The car ride home is pretty quiet. Josh keeps looking over at me with his big, stupid, chocolate-brown, puppy-dog eyes, but he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut now. If only he'd been smart enough to keep it shut in Lamaze class. Does he always have to prove he's the smartest person in the room?

My ankles are swollen, my back is killing me, and I am pretty sure that if we don't get home in the next 5 minutes, I'm going to pee on the back seat of the town car.

Welcome to the Third Trimester, Dr. Andrews had said. The baby is healthy. I'm healthy. My symptoms are normal. We've hit the first major milestone. Obviously we want Lulu, even I'm calling her that now I guess, to keep cooking for another 10-12 weeks, but at this point even if she were born tomorrow, she'd have a good chance of survival without lasting effects. But most likely I have about 3 more months of these symptoms to look forward to, and then the actual birth, which doesn't sound like very much fun.

Some of the ladies at Lamaze joked about how they milk the symptoms to get their husbands to wait on them hand and foot. I don't need to do that. Josh is already extremely attentive. If I actually complain about anything, he over-reacts, rushing around to try to fix everything. I know he just wants to take care of me, and I love that, but sometimes his non-stop attention is grating. I'm pregnant, not completely helpless! And if I snap at him, his face falls and he looks like someone just killed his hamster. Then I feel guilty. Like now.

I suppose, he was just trying to be helpful. The teacher asked questions, and he answered them. He likes having the answers. He's read the whole damn book. And he is trying to get ready so that he can be helpful during labor and delivery. Still, I didn't need everyone in the class to know that I've been constipated! Jerk.

We are not going back to Lamaze class. Ever. We'll be Lamaze drop outs.

It's not like we really have time anyway. The next six weeks are going to be absolutely insane. Ainsley's Bridal Shower, The Queen's State Visit, the final dress fittings, and then the wedding itself. Not to mention that Congress will be back in session.

I'm really doing Josh a favor by quitting. He won't have time for class and he practically passes out every time they talk about what's going to happen to my body. And when they showed the movie today, he had to put his head between his knees and practice the breathing on himself.

God! Are we ever going to be home? I really have to pee!

I glance over at Josh again with narrowed eyes. This really is all his fault. I was just a nice girl that grew up on a farm until I met him and he got me pregnant.

As soon as we arrive home, I bolt for the bathroom. The agents aren't surprised by it anymore. At this point, I don't think Jackie's ever going to have kids.

When I come back out of the bathroom, Josh is sorting through the mail. I'm contemplating whether to apologize for snapping at him for apologizing excessively for his stupidity. As if he hadn't already drawn enough attention to us with the actual stupid comment. Ugh. I wonder if we can get private Lamaze lessons?

"Oh my god, Donna. It's here!"

Josh hands me an envelope with a "Georgetown University Admissions Department" return address. Now his eyes are sparkling, and he's bouncing on the balls of his feet. He looks so excited for me to open it. It's obvious that he has no doubt that it's an acceptance.

I feel nauseous. My hand is shaking. What if it's a rejection? It will break his heart. He was so encouraging as I gathered all the application and transfer materials. He helped me draft the credit request for my years of government service. And he proof-read and critiqued my essays. He's as invested in this as I am.

Why did I even apply here? I should have picked a lesser school. I'm so out of my league.

"Well? Are you going to open it?" He asks grinning.

I turn it over and carefully slide my fingernail under the seal. I pull the material out, and start to read the letter.

"Congratulations, Donnatella Moss Lyman, Welcome to Georgetown."

Josh lets out a "Whoop!" and picks me up and spins me around. "Congratulations, Baby! You're going back to school!"

I'm a little stunned. I mean I'd hoped but I wasn't sure. They get so many applications, and mine was way outside the normal timeframe.

"Donna? You're happy about this aren't you?"

"Yes! Oh my god. Yes. I just can't quite believe it."

I sit down on the couch to look over the admissions material. What else do I need to do to get this ball rolling? I guess I should start by reading the entire admissions letter.

Dear Ms. Moss Lyman,

I am very pleased to inform you of your admission to Georgetown College. As the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Government, I was thrilled to review your application for special admission. It's not every day that someone reaches the level of success you've obtained without having a bachelor's degree. While we applaud your achievement, we exalt you for choosing to finish what you started many years ago. Your decision to do so reinforces your status as a role model to young people.

I personally reviewed your outstanding academic record from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Based on your high level of achievement, Georgetown University is please to accept all of your previous credits for transfer. In addition, based on your essays and personal letters of recommendation from President Bartlet and President Santos, we are able to credit as completed the following courses:

GOVT 020 U.S. Political Systems

GOVT 080 Elements of Political Theory

GOVT 201 Analysis of Political Data

GOVT 221 Presidential and Electoral Politics

Govt 332 Campaigns and Elections

To complete the Bachelor of Science degree, you will need to take the following two foundational courses:

GOVT 040 Comparative Political Systems

GOVT 060 International Relations

Additionally, you will need to complete 3 elective GOVT classes and a Department Seminar. Please see the enclosed course catalog for courses offered. While many of these classes are available as online courses, the University is prepared to accomodate your secret service detail for any classes you wish to complete on campus. The Department Seminar is not available online.

