Author's Note:
We've all earned a bit of fluff. This takes place a few months after the action of Return to Africa and puts CJ somewhere near her fifth month of pregnancy, if I'm doing the math correctly.
The Hollis Foundation | Goodwill in Baldwin Park
California
Thursday, October 30th, 2008 2.55pm
"I've been everywhere. All the ones in Santa Monica, La Puente, this one in Baldwin Park .."
"What about the one on San Fernando Road?"
"In LA?"
"Yes."
"They almost laughed me out of the store. Have you checked -"
"Every catalogue known to man? Every website? Yes! Are you sure the drawing's right?"
"One can only hope."
"And it can't be something that looks like it?"
"Apparently not."
"Remind me why we agreed to this again?"
"Because we were asked nicely."
There was silence on the phone.
"So now what?" Carol asked
"I'm calling in the big guns."
Margaret ended the call and punched in a set of equally familiar numbers.
Hollis Foundation | East Wing of the White House
3pm | 12pm local times
"You're smiling, aren't you?"
"You have no idea."
"Can you help?"
"Consider it done."
Donna hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair, enjoying the little frisson of excitement taking up residence on the inside.
The patio of CJ and Danny's House in Santa Monica
Saturday, November 1st
1pm
"You're all crazy, you know," CJ called out to the three people in the swimming pool. "It's November. Normal people don't swim in November!"
"Hardy midwestern stock," Erin called back, flexing an arm muscle out of the water. "Plus the pool heater is ramped up to such a degree that it feels like a caldarium in here."
"Or like Danny peed in it," Maureen added.
"You really needed to bring that up?" Danny said with a shake of his head.
"He peed in every pool we ever swam in, CJ," Erin announced. "I just think you should know that."
"Don't believe a word they say," Orlagh whispered in CJ's ear as she slipped into the seat next to her and put a packet on the table. "It was actually Erin who peed in every pool. Danny always took the blame so that nobody would know it was her. I've never understood why none of them ever figured it out. Or maybe they know and it's just a running sibling joke."
"They're very close."
"They are."
"How did you manage five children?"
"Ach, it's all downhill after number three," Orlagh said with a hearty laugh. "They learn to fend for themselves. Lucky for us, Danny and Erin came as a package. Their sisters adored them, fought over them, and played with them like dolls. Just don't tell Danny I told you that."
It was CJ's turn to laugh now.
"I won't. Thank you for doing this for me," she said as she placed her hand over Orlagh's.
"You're welcome, pet. I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Can you take me through it again?"
"The mothers you know are coming together to honour your journey towards motherhood. If they can't be here in person we will add the beads they sent to the rest when we string them all together. You'll wear them around you neck, your wrist, or your ankle when you go into labour, and their combined strength will be with you. Or you could just hold them, I guess. I held a rosary bead at my births."
CJ sifted through the items in the box in front of her.
"Danny's idea of having them send these ahead of time in case they can't make it at the last minute was a good one. So, tell me who these are from and then I'll show you what I've got."
CJ laid eleven transparent little bags on the table.
"Hogan's mother sent this. My other sister in law sent this. These are from Abbey Bartlet and her daughters, Liz and Ellie. This is from Carol's mother, this is Margaret's. Andy sent that, this is Mallory's, and Larry's wife sent this one."
"Andy and Mallory and Larry are friends from your West Wing days?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"Who's this from?"
"The First Lady. Her Chief of Staff told her what we were doing and she asked if she could send one. I don't know her very well, but it seemed rude to say no."
"Some of my beads are from people you don't know, but they're all mothers and you really want as much of that female energy around you as possible when the time comes."
Orlagh tipped her stash onto the table.
"From the girls," she said as she tapped each one. "Deirdre, Tara. Erin and Maureen probably haven't given you theirs yet. This is mine, this one's from Danny's aunt Oona. This one's from an aunt on my husband's side, Pegeen. These two are from my nieces, Roisin and Niamh." She hesitated for a moment and then pulled another item from the package. "And this is what's left of grandmother Concannon's pearl bracelet. She gave it to me the day I got married. Every time we've had a girl in the family we've given them their first pearl from it. All our girls have one, as do our granddaughters. One's for Imogen, and if you'd like my mother-in-law's energy with you, we'll find a way to put one on your string. She's long gone but still very much a part of our family."
CJ reached out for her hand as a strong current of emotion ran back and forth between the two of them.
Orlagh cleared her throat after a moment.
"I'd better go and start lunch before one of that lot yells at me for making you cry."
"I should help with lunch."
"Grandmother Concannon used to say never look a gift horse in the mouth. Sit here and relax. Looks like Maureen is headed this way."
"Hey!" Danny's older sister said as she filled the seat her mother had vacated. " Are those the beads everyone sent? They're very pretty. I have mine upstairs."
"It's nice that you came all the way to deliver yours personally."
"Couldn't pass up the chance to see my baby brother living large. This is a really nice house, CJ."
