Ainsley frowned in her sleep, feeling someone's hand on her arm.
"Sam, stop." she mumbled, swatting at the hand.
"I'll stop but I'm not Sam. Even though I met him and let me tell you Ainsley, he is one fine lookin' boy." a thick, southern accent said. Ainsley opened one eye and stared at her grandmother.
"Hi Nana." she yawned, sitting up. "When did you get here?"
"11:30 last night."
Ainsley laughed in spite of herself and ran a hand through her hair, then pulled it into a messy ponytail.
"Where is Sam?"
"He's downstairs having breakfast. Where did you find that boy?"
"Capital Beat. You like him?"
"Like him? Ainsley, honey you should've brought him around a long time ago."
"Well, it took me a while to find him." she smiled.
"Well that's why it took you so long to settle down. Ainsley, by the time I was your age I had been married for eight years and had five children."
"You've told me Nana."
"But I'm proud of you. You've got a degree in law and work at the White House." Claire Hayes said. "I'm glad you didn't rush into a marriage like some woman I know."
"Nana, don't start this weekend. Let's be peaceful."
"Ainsley, it's your mother that starts everything. She just has to make some snide comment about something and a war breaks out."
"A war breaks out because you guys let it get to you."
"Well she's down there right now picking on that husband of yours."
Ainsley sighed and pushed herself out of bed, then walked over to the dresser and grabbed the jeans and sweater that was sitting on top of it.
"I'll be out in a minute." she said, walking into the adjoining bathroom. She came out a few minutes later, dressed for the day, and followed her grandmother downstairs.
"Good morning." Ainsley greeted. Sam turned and smiled at her.
"Morning."
"Thanks for waking me up." she leaned up and kissed him quickly. "I missed breakfast."
"Your mom put some food away for you."
"Where is everyone?"
"Alex left to go to work, as did your father, and your mother walked out on me." Sam replied.
"Poor baby." Ainsley teased. "So I hear you met my nana."
"Yup." Sam gave Claire a smile and poured himself more coffee. She returned the smile and patted Sam on the arm, then looked at Ainsley.
"This one's got some muscle on him."
Sam paused, half glancing at Ainsley, who was trying not to laugh.
"What do you do Sam?" Claire asked, sitting down at the table.
"I work at the White House."
"I know that. I mean, what else do you do. Obviously you do something to keep yourself in shape."
"Oh." Sam turned bright red, feeling very awkward at the moment. "I-I go to the gym when I can."
"He works on his boat a lot too." Ainsley added.
"You have a boat?" Claire asked, making Sam nod.
"I like sailing."
"Have you been on it Ainsley?"
She looked at Sam and they shared a grin.
"Once."
The look did not go unnoticed by Claire, who raised an eyebrow.
"I see. I suppose you had fun." she said, a casual, yet suggesting tone in her voice.
"Nana!"
"I can't believe I'm even in this conversation." Sam muttered.
"Am I embarrassing you Sam?" Claire asked.
"Slightly."
The two women laughed and Sam turned even redder.
"He gets flustered easily." Ainsley said, taking Sam's hand in hers. She eyed the muffin on the plate in front of him and gave him a sweet smile. "Are you gonna eat that muffin?"
Sam glanced around the kitchen, hoping to see another muffin but could not find one.
"How about I split it with you?"
"If you were gonna eat it, you can still eat it."
"No. Here," Sam pushed the plate towards his wife, who pushed it back.
"I'll have a bagel."
"Eat the damn muffin Ainsley."
"Okay." she pulled the plate back to her and began eating it. Sam's cell phone began moving across the table as it vibrated and he quickly grabbed it before it fell off the table.
"Sam Seaborn."
"Hey guys, he's alive!" Josh's voice yelled. Sam rolled his eyes as Josh began to speak to him. "How's the south?"
"Fine."
"No one's tried to shoot you yet?"
"Nope and, this is gonna kill you, her father's thinking about voting for the President."
"What have you done to them?"
"He said it before I could get one word out."
"Sam, you should've married a Republican a long time ago."
"Just hadn't found the right one."
"Don't get all sentimental on me. You've turned into such a sap since you got married."
