Chapter 5:
I love charades.
White House. Residential part.
It was almost dinnertime. For the first time in days Mackenzie Allen had made it in time to have dinner with her family. But before diner-time she had to talk to the twins about her situation with Rod… She decided to go to Becca's room first. Rebecca was listening to music at an incredibly loud volume and she was putting black painting in her nails. Mac turned the volume of the music down…
Becca- hey! I was listening to that…Mac- well… if you like listening to music so much then why do you insist in breaking your ears listening to it at this volume?
Becca rolled her eyes. She didn't expect her mother to understand her.
Becca- what do you want, mom?
Mac- look… I wanted to talk to you… but… Where is Horace? I need to talk to both of you…
Becca- in his room… studying with some classmate of him…
Mac- well… then I guess I'll have to talk to you alone first…
Becca was clearly not very happy about it. Very sarcastically, she said…
Becca- I'm so honored to talk to you Madame PresidentMac- hey! I might be the President but I'm your mother as well… you are MY daughter and no one can vote me out of that job, Not even YOU… so if I want to talk to you I expect, and deserve, a better attitude from you…
Becca- ok... but I already know that you and dad are having problems and I know I have to keep my mouth shut… I already agreed not to tell anyone and I'm actually glad no one will know how mess up our lives really are, so… that's it, is there anything else to talk about?
Mac was running out of patience, she took a sit close to Becca and talked seriously, expecting her daughter to pay attention to her.
Mac- Becca, I'm not here because I want you to "keep your mouth shut"… I just want to know how you feel… it must be hard for you to see that your father and I are in trouble…
Becca looked at her mother with a very angry expression.
Becca- who cares if is hard for me? Who cares about me?… You don't! So stop pretending…Mac was really hurt. Did Becca really believed that?
Mac- I do care about you…
Becca- You don't care about anyone! You always get your way even when it hurts other people…
Mac- Becca… that's not true…
Becca- is not? Hello! Do we live in the same house? Amy barely sees you, daddy lives half a week in New York and now he moved to guest room… not to mention my lack of a private and normal life… and it's all because YOU wanted to be President…
Mac was doing her best not to cry. She couldn't believe that her daughter still didn't understand how important her job was…
Mac- I know it's been difficult… but, Becca, I love my job and I'm very proud of it… I'm not going to apologize for being the President… and how dare you accusing ME of being selfish? You always make things even more difficult for me… and I'm trying to do my best…
Becca- no… what you are trying is to prove that a woman can do a man's job and raise a family at the same time…but that is an impossible thing to do for anyone.
Mac- you are seriously mistaken! I'm not trying is to prove that a woman can do a man's job, I'm trying to prove that it doesn't have to be a man's job… and it's not fair to blame all on me when your father, as you rightly pointed out, lives in New York half a week… I'm around more than him but you are only angry with me… Why?
Becca- Because you were the one who made dad leave to New York.
Mac- what? I wanted him to stay more than anything!
Becca- come on, mom! I know that he only left because you refused to give him an official position in your staff…
Mac shook her head. She was tired of feeling guilty because of that.
Mac- Becca… I know I chose not to give your father the job he wanted, but he could have stayed anyway… he didn't have to punish me for that by leaving to New York…
But Becca didn't want to hear her mother anymore.
Becca- whatever mom… you have what you wanted: you know how I feel… can you leave now?
Mac nodded, knowing it was pointless to continue talking to her. She knew that Becca would understand everything eventually…
Mac- ok… I'll see you later… I'll have dinner with everybody tonight…
Becca- Are you expecting a medal for that? Because I ran out of gold…
With a lot of pain inside her, and a lot of anger, she stood up and headed to leave. But before she left she turned around to say…
Mac- I'm sorry Becca, but... shouldn't you have revealed like this two years ago? Because NOW, honey, wearing black make up and locking your self up in your room with loud music is not going to get you anything… All you are doing is confuse the Secret Service. Oh! And the next time Amy has nightmares or any kind of worry because of something you said I'm gonna ground you for so long that there will be a new President by the time you leave this room…
Saying that, Mackenzie left the room feeling very angry and frustrated. She took a deep breath in the hallway to calm down. She couldn't believe how screwed up her relationship with Becca was. However, there was nothing Mac could do about that for the moment… so she decided to go to talk to Horace. Her son has always been more understanding and way more supportive with her than Becca. Mac went to Horace's room, but when she walked in the room she saw the most disturbing thing for her eyes: Horace was kissing some boy and they were both half naked. Mac was stunned.
