Part 2

"Hey honey, great news. I talked to Mrs. Landingham today. Apparently, my dad is scheduled to be at a conference in Boston the week of Millie and Dave's wedding. So Liz can live her little dream of spending a whole week with my mom. I still don't fully know why our child is so attached to my mother, but whatever." Jed sat down at the scrubbed wood table in their big farmhouse kitchen while his wife cooked dinner.

Abbey smiled. "Kids are weird. And since Liz is our kid, she's especially odd. But this is great. Solves all our problems." She tasted the sauce she was making and turned down the stove before coming to stand behind Jed's chair. She leaned down, draping her arms around his shoulders and murmured in his ear, "So this means we have a whole week without worrying about our daughter. Which means a whole week of you and me in a hotel room in California."

Jed grinned. "Oh yeah? And what do you imagine us doing in that hotel room?"

She replied, "Late nights and long mornings with the Do Not Disturb sign on the door." Abbey grazed her teeth over his earlobe and pressed a kiss to his neck.

He felt a shiver of excitement jolt down his spine. He turned his head to kiss her softly and slowly. "I'll go tell Liz," he whispered after they finally broke apart.

The time flew by and before they knew it, they had hugged little Elizabeth tightly and promised to call her every day and said goodbye. Knowing that they wouldn't see her for a whole week was a harder concept to grapple with than Jed had originally imagined. He thought that Abbey would have some trouble with it, as most mothers would. But she seemed just fine, singing along to the radio in the car like she always did.

"We need a vacation, Jed. Just us. It's been a rough couple of years," Abbey said, turning down the comfortable voice of Cousin Brucie on the radio.

He just nodded, reaching over to take her hand and give it a squeeze.

A few hours later, they arrived in San Francisco. Dave and Millie picked the Bartlets up from the airport. It was the first time since Jed and Abbey's wedding four years earlier that the four friends had all been together.

"Hey there, guys!" Millie greeted happily. She and Abbey hugged each other tightly.

"Millie, your hair is so long!" Abbey exclaimed, noticing her friend's long golden locks reaching to her waist.

"It's easy to deal with this way. I can pile it all up on my head in pins when I'm at the hospital," Millie replied. "You, on the other hand, have gotten a little hippy," she said in a low tone. "Everything okay?" She recalled Abbey's tendency to gain weight from stress eating.

"I've got a child. The pounds sit on my hips now. You'll find out soon enough," Abbey replied with a smirk.

Dave, meanwhile, was peppering Jed with questions about London. "Did you go to all the palaces? I've heard that the Tower of London has ravens that feed on bloody meat every day. Is that true? And what about those phone boxes? Are they really all bright red like they are in the postcards?"

Jed just laughed. "I'll tell you all about it later, Dave. I'm sure the girls have plenty of wedding stuff to do that we're not invited to. Take me to a San Francisco bar and we can smoke and drink for hours."

"David Millbanks, don't they make you cut your hair at that ad firm? I can't imagine they're pleased with a scruffy hippie designing commercials for Campbell's Soup," Abbey quipped to her old friend.

"There's the Endora we've missed so much," he replied acerbically. "And for the record, we don't represent Campbell's. We do, however, do quite a lot with Diamond Walnuts." But he grinned and hugged her. "It's good to see you, Abb. I hope you brought lots of pictures and stories of your little one. We get married next week, and then Millie and I are off to start work on one of our own."

"She's wonderful. Happy as a clam. Brilliant and gorgeous and the cutest little goofball you could ever imagine," Abbey gushed. She was going to make a teasing comment about Diamond Walnuts but decided against it. She was much happier talking about her daughter anyway.

"She named the new kitten 'Ladybug,'" Jed told them all with a slight grimace.

Millie laughed. "I'd expect nothing less from a child whose mother once named a cat 'Meniscus.'"

Dave drove them all in his new Oldsmobile Cutlass to the hotel in San Francisco where he and Millie would be getting married the following weekend. Jed had booked a room for the week for the sheer convenience of it. Along the way, he pointed out various landmarks. He'd grown up just outside the city. Going to college at Notre Dame with Millie, Jed, and Abbey had been the first and only time he'd left California.

He let the valet take care of his car at the St. Francis. Usually, he wouldn't waste his money, but it wouldn't be right to force the Bartlets to carry their luggage all the way from the public garage down the block.

"Here we are!" Dave announced. "Right in the heart of the city. You've got all of Union Square at your fingertips."

Jed went to the front desk to check in while Dave got them a table in the lounge. Millie took Abbey to the ballroom where the wedding would take place. The women gushed about how perfect the location was all through their cocktails. After a drink each, Jed and Abbey went up to their hotel room to freshen up. They would meet Dave and Millie later to go to dinner.

As soon as they walked in, Abbey flopped down onto the bed. She kicked her shoes off as Jed started unpacking their luggage. "What do you want to wear to dinner? I'll hang it up to get the wrinkles out," Jed offered.