"It's a good life Josh. Wish you'd do the same."
"I was born to be a bachelor. Married life is not for me. I always thought it wasn't for you either."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sam, you were one of the most eligible bachelors in DC. Girls wanted you and you could have anyone you wanted and now you're a family man."
"And I like it and I have the one that I want. Why did you call?"
"You're a pansy buddy. You really are."
"Josh, why did you call? Did you come up with another secret plan to fight inflation?"
"Haha. No. I just wanted to see how you were. Tell Ainsley I said hi."
"I will. I'll talk to you later." Sam snapped his phone shut and looked at Ainsley. "Josh says hi."
"That's nice." she mumbled around the muffin. Emily walked into the room and stared at her mother-in-law for a minute, then turned to her daughter.
"Ainsley, you need to eat more than a muffin."
"I'm fine Mom."
"I put food away for you."
"Mom, I want a muffin."
"Ainsley,"
"For God's sake Emily, the girl said she's fine!" Claire exclaimed. "Stop pestering her."
"I don't think I asked you Claire." she said.
"Well usually when someone says they're fine or no then they usually mean it."
Sam glanced at Ainsley, who gave him a look as if to say, 'I told you so.' Emily gritted her teeth and ignored Claire, turning back to Ainsley again.
"What are you doing today?"
"I wanted to relax."
"That's good."
"But I think I'm going to go to that baby store that's by the park. It's in the store complex."
"Ainsley,"
"But I'll probably just lounge around. I need a few days of relaxation."
"Good." Emily nodded and poured herself some coffee. Sam's cell phone rang again and he groaned as he flipped it open.
"What?"
"Where the hell are you?"
"I told you I'd be gone until Sunday."
"You leave when I need help writing that speech."
"You can write a speech."
"I've lost my talent again."
"It's somewhere in the building Toby."
"I don't know Sam. I may have lost it on the way to work this morning and then it could be anywhere!"
"Okay, don't shout. Uh..."
"Are you in the middle of something important?"
"Not really."
"Then get to the nearest piece of paper and start writing." the phone clicked and Sam shut his phone.
"What was that about?" Ainsley asked.
"Toby has a case of writer's block and the President's making a speech and, well, you know... he needs me. So..."
"So?"
"I need to start writing something and get it to him as soon as possible." Sam replied. "Is my laptop in the car?"
"I don't know."
"Yeah it is. Okay, I'll be right back." Sam headed out of the kitchen and Emily sat down in the newly vacated seat.
"He works a lot." she commented.
"Mom, don't start." Ainsley said. "I'm serious. Just please don't start."
"I'm just saying. Here he is, supposed to spending time with his in-laws but he's working."
"He's only going to be a few minutes."
"Sure."
"Emily, leave the boy alone. You want him to make money so he can support your daughter don't you?" Claire said.
"Claire, I would appreciate it if you stayed out of this."
"There's nothing to stay out of." Ainsley said. "I'm going upstairs."
"See how upset you're getting?"
Ainsley turned away from the doorway and stared at her mother.
"I'm not upset. I'm annoyed that you think anything he does is wrong. Mom, you need to start understanding that this is my life now and he's part of it and if you don't like it, then tough."
"Ainsley, watch your mouth when you speak to me!"
"She's not a child." Clair piped up.
"Then I shouldn't have to treat her like one." Emily snapped. Ainsley walked out of the room and headed upstairs. She paused on the top step, seeing Sam leaning against the wall.
"You heard all of that."
"Most of it."
Ainsley sighed and walked towards her room. Sam followed her and shut the door behind him.
"It's never going to be okay." she muttered, sitting down on the bed. "It's always going to be like this and I don't know if I can handle it."
Sam sat down next to her and ran a hand over her back.
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? You had— well yeah, you did have something to do with it." Ainsley said. "I mean, this is how every holiday is going to be from now on. She can't stop for even a day."
"I don't want you to have to choose between the two of us."
"I don't either but obviously I'll go with you."
"Ainse,"
"No. I'm serious Sam. It's always been like this and it always will be." she mumbled. "I just have to accept that and move on with my life."