ON THE ROAD WITH DANNY CONCANNON: PARIS
Title: "To Claudia Jean on her 39th Birthday"
Companion Piece: None
"Yeah, hey Maisy. Yeah I need you do me another favor. Yeah I got that copy Thanks. Keep 'um coming. Call Howard's, the florist on Potomac. I want purple orchids and peach flowers sent to CJ Cregg. No, not at the White House. Her apartment. I have the address here—it's here somewhere. You know what find out for me would you? It's in Georgetown I don't know the zip - yeah, yeah. The card. Have it say - Happy Birthday - Yeah that's it." He hung up the phone.
"Happy Birthday Claudia Jean," he spoke softly to himself.
It was a hard day and seeing the clock flash 3am wasn't what CJ wanted to see. She should have just slept at work, but something in here wanted to feel her tired feet on her blue cotton sheets. Just because it's your 39th birthday that doesn't mean the country stopped being won - it was a typical birthday for Claudia Jean. Like the last two Josh and Toby wanted to take her out for drinks, but something came up and her birthday was spent in briefings and memos. Toby gave her a beautiful necklace, an amethyst, Josh a book of her favorite poems, the President a book of Latin poems, Abby a bottle of scotch, and Donna a locket for remembrances.
CJ read the card on the flowers and smiled. Danny had remembered. What a sweet and wonderful man he was. She always tried to forget that but he crept back into her consciousness. CJ opened her door and set the flowers under water before and placed them in a vase they were better suited for. CJ slipped off her shoes and smelled the flowers. She took her gifts and placed them on the table. CJ took Donna's locket and read the inscription: "To CJ with love." Just then a flower from the orchard fell to the kitchen table. CJ opened the locket and placed the petal in the locket and shut the locket closed.
It was time for CJ to go to bed. She had to be up again in three hours. CJ left her kitchen with the locket still clutched in her hand.