Abbey watched Jed as he dozed lightly after their "recreational" activities. He was curled up on his side, snoring softly. His hair was sticking out in all directions and Abbey fought the urge to reach over and smooth it out. She knew it would wake him if she did. She pulled the sheet up a little and sat up to read while Jed slept.
"Hey," he muttered almost an hour later. "What time is it?"
"A little after 12. Are you hungry?" Abbey asked as she tossed aside her magazine and leaned over to give him a quick kiss.
"Starving," he said as he tossed the sheet back and stood up. As he wandered around the room looking for some clothes to wear Abbey took the opportunity to admire the view of her husband walking around naked.
"You just going to leer at me or are you going to get dressed so we can eat?" Jed smirked as he pulled some boxers and a pair of jeans out of the drawer. He put on a Notre Dame t-shirt and sat on the bed to put some socks on.
"OK, show's over, I'll get up," teased Abbey as she got up. It was Jed's turn to admire the view as she wandered around in search of her own clothes.
By the time Abbey got downstairs Jed was opening and closing all of the cabinets in search of something for lunch. "Is there any soup?" he asked as Abbey entered the room.
"I don't know. Try that cabinet," she said pointing towards the one next to the refrigerator.
"Yuck, there's only tomato," he said making a disgusted face.
"So have something else," Abbey muttered as she pulled a can of Diet Coke out of the fridge.
"But I wanted soup," Jed whined. Abbey turned to take a look at him, trying to figure out why he was whining over soup. It only took her a second for her to figure it out. It was because of the choking incident with the communion wafer. The memory of choking and gagging on it was still fresh in his mind. As a result he wasn't sure if he would be up to eating anything solid.
"You ok?" Abbey asked as she opened the can of soda.
"Yeah, I just thought soup would be a little easier to...," he muttered as he vaguely gestured towards his throat. He walked across the room and hopped up on the counter. Abbey moved to stand in front of him, putting her hands on his knees to stop him from kicking the cabinet doors.
"Sweetie, it's fine," she said trying to reassure him. "If you want soup we can go out to eat."
Jed just nodded. "Jed, is something else bothering you?"
"Not really," he muttered as he dropped his head down and drummed his fingers on the edge of the counter. Abbey sighed and leaned forward, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. She recognized his mood all too well. He was hungry, cranky and frustrated, not a good combination for him.
"So do you want to go out for something to eat?" Abbey asked as Jed lifted his head and gave her a weak smile.
"Yeah," he replied as he slid off the counter.
Half an hour later they walked into Captain Tobey's Chowder House. The restaurant was busy with the after church crowd. They were recognized almost immediately and 4 different couples tried to give them their tables. They politely declined and took a seat at the counter, like a "normal" couple. They ordered drinks and took a look at the menu. Jed ordered a bowl of lobster bisque to start with, figuring he would see how it went down. It went down just fine and the sight of Abbey's Shrimp and Clams Fritters was enough for him to gather up his courage and eat something resembling solid food. One bite of them and the memory of choking on the host was soon forgotten.
"So I guess you're not exactly having any eating difficulties?" teased Abbey as she reached over with her napkin to wipe the tarter sauce off of Jed's chin.
"I think I'm over it," muttered Jed as he reached for his iced tea.
They also ended up sharing a salad before finishing up with some of Tobey's famous coconut sorbet for dessert.
As Abbey sipped her coffee she noticed Jed starting to squirm in his seat. He was fidgety on any given day but since he'd spent the better part of three days being on forced relaxation he was really having trouble sitting still.
"You ready to go?" Abbey asked as she reached over to give his hand a squeeze.
"Yeah, I need to move a little," he muttered as he slid off the stool. He stood still for just a minute while he got his bearings and fished his wallet out of his pocket. He tossed some money on the counter and slipped on his jacket which Abbey was holding out for him. The left the restaurant hand in hand, waving to some people on the way out. As they headed out the front door they were met by a photographer with the local paper. He was very nice and didn't ambush them; he asked if the would mind if he took a photo. They obliged with a smile the photographer went on his way.
"Guess we'll end up on the front page of the paper anyway," teased Abbey as she led Jed back towards the car.
"Yeah, but at least I'm not choking in the photograph," smirked Jed. "Feel like going back to the beach for a little while?"
"Sure. You're up to it?"
"I'm fine Abigail," Jed assured her as he opened the passenger's door. He'd wanted to drive but she nixed that idea. Jed wasn't the world's best driver to begin with; he'd had more than his share of little accidents over the years, including backing out of the garage with the door still closed. As Governor he rarely drove himself anywhere except when they were spending time on the farm in Manchester. Also, Abbey didn't quite believe him when he told her his vision was completely back to normal.
They walked along the path in silence for a while. Jed was sure Abbey had something on her mind. She usually did. "OK, let's hear it," he teased as he led them towards a nearby bench.
"I want you to consider telling Leo," she blurted out without preamble.
"Tell him what?" Jed asked, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Abbey just gave her husband a pointed look. "I don't know. I mean it would be easier if he knew. But if he knew would he still...."
"Would he still want you to run?" Abbey said completing his thought.
"Yeah."
"I don't know. Look at all he's been through. Maybe it wouldn't matter to him." Now it was Jed's turn to give a pointed look.
"Wouldn't matter to him?" snorted Jed. "The man he's trying to get elected President is concealing a degenerative illness. I'm thinking it would matter to him."
"Jed," Abbey said firmly. The tone with which she uttered her husband's name was enough to get him to realize he needed to calm down a little. He took a few deep breaths and stared at his sneakers before speaking again.
"I want to be President and if I tell Leo I don't think that will happen. End of story."
