July 28, 2020

"So how does it feel to finally be a teenager?" Jed asked.

"I don't feel any different than any other birthday. It's cool having my party here though, instead of at the Bay house." Matty replied.

Jed laughed, "Your mother certainly outdid herself. They don't close one of the most popular restaurants at Disney for anyone."

"Well as Mommy always says 'I'm special.' Did you try my cake yet?"

"Yes, I had two slices before my evil wife cut me off."

"I heard that Jethro! So how did you enjoy your day Matty?"

"It was lots of fun, I didn't think Dad would be able to come with us so I was happy he did. I loved being able to avoid all the lines."

"I must admit I always found that fun too. Are you going to the convention?"

"Just on Thursday night, Mommy doesn't want me to be bored any longer than necessary."

"Will Sam announce his choice for VP?" Jed asked.

"Yes, it's a woman."

"A woman, how wonderful! Who Matty?" Abbey asked.

"Dana Ducane, she was running against Dad for a bit before she dropped out."

"She's from Texas, Austin I think. She's very smart and is passionate about education and health care. She's an unconventional choice but a good one. I'm just glad he didn't pick Dan Cannon."

"You should have heard some of the names Dad has called him. He can't stand that guy."

"Sam was always a good judge of character. How about we go get another slice of your cake?"

"What about me?" Jed asked.

"You can half a piece Jethro."

Matty shook his head and laughed, Abbey and Jed reminded him of his parents when they teased each other. On his way to the cake table he noticed his parents dancing to some old song he'd heard a thousand times over the years. Jenna and Jacob were standing near the cake table so he went over to them.

"What song is that Jenna and why do they both get so sentimental when they hear it?"

"It a long romantic story. The name of the song is With Arms Wide Open by Creed. Sam sung it to Mara at the wedding shower Donna and Abbey threw for them. He sung it because he wanted Mara to know that his arms were always open to her. For many years it was just a special song until Sam decided to give Mara a special present for her sixth anniversary as Ambassador. I was there so I know of what I speak. He sent her gorgeous pink tulips and a CD. Mara had had 3 miscarriages so when Sam told her that I'd have a little brother or sister she lost it. To top things off, Sam told her that he was there for her with arms wide open and that he knew that they'd have this baby. The next thing on the CD was the song. I'll sing you the first part of the song, listen to the words:

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

You are the news, the life created and that is why this song is so special to them."

"Oh wow, I won't be rolling my eyes at them when I hear this song anymore."

"I hope not squirt! You know I wanted a little sister, but you turned out OK, happy birthday!"

"Thank you."

"Matty time to open your gifts!" Ginger proclaimed.

"Hello gorgeous."

Mara looked up from the cup of tea she was enjoying in the Garden View Lounge of the Grand Floridian Hotel. She had talked Ginger into joining her for high tea.

"Danny, hi ! What are you doing here?"

"I decided I wanted to cover your husband's moment myself. I just got in an hour ago. Jenna spilled your location. What are you drinking, it smells heavenly?"

"I'm drinking hot cinnamon spice tea and it is as delicious tasting as it smells."

"Drinking all by yourself? " Danny asked with a grin.

"No, Ginger just went to the ladies room. Would you like to join us?"

"I'm not exactly the high tea type."

"Have you ever had high tea?"

"No."

"Then it's settled you are staying."

Mara motioned to the waitress and let her know it was now tea for three. A few minutes later she returned to ask Danny what kind of tea he wanted. He decided to go for the cinnamon spice tea.

"How are you feeling about having a detail in a few hours?"

"Did you have to remind me? They are going to have a hard time when they realize that I know what the absolute bare bones minimum is and that I'm going to insist on it."

"How did you...friends in high places. What is the minimum?"

"Can't tell you Danny, but it is still too many agents in my opinion."

"Hey Danny, I take it you are joining us."

"Hi Ginger and yes I am. No worries all of this is off the record."

"I called Sam to remind her that Matty had to be back in the room by five for dinner. They wanted to know if you wanted to meet them at MGM to go on the Rocking Roller Coaster. They are still in Epcot because they wanted to go on Soaring again."

"A couple of roller coaster rides might just be what the doctor ordered. Do..."

"I'll go over with you but there is no way in hell I'm going on that thing!"

"Wimp!"

"I'm proud to be one. What about you Danny?"

"I try hard to avoid roller coasters or anything that requires me to be turned upside down."

"I'm surrounded by wimps!"

"So how have the last few days been?" Danny asked.

