pieces and will come back to this from time to time.
Thank you so much for still reading this one and all your wonderful reviews.
Chapter 31
The next day was a whirlwind with everyone getting ready for the wedding. Eliza clung to Elizabeth's side all day. If she wasn't with Elizabeth, she was with Annie or Allie. None of this went unnoticed by her grandparents.
At one point, Jay came for a briefing and Eliza threw a bit of a fit because she could not go with Elizabeth into the office. Henry came to peel her off the floor of outside the office door. This was his last straw.
A few hours later, Elizabeth's hair and makeup was done as Henry helped her into her dress and zipped up the back. The cerulean blue bringing out the richness of her tan and the blue in her eyes.
"How'd it go with Stevie?" she asked.
"Well, they have their hands full. She is really jealous of Charlie," he said.
"I don't remember either of the girls being jealous when the other kids came along," Elizabeth stated.
"No, they weren't but I think Stevie needs to have some time with Eliza alone. She just hasn't made time for her," he was struggling to get the zipper up around her.
"Did I put on weight this week?" she asked.
"No, just the humidity. You look beautiful," he said as he finished the zipper. She turned to face him. Her hair was pulled back into a French twist. She sighed as she looked him over. She loved him in his tux. She adjusted his tie and ran her hands around to the back of his neck to kiss him when he surprised her and pulled a box out of his pocket.
"What is this?" she asked, her smile beaming at him. As she took the box from him.
"Just a little something for the most amazing mother of the groom," he draped his hands down to her waist as she opened the box.
Blue sapphire oval studs surrounded by smaller diamonds shone back at her.
"Jayce's birthstone," she whispered. Tears almost filling her eyes. "Henry, I love them."
He reached up and wiped a tear. "Your makeup might need a re-do. But, I wanted you to have something to remember this day. He has been nothing short of a handful but has grown into a smart, respectful and accomplished young man. Raising boys is not easy, but we did it. This is to celebrate how happy we are that we went for three," she giggled as he kissed her gently and then watched her put them in her ears.
She walked over to the mirror to peek at them, "Oh I definitely need a re-do. But, I love these and I love you. Thank you."
He looked at his watch, "We need to get moving if you are going to get your makeup done on time."
At 3:30 the family piled onto small horse-drawn carriages taking them over to the tent at the edge of the property overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was the perfect day. The sky was blue as the ocean and the sun beamed down as a blessing.
Conrad and Lydia were waiting to greet them as they stepped off the carriage.
"Nice touch, Bess" he commented while laughing as Elizabeth struggled getting off the carriage in heels.
"I prefer the motorcade," she laughed back. After exchanging hugs and easy chit-chat. Elizabeth greeted members of her cabinet. Ellen, Susan and Gordon were there with their families.
The white carriage took off for the guest house to get the bride and her parents.
Despite being one of the hottest invitations of the year, Jason and Claudia wanted nothing to do with inviting celebrities and others they did not know. Elizabeth appreciated that as she preferred a small crowd. As she looked around the tent, she thought to herself, "Alison's wedding will be nothing like this."
Henry watched as the carriage began to pull back around from the guest house. The family gathered with the wedding party and the processional began with Henry leading and then Elizabeth and Jason.
As they walked down the aisle, Elizabeth saw so many stages of her son 's life flash before her. From his toddler days to his teenage days of anarchy to right up to this point. She was so proud of the man he had become. He looked so ready for this new life. The wave of his hair was cut shorter making him look even more like his father. He smiled at her as she hugged him. A hug that seemed to hold on forever.
The staging was white with the most beautiful blue, pink and white hydrangeas.
Claudia's uncle who was a priest was presiding. As he reached out to shake Jason's hand, Henry took Elizabeth's in his own while they both sat proud of the man, their son had become. Claudia's two younger brothers took their places next to Jason.
Elizabeth turned and watched the girls come down in their long, strapless light magenta dresses that almost matched the hydrangeas perfectly.
Eliza followed the bridal party. Her dress the same color as the bridesmaids with a white sash and a bow on the back. She carried her basket of flowers swinging them as she bounced down the aisle. As she came to the front row, she quickly hopped up on Henry's lap. Stevie shot her a look as she was supposed to be up on the staging. Eliza promptly stuck her tongue out at her mother making everyone laugh except for Henry and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth grabbed a hold of her hand leaning over she whispered to her, "Young lady, you know that is not appropriate. Take yourself up there where you belong and apologize to your mother."