"The red sweater and navy skirt," she replied. She arched her back and reached as far behind herself as she could, stretching like a contented cat.

Jed smiled, watching her for a moment before getting the clothes she had asked for. He loved the sweater she had chosen. He had given it to her for Christmas just before they got engaged. And even through pregnancy and all the insanity of their life in London, she still wore the sweater.

"What are you wearing tonight?" she asked.

"Probably my blue suit." Jed closed one of the dresser drawers and turned back to his wife. "Do you want to call Liz before it gets too late?"

Abbey sat up reluctantly. "What time is it?"

"Almost five."

She nodded, calculating the time difference between California and New Hampshire. "Yeah, let's call her now before she goes to bed."

Jed sat on the side of the bed to get the phone on the nightstand. As he spoke to the operator, Abbey sat up on her knees and crawled over to him, putting her arms around his shoulders and nuzzling into his neck. He tried his best not to get distracted. "Hi, Mom. How's Liz doing?"

Abbey put her head close to the phone so she could hear what Mary was saying.

"She's doing just fine, Jed. Today we worked in my garden together. Elizabeth says her favorite flower is the dahlia."

"Oh those red ones on the back fence?"

"Yes. We cut a few and I put them in a small vase for her to keep in her room."

"Her room?"

"She wanted to stay in your old room. She loves it. She spent all morning asking me about every single thing you left in there."

Jed felt a warm feeling in his chest. "I'll show her some stuff when we pick her up next week."

"She's right here. I'm sure you want to speak to her."

Abbey shifted to sit beside Jed and he held the phone out so she could hear better as Mary gave the phone to Elizabeth.

"Hello?"

"Hi Lizzie!" Abbey greeted brightly. She hadn't had any trouble saying goodbye to her daughter that morning. After all, they would see her soon enough, and she was in great hands. But hearing her tiny voice and knowing she was so far away created a feeling in Abbey that she had never known before. Like something was clawing at her insides.

Liz proceeded to tell her parents all about her day. She was having a wonderful time with Grandma Mary, cooking and gardening and drawing. She was especially excited to go to church and see Father Cavanaugh. She remembered him from the few times the Bartlets had visited Jed's childhood priest, the man who had performed their marriage ceremony.

The family conversation had to end when Elizabeth failed to stifle her yawning. "It's past your bedtime, sweet pea," Jed told her regretfully.

"But I want you to tuck me in, Daddy."

"Grandma Mary is going to tuck you in, baby doll," Abbey said, knowing how difficult it was for Jed to not be there when Liz wanted him.

Liz sighed melodramatically. "Okay."

"We'll call again tomorrow and you'll tell us all about your day again," Abbey assured her.

They all said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Jed and Abbey sat quietly for a moment.

Abbey was the first to break the silence. "I really didn't expect this."

"What, missing her so much?"

"Yeah. I've always wanted to be a mother, and I love it. But I wasn't prepared for what it really is. The sleepless nights and the crying and the tantrums and the life lessons. That's all fine. Why doesn't anyone ever tell you what it feels like to be a parent? To have a whole part of yourself that belongs to this tiny person we made?"

Jed put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. "You know, I think that's the part I was prepared for."

"Really?"

"I was so afraid that I wouldn't love her enough. That I wouldn't do it right. Because…well…"

"I know." Abbey didn't need him to finish that sentence. They still hadn't spoken directly about the effect John Bartlet had on Jed. Perhaps they never would.

"You're an incredible mother, Abigail."

She looked up at him curiously. He chose to use her full name in the strangest situations. Each time she thought she'd figured out his pattern, he threw her a curveball like this. It took a moment, but she decided not to comment on it. She simply replied, "And you're the greatest father there's ever been."

He chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "We should get ready for dinner."

Dinner with Dave and Millie was a sheer delight. It had been far too long since the four of them had spent any time together. Dave and Jed talked about London and international affairs and Jed's economics work. Millie shared tales of med school with Abbey, and Abbey told everyone all about Elizabeth.

Over the following week, Jed and Abbey spent most of their time being tourists in San Francisco. They went to the zoo and the museum and Golden Gate Park and Chinatown and even saw a Giants game at Candlestick Park. They fit their plans around Millie's schedule for wedding planning. Abbey went with her for the dress fittings, the meetings with the florist and caterer, and she even hosted the bridal lunch two days before the wedding. They visited the small house Millie and Dave had been renting in San Carlos, a city about halfway between San Francisco, where Dave worked, and Stanford, where Millie had gone to school. They would be moving closer to the city when Millie started as an intern at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center.

Before they knew it, the day of the wedding had arrived. Abbey spent all day with Millie. She was much calmer than Abbey had been for her wedding. Perhaps those four years of age and experience made a difference. Thanks to Millie's attention to detail, everything was planned to perfection. Abbey really didn't have much to do beyond crack jokes with Millie's cousin and Dave's sisters, who were serving as bridesmaids.