"Pretty darn good. Sam went out of his way to make sure he spent as much time as possible with us. We spent the weekend doing all the little things we've always taken for granted. Monday we all flew down together and than had lunch before Sam had to abandon us. He spent all day Tuesday with us for Matty's birthday and he surprised me last night by returning to the hotel at 5:30 to whisk me off to a private dinner. Toby and Josh aren't too thrilled with him but I sure am."

"Did you decide about dinner tonight? "Ginger asked.

"I think we should have one last dinner out so I made reservations for 5:30 at Jiko."

"I hear there is a restaurant named after you in the Animal Kingdom Lodge." Danny added.

Mara chuckled, "Yes, we all have a souvenir mug from there. I pretend it's named after me but it's really named after the Mara river in Tanzania. No wonder I love tanzanites so much."

Danny would never admit it but he thoroughly enjoyed the high tea. He even asked to purchase a few boxes of the hot cinnamon tea to take home. He was sure CJ would love the tea. He rode the monorail with the ladies but got off at the main transportation center to catch a bus to the Wide World of Sports Complexes that were hosting the convention. The girls transferred to a motor boat at Epcot that took them to the entrance of MGM studios. After four rides on the Rocking Roller Coaster, Ginger forced the trio to stop riding so that they would arrive back at the hotel in time for dinner. After a slightly rushed dinner Mara and Sam returned to their room. Mara flopped down on the bed and started talking to Tedzy.

"So what are you wearing tonight?"

"I'm not going!"

"What? You have to be there."

"She's just messing with you Dad." Matty chimed as he entered their room.

"Your mother is pure evil."

"I figured that out years ago."

Mara gave her son a light slap upside the head and stuck out her tongue at her husband. She sat down, poured herself a drink and popped a few chocolates into her mouth.

"You didn't answer me."

"I haven't decided what I'm going to wear."

"Jenna!" Sam yelled.

"What? I'm trying to get dressed!" She yelled back.

"Do you want me to look over your introduction?"

"No, you'll hear it when everyone else does. Mar come here for a second please."

Sam stepped out on to the balcony and watched a giraffe walk by, not more than 100 feet away. In the morning he had his coffee while he watched the zebras at the salt lick. He turned when he heard the door open and smiled at Matty.

"I guess you better get use to staying in Presidential suites Dad."

"Your mother often books the best suite in any hotel so the luxury will be nothing new to me. Having guards outside doors will take some getting use to."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little bit, I'm keenly aware how much all of our lives will change the second I say I will accept your nomination."

"It's not too late to change your mind. I'll take Josh and you can take Toby."

"The thought has crossed my mind a few times this week."

"When do we have to leave?"

"In half an hour, which is why I want your stubborn mother to get dressed."

"We both know she is going to wait until the last possible second and then keep us waiting for a few extra minutes. Don't sweat the small stuff Dad."

Twenty minutes later Mara sauntered back into their room and went over to the closet.

"What to wear, what to wear?" Mara muttered knowing she was driving her husband insane.

She took a few minutes before selecting a flirty floral sundress that would hopefully not be too warm underneath the lights. She popped into the bathroom to change and ignored Sam's whistle of approval. When Jenna heard the whistle she was almost afraid to see what Mara was wearing. She walked into the room and breathed a half sigh of relief. She thought Mara was still showing too much cleavage and a couple inches more leg than necessary but overall the dress was simply Mara's normal style, she hadn't deliberately chosen something sexy.

"I need shoes now."

"I brought my pink sandals. The pink is a little lighter but with all the leg in between it won't be noticeable."

Mara took a quick look at Jenna and decided it wasn't a crack about what she was wearing.

"Could you just put on a pair of shoes, we were suppose to leave 5 minutes ago." Sam sighed.

"I'll be ready in about ten minutes, trust me they won't rescind your nomination."

Sam threw up his hands in frustration and went out on the balcony. Matty felt sorry for his Dad and went out to keep him company. Jenna fetched her shoes and encouraged Mara to hurry up before Sam had a panic attack or heart failure. Mara went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, put some eye shadow and lipstick on before taking her hair out of its ponytail, giving it a brush and then putting the ponytail back in. She slipped her feet into Jenna's shoes and examined herself in the mirror. Happy with the results, she took the few steps over to the balcony door and opened it.

"Samuel, I'm waiting! Are you ready to go?" She said with a wicked grin.

"Remind me to divorce you in the morning." Sam muttered and slapped her on the ass.

"The two of you better behave tonight or else!" Jenna lamented.

Fifteen minutes later they were pulling up to the Wide World of Sports Complex. Sam glanced at his watch and it earned him an elbow in the stomach from his wife. They heard Jed being introduced which sent Jenna scurrying backstage to prepare for her introduction. Matty spotted Samantha and ran off to join her. Toby stopped him for a few minutes and then let the pair go.

