Now that he and Stevie were officially a couple it was time to have a conversation with Elena. She would have seen or heard the news already but she came in for only a few hours on weekday afternoons so Russell rarely saw her. After Carol died was the most he had seen her since recovering from his heart attack. He went home for an hour on Monday to catch her while she was there.
"You heard the news?"
Elena nodded. "San Marino. A small place to cause such trouble."
Russell waited. Elena laughed. "Yes, I know about you and Stevie McCord."
"Any thoughts?"
"You deserve each other. I mean that in a good way."
"Thank you. I think."
"It's true. A perfect match if not for your ages and you can't help that. What's perfect in life anyway?"
"There was nothing between us before Carol died."
"There was always something between you. But nothing that would betray your wife. Will Stevie live here?"
"Eventually."
"And the boys don't mind?"
"I think they're glad she's taking me off their hands."
Russell's six-month checkup included blood work, chest x-ray and ECG. His cardiologist frowned over the results. Russell's anxiety increased. He'd felt especially well since the last checkup shortly after Carol died. His sex life had been fairly vigorous the past six weeks but there had been no pain, shortness of breath or any other symptoms. No performance issues either. What could be wrong?
"I don't like to tell you how good everything looks because it might encourage you to cheat more than you already do."
Tension evaporated and Russell relaxed. "Maybe the results are good because I'm not cheating."
"That didn't occur to me because I've known you more than two years but I'm willing to consider it. We'll see if you can keep it up another six months. I'll see you in August. Any problems sexually?"
The abrupt question took him by surprise.
"I ask because a couple of weeks ago I read that you're seeing a woman thirty years younger."
"No problems," Russell said.
"Good. There shouldn't be unless you're going for orgy levels of excess."
"Is this appointment over?"
"Don't be embarrassed. Sex in moderation is good exercise."
"I'm not embarrassed, I'm busy."
"Uh huh. We're done and you're fine."
His cardiologist Grace Stern was brilliant and Russell trusted her absolutely. With his life, in fact. But she couldn't be intimidated and he wasn't used to not being able to intimidate someone.
He was almost out the door when she said, "Remember, Stephanie is young, let her do the work."
Grace always had to have the last word, too.
Ken and Logan came to DC to have dinner at the McCord's before going their separate ways the next day for spring break with friends. The Jackson men were let into the house by Stevie. There was noise and activity in the background. Henry came to the rescue before there could be any awkwardness after greetings were exchanged.
"Hi Russell. Ken, Logan, welcome to chaos."
Elizabeth came in from the kitchen. "Henry and I have to leave tomorrow morning so thank you for working this into your schedule. We thought it would be nice to get both families together."
The doorbell rang. Henry accepted an armful of pizza boxes and salad containers. Everything was spread out in the kitchen. They filled plates and ate around the dining table. Talk was mostly about college – Ken's, Logan's, Alison's, and where Jason was planning to go. When they finished, Elizabeth, Henry, Russell and Stevie stayed to talk politics and the kids went to the living room.
Alison took over. "This is a judgment-free zone. How much do you hate Stevie and your dad being together?"
Logan shrugged. "It's fine. Takes the pressure off Ken and me to be around more. We wondered about that after Mom died. Not that we don't want to be around Dad but we're not in DC anymore."
"Who picked the pizza place?" Ken asked.
"Stevie. Why?"
Ken smiled. "Same place Mom used because they have healthy options. Did you see what your sister did when we were getting our food?"
Alison and Jason shook their heads.
"It was subtle but I noticed. Dad tried for pepperoni pizza and ended up with grilled chicken margherita. Then he went for the blue cheese dressing and she handed him vinaigrette."
"He cheats sometimes," Alison said.
"Sure. But she's not going to let him get away with much. I'm glad someone's looking out for him."
Russell bonded with Stevie's brother and sister over spring break. Elizabeth was making a state visit to France and Henry went along so they could walk down the Champs-Elysees and enjoy Paris in springtime.
Russell's phone rang. "How close are you to being done for the day?" Stevie sounded frantic.
"I'm just leaving."
"Can you pick Jason up from the police station?"
"How bad is it?"
"It's bullshit. He and some friends were caught jaywalking and apparently there's a new thing the police are trying where they take kids in for minor infractions and make a parent or guardian pick them up."
"Unbelievable. Don't worry, I'll spring him."
"Thanks. I really can't leave for another hour."
At the police station Russell told the officer he was there for Jason McCord.
"Name and relationship?"
"Russell Jackson, friend of the family."
"Family not available?"
"Parents are out of town."
"Okay, ID please and sign here."
Russell produced ID, signed and proceeded to give his opinion of the new policy. The officer was in full agreement and hinted that it wouldn't last long.
Jason emerged from the depths of the police station, surprised to see Russell. "Where's Stevie?"
"She has another hour of work but I was done. They treat you all right in the slammer?"
"Total Geneva."
"You know the Geneva Conventions only apply in time of war?"
"Well, now I do."
"Your friends okay?"
"Yeah, Ethan's mom already got him and Paul's dad is on the way."
They got in Russell's car. The driver waited for a destination.
"You want a cheeseburger?"
Jason looked at Russell as if the question was a test. "No."
"You must be hungry."
"I'll eat at home."
"Anything good there?"
"No, but you're offering a cheeseburger because you want one and I'm not going to be an accomplice to your next heart attack."
Russell sighed. "Good Stuff Eatery," he told Thomas.
"Way to go, Russell. Own your cheat day."
Russell was ordering on his phone. "What do you want?"
"Farmhouse Bacon Cheese and Milky Way Malt."
Russell looked up from his phone long enough to glare at Jason.
"Don't hate me because my cholesterol is low."
"I also hate you because your blood pressure is low. And your triglycerides."
Jason jumped out when they reached Good Stuff. "Keep cruising, I'll pick it up."
They went to the McCord house to eat. Russell hadn't opted for bacon with his cheeseburger so Jason gave him a slice from his.
"Thanks. I appreciate you enabling me."
"I owe you for coming to get me. And I hate to see a grown man cry."
Russell was working in the McCord living room while waiting for Stevie to get home when Alison came in.
"I need your opinion, Russell."
"I have no opinion about fashion. Wait for your sister."
Alison ignored that. "I'm getting into menswear." She spread a white cloth over the back of the sofa and laid six ties against it. "What do you think?"
Russell glanced up, not very interested at first but then he put aside his phone and files, got up and looked closer.
"I'm going for 'Corridors of power with a fun flair'," Alison explained.
"I would wear 1 and 5, your father would wear 2 and 3 and the president would wear 4 and 6."
Alison's eyes were wide. "That's spooky. That's exactly who I had in mind when I designed them."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. I thought about your personalities and coloring and this is what I came up with."
"You scare me, Alison," Russell said sincerely.
Alison stopped at Jason's room later. "What do you think of Stevie and Russell together?"
"I try not to."
Alison rolled her eyes. "I don't mean sex, none of us wants to think about that. I mean as a couple in general."
Jason shrugged. "Russell's okay. He's like a grumpy uncle. Which makes sleeping with Stevie incestuous and super creepy."
"For someone who doesn't want to think of them that way, your mind sure goes there fast."
"What can I say? The age difference is the most interesting thing about them. But they're happy so I don't care."
"Mom and Dad aren't even upset anymore."
"They like Russell. And they probably figured they better start showing some approval or who would she bring home next? What do you think?"
"I think Ken is kind of hot."
Jason stared at her. "So this whole conversation wasn't about them. It's about you."
"Of course. Stevie and Russell are fine. I have to look out for myself."
"If you hook up with Russell's son, I want to be there when Mom and Dad find out."