Mac- oh my God!
The two young boys startled and stopped kissing.
Mac- if what you are doing if your assignment I'll have to talk very seriously with your teacher.
Horace- mom! Don't you know how to knock!
Mac kept staring at both of them in shock.
Mac- apparently I don't…
The boy started putting his clothes on as fast as he could, he was very embarrassed because the President of the United States saw him half naked and kissing her son. Horace was starting to get dress as well… very annoyed.
Horace- well… I consider very important that you start taking lessons about respecting other people's privacy…
Mac- and you should take lessons about honestly! When were you planning to tell me about your new "special friend"? I never saw him before…
The boy was now fully dressed and he extended his hand to Mac solemnly.
Tim- I'm Tim… it's an honor to meet you, ma'am President…After the first shock, Mac examined the boy for a few seconds. He was tall, like Horace, with light brown hair and deep green eyes. He was a very cute boy… and he seemed nice, but he was a boy and Mac had a hard time getting used to the idea that Horace was gay. However, she shook the boy's hand and then she said.
Mac- well… it's nice to meet you too, but it would have been nicer if my son had told me about you first…
Tim- You are right, Ma'am President… and I actually advised Horace to talk to you… I said to him: "Your mother would understand… you should be honest with her"… but he wouldn't listen to me… isn't that right, Horace?
Horace nodded even more astonished than he was before…Horace- he is right… I wouldn't listen to him.
Mac continued talking to Tim.
Mac- at least I know you now… I only wish I hadn't seen you putting your tongue in my son's throat… specially when you weren't wearing your t-shirt.
Tim- I'm sorry about that, ma'am… but I promise that the next time you see me I'll actually have all my clothes on.
Mac- yes… that will be the best.
Mac smiled a little bit. Then she and Tim noticed how incredibly uncomfortable Horace was.
Tim- Well… Horace, I think I should go now… you have to talk to your mother…
Horace nodded feeling a bit more at ease.
Horace- ok… I'll see you at school…
Tom- ok… bye…
He kissed Horace's cheek and shook Mac's hand one more time and then he left, leaving mother and son alone.
Mac- well… he seems nice… but I'm very disappointed because I had to find out this way… I wish you would have told me… don't you trust me at all?
Horace- I wanted to tell you… but I was concerned…
Mac- concerned? And does your concern have to do with the fact that the person you are dating is actually a boy?
Horace couldn't believe that her mother didn't think that fact was a big deal.
Horace- well… yes… I mean… I was afraid you would freak out… I didn't want you to be disappointed of me… I thought you wouldn't accept what I am…
Mac- Horace! You are my baby boy… I'll always love you no matter what, and if you are happy, I'm happy… you know I'm support a person's right to choose their sexual orientation… I won't make an exception with you…
Horace- are you really cool with this?
Mac nodded, she took a sit in Horace's chair and he took a sit in his bed.
Mac- sure it's hard getting use to the idea… I mean… in my head I always pictured you marring a woman… but if you are happy with Tim, or any other guy, I'll just change the picture in my head… I only want you to find love and be happy…
Horace- Thank you, mom. It really means a lot to me…
Mac looked at his son with curiosity… and trying to use a casual tone of voice she said…Mac- so… tell me… How long have you been dating Tim? Do you love him?
Horace blushed a little and looked down uncomfortable, then Mac said very exited.
Mac- you do love him!
Horace nodded smiling shyly… he had to admit the obvious.
Horace- yes… but I feel kind of silly because I have only dated him for a month… how can I be in love already?
Mac smiled… at least someone in her family was happy.
Mac- sometimes it happens… some people fall in love fast and for some people it takes longer.
Horace- it only took me like a week to me.
Mac got very serious all the sudden.
Mac- look honey… I support you… but I need you to promise me that you will always be careful when you and Tim… you know…
Horace- yes… don't worry… I had the talk about condoms and AIDS with dad last year… of course in that moment he thought I would use condoms with girls…
Mac- and when will you tell him that you…
Horace finished the sentences for his mother…
Horace- That I "changed teams"?
Mac- exactly…
Horace got a bit nervous.
Horace- look, mom... I'm not ready for him to know it yet… it's too soon…
Mac- I understand… but…
Horace interrupted her, looking at his mother with begging eyes.