"So nice of you to show up." Toby stated sarcastically.

"Bite me Tobias! Besides, Jed has a captive audience, if we were actually late, there is a million stories he could tell."

"We don't want the delegates in a coma when Sam starts to speak."

"Is Abbey backstage?"

"Yes."

"I'm off to find her. You don't step on stage until you've seen me, comprende?"

"Oui. So I'm on in half an hour?" Sam inquired.

"There will be lots of applause for Jed, polite ones for Jenna, then probably a few minutes of applause for you. You will be on in about 38 minutes speaking at about 41." Toby replied "Want me to look at your speech?"

"No, I'm fine and like Jenna I have it memorized."

"You sure you don't want it scanned for the teleprompter? "Josh asked.

"I'm positive, I find I'm not nervous anymore."

"Trying to get Mara out the door when she knows her life is going to change because of it, is enough to give any man an ulcer. She looks hot though."

"Yes, my wife does look hot. Oh man, I was hoping Jed wouldn't do his Dorian Grey bit."

"It's playing well, listen to the laughter. You should address it in your opening."

"So are you ready?" Abbey asked after Mara drained her second glass of champagne.

"As ready as I'll ever be. It's strange, I know I could walk up to Sam and tell him I can't do this and he'd decline the nomination. Yet it's that knowledge that is going to keep my mouth shut. I don't want to do this but I can't deny Sam his dream."

"Your announcement that you don't plan on quitting your job is playing better than I thought it would. Mara the best advice I can give you is to not change who you are under any circumstance. If you don't change, Sam won't be able to change either. Don't tell the press to call you Mara, you are an Ambassador. If I could change anything, I'd insist on keeping my Doctor title."

"I just feel..."

"Sweetie, if you let them drop your title they will take you less seriously. You have a unique opportunity to be more than the wife, don't you dare give it up or you'll have to answer to me. You still know more about international relations than Sam ever will. If Sam's smart, he'll have you in the Sit. Room and even though the boys should know you belong there you are going to have to prove it. They should be calling you Ambassador for a long time."

"I really wish this was all just a dream and I'd wake up and have a college professor for a husband."

"Welcome to reality kiddo, it's one hell of a trip. I see your husband, go give him a kiss and hold his hand until he is called on stage."

"I guess I should listen to Jenna's speech since she wouldn't share it with us. Sam's is quite good."

"I'll see you when this is all over."

Sam and Mara both started to walk towards each other. As soon as they realized this, they both started laughing but continued to walk until they met.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"This is the point of no return, are you sure I still have your blessing to do this?"

Mara smiled, "I think I love you more right this second than I have ever loved you."

"Wow, that's a whole lot of love."

"It certainly is candidate Seaborn."

"I'm the luckiest man alive."

"Damn straight you are. So are you nervous?"

"No, I was more worried about getting you out of the hotel than speaking to millions, live."

"It's my job to keep your life interesting. Oy, Jed is telling the fire story. I think it's time you inform all who the real culprit was."

"I should say it was Toby just to see his reaction."

"The payback wouldn't be worth it. Trust me, when pushed, Toby, can be almost as devious and deadly as little ole me."

Sam chuckled and then stopped when he imagined the possible forms of retribution. "I forgot to tell you how incredible you look."

"Thank you, you don't look so bad either Senator. Jed just introduced Jenna. We should listen."

They walked over into one of the wings to listen to their daughter. Sam wrapped his arms around his wife and leaned his chin on her shoulder. Jenna looked to the side and smiled when she saw them.

"Thank you, Grandpa Jed. I've known Sam Seaborn for twenty years. The first five years of our relationship, we were Princess Rugrat and Uncle Sam. Then during the darkest days of my young life, he was there to comfort the broken heart of an orphan. During the short flight from Washington to Ottawa, Sam discovered he was about to become a parent of a precocious eleven year old. Instead of worrying about logistics, he thought how unfair it was going to be to uproot me from the life I knew, to move to Washington. Sam has been my Dad longer than my Daddy was and I'm proud to be his daughter. We've heard how intelligent and capable Sam is. We know what issues are nearest and dearest to him. Over the last few days, countless people have told you that Samuel Norman Seaborn will be an excellent, dynamic President. However, what really matters is the type of person my Dad is. He knows first aid, which is handy since he is a klutz..."

"She's on my list now." Sam muttered with a grin.

"And he's been called upon several times to tend to his family, including the compound fracture I got when I didn't listen to him and flew off a swing. He is amazing as a homework helper, he actually makes sure you know what you are doing instead of rapidly calculating the answer and asking what your problem is..."