Maureen smiled brightly at her, but CJ knew that it was a lot more than that. Danny's two other sisters had flown in fairly soon after his return from Africa; mostly to reassure themselves that he was really okay by seeing him in person, but also to help out a little. Maureen hadn't been able to get the time off work until now.
"I'm glad you're here."
"Me too. Hey, don't go all mushy on me. I'll get yelled at by mom."
"Funny, she said she same thing about you."
"How are you feeling?"
"I haven't thrown up in eleven days, no matter what's cooking, so .. "
"Well done you. And you .." Maureen said with a glance at CJ's belly. "You're starting to show."
"Makes it a little more real. Like it's not all in your head when you're feeling nauseous."
"Wait until you feel her move the first time."
"Your mom said I might not recognize it for what it is at first."
"You'll figure it out pretty fast," Maureen stretched and then reached for a glass of ice tea. When she'd settled back into her seat she flashed CJ a mischievous grin. "Wanna hear a funny story about Danny?"
Equinox, Washington DC
Sunday, November 2nd 8pm
Josh watched his wife cut up her food deliberately and delicately raise forkful after forkful to her mouth.
"Anytime you wanna, you know, tell me why we're here .."
"What makes you think we're here for any specific reason? Maybe I'm just an attractive woman waiting to be entertained."
Josh raised his eyebrows at her.
"Something's going on," he said as he looked around suspiciously.
"Okay, something is going on."
His eyes cut to hers.
"Are you -"
"No, I'm not. I wouldn't tell you something like that in the middle of a restaurant, Josh."
"Then what?"
"We're on a mission. There's something we need to get from here," she added as he cocked his head to one side.
"On a mission to get .."
"This," she said as she pulled the tiny vase holding an orchid inbetween their plates.
"What do we need this for?"
"It's not for us."
"Who's it for?"
His eyes grew wide when she told him.
"How are we supposed to take this away? You didn't bring something from home to swap it with, did you?"
"No, but I did entertain that idea for about five minutes."
"I guess I should be grateful you didn't think of swiping it."
"Being outed as petty thieves in tomorrow's papers wouldn't be a good look for us, Josh."
"Donna?"
"Yes?"
"Indulge me. Tell me you had some brilliant plan for how we would swipe it, even if we can't implement it."
"Sssshhh .." Donna looked around and then dropped her voice to almost a whisper. "If you must know, I did, but we ca-"
"Would you like to order dessert, Mr. Lyman?"
They looked up, startled, and Donna kicked Josh under the table and nodded towards the waitress.
"Would you give us a minute, please?"
"Of course."
"You want me to just ask her for it?"
"I am sure they have spares in the back somewhere, in case of breakages."
"You want me to just come out and say that we need this vase .."
"Unless you want to be the one to tell Margaret that we couldn't get it," she deadpanned. "I'm going to the ladies' room while you sort it out."
Josh signalled the waitress.
"And?" Donna asked when she took her seat at table again.
"She's pleading our case to the restaurateur."
"Great. You can leave her a generous tip if she delivers."
Josh took a sip of his drink.
"Danny's going to propose .."
"Yes."
"And he needs this vase .."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I didn't ask."
"You didn't ask? I'm going to ask .."
"We're not even supposed to know," Donna said as he whipped out his phone.
"We're not supposed to know?"
"Did you tell anyone you were going to propose to me?"
"Um .. yes."
"Who'd you tell?"
"Danny's going to propose .."
"Look at my mouth, Josh. Yes."
"Why is this weird?"
"It's not weird. He was just .. very particular that he wanted this vase."
"What, like a security blanket?"
"Stop being ridiculous."
"I'm not being ridiculous."
"Maybe it's symbolic. Maybe there's some sentimental value attached to this place and it's the closest he can get without bringing her back here."
"Maybe he wants to put the ring around the neck of this thing and wait to see how long it takes her to notice it," Josh said as he lifted the case up to eye level.
"You're spilling water everywhere," Donna said as she took it from him. "And it's really none of our business."
"If I hadn't told Danny about the goldfish .."
"You were deliberately ambiguous and that's probably why he didn't tell you about this. God only knows what pointers you'd give him."
"Are you saying you didn't like the way I proposed to you?"
"Just admit you're upset because he didn't tell you."
"No! Are you mocking me?" he asked as Donna laughed at him.
"No. Yes. Maybe just a little. Maybe he's keeping it under the radar until he gets all his ducks in a row."
"And the best way to do that is to tell Margaret ?"
"Maybe you'll get to share your goldfish story if we score an invitation to the wedding."
"Why wouldn't we be invited?"
"Maybe they'll elope."
"A man with four sisters doesn't elope, Donna. Especially not those four sisters. God, they'd lynch him."
"We should have eloped," Donna said with shake of her head.
"Maybe, but I quite enjoyed seeing you all decked out."
Donna blushed, and he reached for her hand over the table and interlaced his fingers with hers.
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think we should go home and I should propose to you all over again."
Donna blushed a little deeper.