Horace- actually, I don't want anyone to know yet… I'm not ready to come out… I'm being extremely careful to keep it a secret… specially since I don't want the press to know.
Mac- oh… honey… you don't have to do that for me…
Horace- I know… but I'm doing it too me… I don't want my life to be open for a public debate...
Mac- ok… I respect that… some things just work better if you left them unsaid…
Horace decided to switch the subject to talk about something else that worried him and wanted to discuss with his mother.
Horace- wow… it looks that the White House is keeping a lot of big secrets these days…
Mac knew he was talking about Rod sleeping in the guest room… and he was using a very judgmental tome of voice.
Mac- hey! He who is in the closet shouldn't throw the first stone!
Horace- seriously, mom, what's up with you and dad?
Mac- we are separated for a while…
Horace- well… I kind of figured that out when he moved his stuff to the guest room… what I don't understand is why…
Mac- it's complicated, honey… things have been difficult with him being away so much and me being the President and all… and everything kind of exploded recently…
Mac didn't added the part about Jim… Horace nodded but something still confused him.Horace- but why are you trying to cover it? That isn't you, mom… you hate charades…
Mac- but I have to covert it Horace… otherwise everything I worked for would be ruined… everybody would be like "Forget the nuclear war she prevented… her husband is not sleeping with her!… Stop the presses!"
Horace and Mac laughed for a few seconds picturing the reporters going crazy over the separation.
Horace- ok… I understand…
Mac- and by the way… I don't want you to scare Amy saying that dad and me are getting divorce…
Horace nodded humidly…
Horace- sorry… Becca and I shouldn't have talk about that in front of Amy… it's just that we are very scared our selves… we don't want you and daddy to get divorce…
Mac saw that her son was really worried about his parents and decided to confess him something.
Mac- can I tell you a secret, kid?
Horace- ok…
Mac- the only reason I agreed to pull this ridiculous charade with your father is that I think that our separation is temporary…
Horace- really?
Mac- yes… I still love your father and I want to fix whatever is wrong so he and I can get back together, and there is no point in letting everybody know about a separation that is only temporary.
Horace was really relieved.
Horace- I hope you are right and you two can fix your problems… Mac hugged her son very tight. Mac- you are a great boy, Horace.He looked at his mother full with curiosity.
Horace- by the way, you never told me how long it took you…
Mac- How long it took me what?
Horace- to fall in love with daddy… Without thinking it twice Mac smiled and answered…Mac- that only took me a New York minute!
Horace was confused…
Horace- a New York minute?
Mac- yes… literally… it happened the day I met him… I was on vacations in New York and a friend of mine and I decided to go to the M.E.T.… we were looking at the paintings and suddenly we noticed a very arrogant boy who was looking at the paintings too…
Horace- was it dad?
Mac continued with her story without answering…
Mac- this boy was very arrogant and competitive and he was criticizing the paintings because he wanted to impress everybody talking about the Art he had seen in Europe…
Horace started laughing…Horace- it was dad!
Mac- yes… for half an hour I overhead him pretending to know about art and I was pretending that I wasn't impressed at all… of course, at the minute he made a mistake I corrected him and we started and argument that lasted like an hour… then we realized that we went to the same college and became friends…
Horace- and how long were you friends before dating?
Mac- like six months… we were both taken when we met…
Horace- really?
Mac- yeah… he had a girlfriend and I was dating Mike Stanton… but your father had me since the first moment I saw him anyway… when I saw him in that museum bragging in front of his friends and acting like a fool he had me… I know it sounds strange…
Horace- it wouldn't be real love if it didn't have something strange…
Mac realized that she was about to cry, so she stood up trying to put her self together and said…Mac- well… I'll see you at dinner, honey…
Horace realized that she was leaving because she was sad and because she wasn't really comfortable getting so emotional and admitting that she still loved Rod. She preferred pulling the "unbreakable woman" charade, the only charade she actually loved.
Rod- mom… don't worry, your secret is safe with me.
Mac smiled at her son… understanding that he wasn't only talking about the separation.
Mac- right back at ya!
She winked her eye at him and left the room.
To be continued…Well... I hope you are all enjoying this story! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews you sent me so far! They made my day!
And by the way… I decided that I'll make Mac be 45 going on 46….
Keep reading and reviewing!
Love…
Lara