"She's on my list now too." Mara said nonchalantly.

"He writes with such beauty and power that he can elicit any emotion from his reader. His love for the written word is contagious and he shares this love with anyone willing to listen, including the hundreds of children who have listened to him read everything from Green Eggs and Ham to Harry Potter. He is slow to make promises because he never makes a promise that he can't keep. My Dad is never too busy to make time for his family. Sometimes Matty and I have to settle for his voice over a phone line but we know he is giving us his full attention. He takes recreation seriously, engaging us in family activities even against our occasional protests. Matty and I have led privileged lives, but our parents never let us forget just how fortunate we are. Through example, they demonstrated the importance of not only donating money but time to help those who are less fortunate. Sam treasures his family above anything else in his life, including his political career. If I could actually vote, I know my vote would go to the candidate who wants to make the United States a better country for every family. It is my honour to introduce you to the finest man I know, my Dad, Sam Seaborn."

"That's me, I love you." Sam whispered into Mara's ear.

"I love you too." Mara gave him a quick kiss and pushed him towards the stage.

Sam gave Jenna a kiss and hug, thanked her and then preceded to tell the audience that he had never seen a portrait of Dorian Grey and it was not his idea to set a fire in the Mural Room fireplace. In a twenty five minute speech Sam outlined his vision for the Presidency and accepted his party's nomination. He then introduced his running mate and invited her to say a few words. Dana spoke for ten minutes and then thousands of red, white and blue balloons tumbled to the floor. Mara, Matty and Jenna joined Sam on the stage for a few minutes until they walked off the stage as a family. They arrived back at the hotel a little after ten.

"Night, I'm going to bed. " Matty stated.

"So you're going to Pleasure Island with Jacob?" Mara asked Jenna.

"No, I'm pretty exhausted too, I'm going to bed at a decent hour, night."

Sam sat down at the edge of their bed and removed his tie. Mara sat down beside him and kicked of Jenna's shoes.

"I'm not tired, how about you?"

"I'm not tired either. Do you have anything in mind Mrs. Seaborn?"

"How about we go for a swim."

"The pool closes at ten."

"What are they going to do? Throw us into Mickey's jail?"

Sam leaned back on the bed and Mara decided she needed another tactic. She stood up and returned a minute later in her tiny red bikini that Sam loved.

"We are going swimming, end of discussion."

Sam raised his head and enjoyed the view until she started pinching his foot. He knew she wouldn't stop until he agreed to go swimming.

"All right, let me get up and change. Seriously, remind me to divorce you in the morning."

"Just move it before I really hurt you."

When Sam returned, Mara had wrapped a red sarong around her body to form a strapless dress. She had two beach towels in her hand and a T shirt for Sam. They both forgot that when they opened the door, two secret service agents whipped around.

"Can we help you Senator?"

"We are going for a swim." Mara replied.

"I believe the pool has closed for the evening."

"Then it should make it easier to keep an eye out for intruders." Mara countered and started to walk down the hall with Sam. The agents had no choice but to quickly walk ahead of the couple.

The pool was deserted and they stopped at the lounge chairs the agents recommended. Mara dropped the towels, kicked off her shoes and untied the knot holding up the sarong. She smiled at Sam and sauntered towards the water. The water was ankle deep when she turned around.

"Yo pokey, hurry up!"

The agents looked at each other and grinned. They waited for Sam to enter the pool before turning on their communication devices.

"Pokey, I think we found our code name for the Senator." Al stated.

"The Ambassador is very sexy, he is a lucky man." Craig replied.

"We certainly can't call her Gumby. Diva perhaps?"

"I don't want to get my hair wet Sam."

Sam wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him. She smiled and hung her arms over his shoulders. Sam leaned in to give her a long passionate kiss. After half an hour of kissing and three failed attempts to remove Mara's top Sam finally gave her an ultimatum: either she let him make love to her by the pool or they returned to the room so he could make love to her. Just before he closed the hotel door Sam warned the agents that his wife was vocal so there was no reason to storm the room if they heard anything. Sam had to laugh when Mara came out of the bathroom wearing her Bartlet For President T shirt from the first campaign.

"I hate to point it out dear, but that's the wrong campaign."

"Hey, if you find a T shirt that is as soft and lasts for twenty years, maybe I'll wear it your last night in office."

Sam chuckled, "Tell me the truth, you are sort of tired now aren't you?"

"A little, yeah."

"Then you can go to sleep. Maybe we can try wake up sex."

"So you are going to have sex with me then divorce me?" She asked with a grin.

"If you satisfy me, maybe I'll forget the divorce part."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that and let you live. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Sam replied.