Chapter 20

As they walked in, the audience stood. It was her least favorite part of the job. She would prefer to tell them to sit as most were parents of the twins' friends. Therefore, making them her friends as well. The cameras clicked and the broadcast cameras followed her every move. They were the last of the parents to arrive. They greeted a few parents as they made their way to their seats in the front.

As they approached, Jason rolled his eyes at them, "The last place I ever wanted to be is front row at Westmore." Henry shot him a look as Elizabeth shook her head.

As President, she was grateful for the opportunity to sit back and just enjoy a great moment for the twins. Not being asked to speak was a relief since she still struggled with speechwriters since letting Matt go. A decision she wrangled with more than she wanted to admit. But, giving her daughter information that he was not privy to in the first place, that wasn't something she could let slide.

Pomp and Circumstance played and the audience stood up. Aamira looking so much more like her mother as she was turning eighteen, as valedictorian lead the class into the tent.

Elizabeth winked at her as she walked by her and shared a smile.

Asim followed a little further behind his sister, more brazen than her as he passed his family. He reached out and touched his mother's hand. Something they had randomly done since the orphanage. That emotion still remained as she smiled brightly at him, tears of joy settling in her eyes.

Up on the stage, a now retired Dean Ward looked down at the McCord Family. Smiling at them as Stevie was settling her two years old twins down. Michael looked just like his father with dark hair while Vivian was the spitting image of her mother and grandmother. Vivian's white dress with the Navy sash ribbon tied in the back was in honor of the U.S. Naval Academy, where Asim was headed to play soccer and hopefully study. Her brother wore a white polo shirt with orange shorts as Aamira would be headed to UVA. Her parents finally getting a Wahoo!

Dean Ward beamed at Alison standing next to her husband, Josh who was holding their infant son. She gave a nod to Henry and Elizabeth before shooting a stern look at Jason, who once again rolled his eyes. Claudia, Jason's girlfriend giggled as Elizabeth glanced over at them.

The ceremony was only an hour and Elizabeth was grateful to not be too tied up talking with others. Being President and running a re-election campaign was taking a toll on her but the next few weeks were going to be as much about family as it could be.

"Madam President, you must be so proud!" she turned to face Senator Fletcher.

"Senator, it's so nice to see you. Thank you for joining us," Elizabeth answered her near the edge of tent set up on the South Lawn. The twins graduation was full of family, friends and unfortunately some business.

"Well, I would never miss this chance to celebrate your beautiful family," she joked with her.

"Ahhh! Thank you. Although, looking at Jason chasing Stevie's son around, that beauty seems to have faded" Elizabeth laughed.

"Senator Fletcher, good to see you!" Henry entered the conversation, his aviators on, a navy golf shirt and khaki shorts, made Elizabeth catch her breath a bit. It was mostly the aviators.

"Henry, good to see you as well," she put her hand out to greet him.

"Hey Senator Fletcher!" Jason approached sweating from running in the heat and now carrying one half of Stevie's twins upside down.

"Oh boy," Elizabeth said as she reached out and took the squealing toddler, "This is Michael!"

The Senator reached her hand out and Michael eagerly shook it. With his grandmother as President, he had impeccable manners most of the time.

"Have you been running your Uncle everywhere?" she asked, as she tickled his side.

"Yes," he laughed at her. "Put me down I want to play soccer with Asim!" She kissed his cheek and put him down as he ran away to join Asim and his friends at the soccer net.

"Where are your beautiful twins?" Fletcher looked around as did Elizabeth.

"Here's Aamira!" Elizabeth put her arm around her, "Aamira, you remember Senator Fletcher, right?"

"Yes, of course. Senator it is nice to see you again." Aamira shook her hand.

"Class valedictorian, I hear. Nicely done," she smiled at her.

Henry jumped in, "She takes after her mother!"

"Thank you!" she said smiling back at the Senator.

"Mom, Stevie said to tell you that dinner is ready." Aamira said quietly.

"Oh let's go!" she said, as she walked back into the tent with her arm over Aamira's shoulders. "Thank you!" she whispered in Aamira's ear.

"For what?" she answered back.

"For rescuing me!" The two laughed as they headed to the head table in the tent.

Then, Aamira stopped and looked at her, "You do know that you rescued me, right?"

"Oh sweetie, this is a case of who rescued who!" she smiled back at her as Shelby came running to them.

The next morning the family was making their way through the White House. All packed up for ten days in Hawaii. A graduation gift the twins chose together.

"Does everyone have everything?" she said as the kids rolled their eyes.

"Yes!" the kids replied, exhausted with her constant questions.

"We're not going out of the country, Mom! If we need something we will get it there!" Jason quipped back at her.

"Not so easy when you are the First Family," she said back.

"It's been not so easy for almost ten years. We know the drill by now," Alison laughed at her, pushing the stroller.

Getting to the motorcade, the grandkids were getting buckled in. One of Blake's assistants was standing there while she signed a document. Henry was helping put all the bags in the back of the SUV that followed the Beast.

Allie and Jason hopped in the second car while the twins got into the limo with Henry and Elizabeth following behind.

"Are you both excited for your graduation trip?" she asked.

Asim already had his headphones on but Aamira smiled at her, "So excited."

Shelby hopped in after all of them. Her handler letting her run to the car from the lawn.

"Oh Shelby, you are on my feet!" Elizabeth tried to pull her heels out from under the dog as the kids laughed at her.

A few days later Elizabeth and Henry walked along the pristine waters of the private Hawaiian beach of the home they were renting. The home of one of her biggest donors. Shelby ran ahead of them, chasing a stick Henry had thrown.

The warm breeze blew through her white button down shirt that was unbuttoned on the bottom, baring a bit of her tanned core that was wrapped in a light blue beach skirt.

Henry wore his red and white striped bathing shorts and a Navy t-shirt.

Agents gave them space but were close enough to be able to get to them if necessary. They wanted them to have a bit of privacy on this vacation.

Unbeknownst to Elizabeth and Henry, the media was snapping photos as well. But to them it was just the two of them and their dog on the beach.

"This is what our life has become," she complained.

"Babe, we have lived a great life! Three grandchildren and you are pretty busy being President. Trust me, it won't always be just us and the dog," Henry laughed at her. Then, whistled for the dog to return to them.

She bumped him in the arm, "That's not what I meant. I mean all of this. It seems so much. So so much! I don't want to be the President that stays at exclusive places owned by donors."

Henry looked around, "Yeah, I get that. This just isn't us. But, it has to be us right now. They won't exactly let us stay at a hotel for these types of vacations."

"Still wish the kids had picked the Africa trip. It would have been good for them to get back to their roots," she said quietly.

"Oh Babe. You need to let that go. They're not ready yet. They will be someday," he put his arm around her and tucked her in close.

They walked that way a few more feet before turning back to the house. Shelby running ahead of them.

She stopped Henry just before they stepped onto the back lawn that lead to the pool, "I am not ready to let him go."

Henry sighed and looked at her as she had tears in her eyes, "We talked about this and he does not want special treatment because his Mom is President. You have to let him go."

"But, it is so soon. He just graduated. I want more time with him. The summer and to buy the things he needs for his dorm room," she cringed.

"We are doing that. As soon as he finishes his plebe summer, he will be home for a few weeks. Elizabeth, you got to let go. I know they are our babies but they are not little kids anymore," he kissed her cheek as she bit her lip, he walked up onto the lawn as she waited and walked behind him.