"Yes," she whispered back, barely making eye contact with her grandmother. She slid off Henry's lap and made her way to stand in front of her mother.
Everyone stood as Claudia made her way down the aisle. Her father, Neil at her side. Their matching blonde hair and tall stature met each other as they walked. She looked stunning in her gown. The lace fabric overlay to the A-Line gown was classic and stylish. The train just skirting on top of the grass aisle. Elizabeth and Henry glanced at Jason, who was smiling from ear to ear.
The ceremony was very traditional. Just like the couple themselves, not fancy with very little flair. An hour later, they were on the beach and grounds taking photos. The last photos the press was allowed in to take their own of the couple and the First Family. A smart move by Daisy as it gave everyone the photos they wanted and would keep the press at bay. One reporter asked the newlyweds to kiss. Jason rolled his eyes at his mother, who adjusted her earring signaling Daisy to whisk the cameras away.
In between dinner and cake, Henry and Neil got up to give speeches.
Neil went first, he walked around the ballroom floor as he spoke, "You know, it's an extraordinary thing when your daughter comes home and announces at the dinner table that she is dating the President's son."
The guests including White House staff, Russell Jackson, some members of the cabinet and two Presidents all laughed.
"My first thought was 'Well, she'll be safe on every date.'" Another laugh. "True story, right, Lynnie?" He pointed to his wife who was sitting next to Elizabeth. Their matching blonde hair made them look almost like sisters.
"A few weeks later, on a Saturday. I come in from my golf game and the place has agents swarming it like bees. Checking everything including the meal Lynne made."
Elizabeth watched Henry leaning on the end of the head table, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm going to be honest, it's not like we didn't know who was coming for dinner. Often portrayed as the smart, brash, maybe a little cocky son of Elizabeth and Henry McCord. More like his mother but looks like his Dad. He shows up dressed in a golf shirt and khakis with a massive bouquet of peonies, Lynne's favorite flower. He hands those to my beautiful wife and pulls a second bouquet of pink roses from behind his back and hands them to Claudia. Then, leans in to kiss her right in front of me." Everyone laughs, "Did I mention he is cocky?"
Elizabeth tilts her head at her son as he smiled proudly at her.
"There has never been a time that he has come to my house without a gesture of gratitude to me or my family. Sometimes staying later to play videos games with the boys. Jason easily became a part of our family. We have come to not only consider the McCords our friends but our family as well including some of their agents." Everyone laughed again.
"Elizabeth and Henry, thank you for raising this fine young man that Lynne and I can proudly call our son-in-law." He raised his glass as the audience clapped.
He handed Henry the microphone as they passed each other.
"It's hard to make friends when you are the First Family. That is unless your son meets Claudia O'Brien. Neil and Lynne have become good friends. The kind you can sit down with and not talk about the rest of the world. Neil is probably the only person who doesn't 'let' the President win on the golf course. Although, I think she beat you yesterday, right?"
Their guests all laughed. "Only by two," Neil yelled back.
"That's not what she said," Henry answered back as they all laughed.
"Anyways," Henry was still laughing, "So, when Claudia came into our lives as many of you know, there was much adieu. The press was relentless in comparing her to Elizabeth. But, remember those people only see the outside. Not the inside. The heart that lies within was something we had never witnessed before. Claudia is a quiet light but a force of caring. She makes our son a better person in ways his mother may have tried for years." Everyone chuckled especially Stevie and Allie. "She is the kind of woman who cheers on other women. She has been a constant support of my daughters, which may include a relentless amount of modeling dresses. She easily steps aside when Eliza wraps herself around her uncle's finger. I must say we are thrilled to have you close by beginning this fall. I hear Georgetown is a great place for law school." He turned and winked at both Claudia and Stevie. "So as you see, it didn't take Claudia long to become a part of our family. Today, we are thrilled to make it official. We wish you both a long and happy life together!"
The couple danced to "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." Jason spun her around on the dance floor like nobody else in the world mattered. Her dress seemed to move with her and spun effortlessly across the floor. Although an older song, it seemed as if it was written for just them.
Dancing went right up until the end of the reception at 11pm. Fireworks over the beach ended the party to end all parties.
The horse drawn carriage carried the couple to the smaller cottage at the edge of the property for the night.
Henry and Elizabeth stood hand-in-hand, tattoos matching, watching as they left.
He looked at her and smiled as she whispered to him, "Another circle of two."