Thank you for choosing Georgetown University. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Marrow

Department of Government, Director of Undergraduate Studies

"Donna- that's amazing." Josh breathes. "They gave you full credit for all your general education requirements from Wisconsin and they gave you what amounts to a full year of credit for your White House work! You're a college senior!"

"I can't believe it." I grin at him.

"I'm dating a hot college girl." He grins back at me.

"A hugely pregnant college girl." I rub my belly. "We're going back to college, baby."

"I'll be back in a second," Josh says mysteriously as he leaves the room. Looking through the admissions material, I discover that I don't have much time left to register for the next semester. I'd really like to get into at least one of these foundational classes. Preferably online. I need to figure out if that's possible.

"Ah-hem" Josh clears his throat and I look up. He's wearing a "Georgetown Dad" t-shirt. What the hell?

"Whoa, there. You are definitely NOT my Dad. I like our little games but no way am I calling you Daddy."

"Ewwww. . . I am so on the same page with you on that. I absolutely wasn't think that way when I bought it."

"Why did you buy it then?"

"Well I was looking for a 'Georgetown Husband or Spouse shirt but they only had parent ones. I figured since you are pregnant it's kind of like Lulu is going there too. . . . But now there is no way I'm wearing it."

He pulls the shirt off and tosses it on a chair. The sad eyes are back. I must have really hurt his feeling when I yelled at him after the class. I need to fix this. I would much rather deal with ego maniac Josh than mopey Josh.

"Come here." I pat the seat next to me. He sits down with a sigh.

"I'm really screwing up today, huh. I'm sorry. I really just not very good at this."

"Josh. You are amazing. I'm just swollen and cranky. I love you. I wouldn't want to be doing this with anyone but you. . . . We can send the shirt to my Dad. He'll be thrilled. Tell you what, I'll buy myself a nice big Georgetown sweatshirt and you can steal it from me and wear it around the house in just your boxers."

"Really turning the tables, huh?" He laughs. "Okay. That's fair. God knows I love to see you running around in just my Harvard t-shirt and your underwear."

Now that I have him reassured, I give him a quick kiss. Then I scoot away. He looks confused until I lean back against the arm of the couch and put my feet in his lap. I need a foot rub. He smiles at me and picks one up.

"Holy cow! Your ankles really are swollen!"

I roll my eyes and give him a little glare. Has he learned nothing? But when he starts to rub, I quickly forgive him. I'm going back to school! I'm going to get a degree from Georgetown. Oh my god. I'm going to crush this! I don't know how, but I am. I'm going to make Lulu so proud of me. Ha! Georgetown Dad. For being brilliant, sometimes he's not very bright. At least I'll get quite a bit of teasing out of that one.

"So. . . you were so confident that I'd get in that you bought a shirt? Did you pull some strings or something?"

"No! You pulled your own strings, Donna! Look at that list of classes that they are giving you credit for. YOU did that. YOU decided to go join a campaign. And you didn't just run down and volunteer at the local office. YOU picked the winner, drove out to headquarters. YOU learned so much, so quickly, YOU made yourself invaluable, not just to me, either. Leo wouldn't have let me keep you if you weren't. YOU had the personal recommendations of TWO Presidents and a former White House Chief of Staff. Plus those essays that you wrote were brilliant. Not to mention your academic history. I know I teased you about all those majors and minors, but really you had a very well rounded first two years at Wisconsin, where you made the Dean's list every semester. Donna, if your academics weren't up to snuff, they'd just have waited a couple years and given you an honorary degree instead. This is the real deal."

His speech reminds me of the old days, when he was less inhibited, when he'd go off on a rant about whatever his current passion was . . . oh! It's me. I'm his current passion. Well, duh. He may do stupid stuff, but I'll never doubt his love. I just need to get him to dial it down a notch in Lamaze class. Ugh, Lamaze class. How am I going to fit another thing on my plate right now?

"Hey, what are you thinking about? You're pretty quiet over there. You aren't really doubting whether you deserved to get in are you?" Josh asks gently. He's probably a little worried that he said something wrong. I have been pretty snappy lately.

"No. I'm really not. I was actually just teasing you about the pulling strings comment. But your little speech was still really nice to hear. . . . I was actually just thinking about how on earth we are going to fit anything more into our lives! Did you look at what the calendar looks like next month? But if I'm going to do this . . ."

Josh opens his mouth to say something but I hold up a hand to stop him.

"and I'm definitely going to do this, then we are going to need to have a plan. Go get my laptop. Let's see when the online classes start and how they work. Maybe I can get one done before Lulu gets here, and another one done while on Maternity leave."

"You just called her Lulu." Josh grins as he gets up.

Silly man, of course I've started calling her Lulu, it's a pretty stinkin' cute nickname. That doesn't mean I'm going to saddle her with Leonora. Although if I'm honest with myself, it is in a tie with Olivia. I really like the name Olivia, but there isn't anything special about it. I do like the idea of naming our children after important people in our lives.

But we still have three months to figure out her name. Right now I've got to figure out how to finish my degree. And I need to go online and buy a sweatshirt.