After 30 years of marriage Abbey could tell when her husband meant "end of story". This was one of those times. She knew that there would be no getting him to change his mind about the issue. Her only choice was to stand by his decision to keep his illness a secret. Something she'd been doing for over four years.
"Hey," he muttered almost an hour later. "What time is it?"
"A little after 12. Are you hungry?" Abbey asked as she tossed aside her magazine and leaned over to give him a quick kiss.
"Starving," he said as he tossed the sheet back and stood up. As he wandered around the room looking for some clothes to wear Abbey took the opportunity to admire the view of her husband walking around naked.
"You just going to leer at me or are you going to get dressed so we can eat?" Jed smirked as he pulled some boxers and a pair of jeans out of the drawer. He put on a Notre Dame t-shirt and sat on the bed to put some socks on.
"OK, show's over, I'll get up," teased Abbey as she got up. It was Jed's turn to admire the view as she wandered around in search of her own clothes.
By the time Abbey got downstairs Jed was opening and closing all of the cabinets in search of something for lunch. "Is there any soup?" he asked as Abbey entered the room.
"I don't know. Try that cabinet," she said pointing towards the one next to the refrigerator.
"Yuck, there's only tomato," he said making a disgusted face.
"So have something else," Abbey muttered as she pulled a can of Diet Coke out of the fridge.
"But I wanted soup," Jed whined. Abbey turned to take a look at him, trying to figure out why he was whining over soup. It only took her a second for her to figure it out. It was because of the choking incident with the communion wafer. The memory of choking and gagging on it was still fresh in his mind. As a result he wasn't sure if he would be up to eating anything solid.
"You ok?" Abbey asked as she opened the can of soda.
"Yeah, I just thought soup would be a little easier to...," he muttered as he vaguely gestured towards his throat. He walked across the room and hopped up on the counter. Abbey moved to stand in front of him, putting her hands on his knees to stop him from kicking the cabinet doors.
"Sweetie, it's fine," she said trying to reassure him. "If you want soup we can go out to eat."
Jed just nodded. "Jed, is something else bothering you?"
"Not really," he muttered as he dropped his head down and drummed his fingers on the edge of the counter. Abbey sighed and leaned forward, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. She recognized his mood all too well. He was hungry, cranky and frustrated, not a good combination for him.
"So do you want to go out for something to eat?" Abbey asked as Jed lifted his head and gave her a weak smile.
"Yeah," he replied as he slid off the counter.
Half an hour later they walked into Captain Tobey's Chowder House. The restaurant was busy with the after church crowd. They were recognized almost immediately and 4 different couples tried to give them their tables. They politely declined and took a seat at the counter, like a "normal" couple. They ordered drinks and took a look at the menu. Jed ordered a bowl of lobster bisque to start with, figuring he would see how it went down. It went down just fine and the sight of Abbey's Shrimp and Clams Fritters was enough for him to gather up his courage and eat something resembling solid food. One bite of them and the memory of choking on the host was soon forgotten.
"So I guess you're not exactly having any eating difficulties?" teased Abbey as she reached over with her napkin to wipe the tarter sauce off of Jed's chin.
"I think I'm over it," muttered Jed as he reached for his iced tea.
They also ended up sharing a salad before finishing up with some of Tobey's famous coconut sorbet for dessert.
As Abbey sipped her coffee she noticed Jed starting to squirm in his seat. He was fidgety on any given day but since he'd spent the better part of three days being on forced relaxation he was really having trouble sitting still.
"You ready to go?" Abbey asked as she reached over to give his hand a squeeze.
"Yeah, I need to move a little," he muttered as he slid off the stool. He stood still for just a minute while he got his bearings and fished his wallet out of his pocket. He tossed some money on the counter and slipped on his jacket which Abbey was holding out for him. The left the restaurant hand in hand, waving to some people on the way out. As they headed out the front door they were met by a photographer with the local paper. He was very nice and didn't ambush them; he asked if the would mind if he took a photo. They obliged with a smile the photographer went on his way.
"Guess we'll end up on the front page of the paper anyway," teased Abbey as she led Jed back towards the car.
"Yeah, but at least I'm not choking in the photograph," smirked Jed. "Feel like going back to the beach for a little while?"
"Sure. You're up to it?"
"I'm fine Abigail," Jed assured her as he opened the passenger's door. He'd wanted to drive but she nixed that idea. Jed wasn't the world's best driver to begin with; he'd had more than his share of little accidents over the years, including backing out of the garage with the door still closed. As Governor he rarely drove himself anywhere except when they were spending time on the farm in Manchester. Also, Abbey didn't quite believe him when he told her his vision was completely back to normal.
They walked along the path in silence for a while. Jed was sure Abbey had something on her mind. She usually did. "OK, let's hear it," he teased as he led them towards a nearby bench.
"I want you to consider telling Leo," she blurted out without preamble.
"Tell him what?" Jed asked, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Abbey just gave her husband a pointed look. "I don't know. I mean it would be easier if he knew. But if he knew would he still...."
"Would he still want you to run?" Abbey said completing his thought.
"Yeah."
"I don't know. Look at all he's been through. Maybe it wouldn't matter to him." Now it was Jed's turn to give a pointed look.
"Wouldn't matter to him?" snorted Jed. "The man he's trying to get elected President is concealing a degenerative illness. I'm thinking it would matter to him."
"Jed," Abbey said firmly. The tone with which she uttered her husband's name was enough to get him to realize he needed to calm down a little. He took a few deep breaths and stared at his sneakers before speaking again.
"I want to be President and if I tell Leo I don't think that will happen. End of story."
After 30 years of marriage Abbey could tell when her husband meant "end of story". This was one of those times. She knew that there would be no getting him to change his mind about the issue. Her only choice was to stand by his decision to keep his illness a secret. Something she'd been doing for over four years.