The ceremony was simple and beautiful, taking place in the church nearby. The entire time the priest read the vows, Abbey had her eyes fixed on her husband, sitting in the second row. This was the first wedding they had attended since their own. It brought back memories of that magical day, leaving them both rather emotional.

And in the blink of an eye, it was time for Abbey to make her toast as Matron of Honor. She stood up, careful not to catch the pale pink lace of her peasant-style dress on anything. Everyone's eyes were on her. She didn't like the attention. Not like this. But despite the bubbling feeling in her stomach, Abbey squared her shoulders and stood as tall as her five-foot-three height would allow. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family of Dave and Millie, I want to thank you on behalf of the bride and groom for being here today to share this happy occasion. Now, many of you don't know me. My name is Abbey Bartlet, and Millie and I were roommates all through our time at Notre Dame. And during that time, I met my husband, and Millie met hers. Jed and I are a bit more impulsive than these two, though, so we've been married for four years now. Dave and Millie are much smarter than we are. Much more focused and much more organized. But more than anything, I just want to tell you all how wonderful these two are as a couple.

"Dave is the kindest, most supportive man in the world. Not many men would wait four years to marry a woman who wanted to go to medical school instead of cook him dinner. But Dave has always wanted the best for those he cares about. Dave, from Endora to Darrin, I hope you know how happy I am that you're Mr. Millie Griffith, and how much I love you. And Millie…well, Millicent Griffith is my best friend in the whole world. Though everything that's happened to me in the last eight years, she's been right there with me. She's a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen and a brilliant mind to give advice. Millie, I love you so much, and I am beyond happy to be here to celebrate your wedding.

"Now, I think it's tradition for the Matron of Honor to share an embarrassing story about the bride. Unfortunately, most of the embarrassing times with Millie and I were a result of my embarrassment. But there is one that I'll share. When we were juniors, Millie got it in her head that we should join a sorority. Now, I'm a member of the DAR, so I've had my fair share of sisterhoods and I wasn't looking for another one. But no, this beautiful blonde wanted more friends. Apparently I wasn't enough. So we went to the Delta Delta Delta house during rush week. And we were hazed. Miserably so. Lots of blindfolds and humiliating tactics in the dark and stupid things like that. I was fed up before we arrived, but I hung in there for Millie. And at the end of the night, the last task was to strip naked and stand there for ten minutes without moving. I refused, as did a few of the other girls. But Millie did it. And once she and the other three girls were completely nude, one of the sorority sisters jerked open the curtains to the delight of the dozen fraternity boys waiting outside the window. All the girls screamed and ran away. But not Millie. She turned and stood there with this daring look on her face, waiting for the boys to get tired of staring at her. Needless to say, I wasn't asked to join due to my generally poor attitude. But Millie wasn't chosen either. She was asked to leave because her brazen lack of modesty reflected poorly on Delta Delta Delta." The whole crowd was laughing delightedly at Abbey's anecdote.

Abbey raised her glass of champagne. "So from me to you, Mr. and Mrs. Millbanks, here's to many more years of unexpected adventures and joy and love and defiant individualism."

After all the speeches and congratulations, Dave and Millie had their first dance. Jed put his arm around Abbey and she put her head on his shoulder as they watched their dear friends sway lovingly to Dream a Little Dream of Me. Two songs later, after the father-daughter dance, the bandleader opened the floor to everyone and announced a special song just for the lovers. Millie looked right at the Bartlets and smiled brightly.

The band began to play the old Frank Sinatra song, More. Jed and Abbey started grinning at one another and stood up to dance to their own wedding song from four years earlier. Jed thanked Dave and Millie for giving them that moment. The whole party continued on a lively, happy note from then on. Everyone danced and ate and drank. Altogether a perfect wedding and a wonderful night.

Jed and Abbey went upstairs to their hotel room late that night, drunkenly stumbling through the halls. Jed was humming something Abbey couldn't quite place.

"What are you singing?" she asked, her voice much louder than was acceptable at the late hour.

"More than the greatest love the world has ever known," he sang.

She continued the phrase, "This is the love I give to you alone." Abbey laughed. "You're no Frank, but I do know that," she continued in song, "No one else could love you more!"

"I'm so glad I picked that song for us." He fumbled with the key to their room and opened the door.

Abbey was now humming where Jed had left off. "Honey, I'm gonna take a shower," she told him.

"Why?"

"So I can wash my hair," she replied with a glint in her eye. "You can join me if you want."

Jed eagerly agreed, taking his suit off faster than he thought he'd be able to in that state, and followed her into the bathroom.

"Calm down, babe. I don't want us to slip and fall. There is nothing sexy about a broken arm."

"On you, even a broken arm would be sexy," he quipped, turning the shower on nice and hot.

Abbey laughed, thinking to herself that she probably could pull that off. Though that really wasn't how she wanted to spend her last day on vacation. "Shut up and take me," she said. And he did just that.