"Are you sure I look okay?" I ask Josh again.
"You're gorgeous."
"I don't want to look gorgeous, I want to look professional." I put a black blazer over top of the black dress I'm wearing. My basketball shaped belly sticks out. At 32 weeks, there's really no way to hide it. The blazer looks okay, but I'm worried I'll get too warm. It's been unseasonably hot for the second week of September. I don't want to be a sweaty mess.
"You know what looks professional?" Josh asks, poking his head into the bedroom.
"What?"
"Being on time. Let's go."
"Alright. Alright. Hold your horses." I give myself one last look in the mirror and nod. Come on, Lulu. Let's go meet the Queen.
As soon as we get in the car, I take the blazer off. Josh just raises an eyebrow. He's getting used to the fact that I'm running hotter these days. He also finally seems to have all the jokes about it out of his system.
I reach down into my briefcase and pull out the agenda to look over it again. But Josh pulls it from my hand and give me a kiss.
"You are ready. I'm sure you have this memorized. Relax, it's here. There's nothing left to do but enjoy it."
When the car pulls up to the portico, we get out and head up to the Residence . We'll accompany the President and Mrs. Santos to the arrival ceremony on the South Lawn together.
When we get to the second floor, Helen's having a little clothing crisis too. "Donna! Does this suit look okay? I spilled coffee on the one approved by the protcol office and now I'm flummoxed. I was supposed to wear red to match Matt's tie. Is this grey suit okay? Am I sending a terrible message? Will the Queen hate me?"
Helen's questions have an edge of sarcasm along with an edge of real worry. She's incredibly excited to meet the Queen. She wants this event to go perfectly. But she also hates being micro-managed and thinks there is an element of ridiculousness to an office of people deciding what she should wear.
She sits back down and motions Josh and I towards a couch. We do have at least 20 minutes before we need to head downstairs. Matt is sitting there reading a newspaper. He hands a section to Josh as he sits down.
"You look fantastic. That grey suit is perfect. To be honest, I liked it better than the red anyway." I look at her shoes. She's still wearing the red heels that match the other suit. Should I suggest she switch to black? The red pops but I'm not sure we want to draw attention that way.
I glance towards Josh. I wonder if I should ask him. He rarely offers an opinion on Helen's wardrobe, but when he's asked, he's surprisingly intuitive about things like this.
"Ouch." That was a good one Lulu. I massage my ribs, trying to get her to move her little feet. Today's going to be a long day. I could use a little cooperation.
I look up to see three pair of eyes looking at me with concern. I think everyone is on edge that I'm going to suddenly go into premature labor during the worse possible moment. Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind as well, but I haven't had any real problems with this pregnancy. Let's not go looking for trouble.
"Just a strong kick everyone. I'm fine. We've still got two months to go."
When everyone's attention is off me and back to their newspapers, I scoot over to Josh.
"What do you think about Helen's shoes?" I whisper in his ear. He gives me a side eyed look for a minute, trying to figure out if I'm being flirty. So I follow up with another whisper "They matched the red suit perfectly, but I'm not sure it's a good idea with the grey. Too much attention?"
"What are you too whispering about over there?" Matt asks good-naturedly. He likes to tease us about our newlywed status, even though we are quickly approaching our first anniversary.
"Helen's shoes." Josh says bluntly. Helen lowers her newspaper and raises her eyebrow, but Josh is undeterred.
Matt grins at him, sensing a chance for fun. "They are pretty great shoes. Cost me a small fortune, but you know what they say, 'Happy Wife, Happy life.'"
"Well, sure, I totally understand that. I've spent my share on shoes too. But I'm concerned about the color, now that she's not wearing the red suit."
"I see what you mean." Matt says leering at Helen's legs with a smirk. She blushes prettily. 15 years of marriage hasn't slowed them down.
"Yeah, they really pop. They definitely draw attention to her legs."
"JOSH, are you looking at my wife's legs?" Matt feigns annoyance.
"It's the shoes, Sir. But she does have great legs."
"Damn straight."
"OH MY GOD, you two. I'll go put on a pair of black heels. God forbid anyone look at my legs. You could have just said something, Donna."
"Well, yes, but where's the fun in that?" I reply with a smile. Helen is smiling too. The joking around seems to have relaxed her.
"But seriously, you don't have to change them. They look nice. They just kind of stand out. I just want you to be aware that if you wear them you might end up hearing about them on the news. It's totally up to you."
"I really don't think anyone is going to say anything about my shoes! Good grief, the Queen of England is coming for a state visit. Surely there must be more important things to talk about. And these shoes are really comfortable."
Shortly after we arrive at the South Portico, we hear the trumpeting of the horns, and the announcement-
"The President of the United States and Mrs. Helen Santos."
Josh and I watch and they walk hand-in-hand out of the building, waiving to the crowds. Approximately 7,000 people are present to witness the arrival of the Queen. I can see Vice-President Baker and Dottie Baker, along with Secretary of State Vinick and Annabeth at the front of the VIP section. Hmmm. I think I need to follow up on that. Annabeth hasn't said much since the inauguration but maybe she's getting over Leo. Behind them is the rest of the American and British delegations, the British Embassy staff, Members of Congress and all of the Cabinet along with their families. Most of the rest of the White House Staff are out there as well, although there are a few interns stuck inside manning the offices.
The President and First Lady take their spots at the red carpet, and a few seconds later the limo pulls up. As the door is opened, the President steps forward as the speaker announces-
"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh."
The President and Queen walk together up the stairs to the small dias, while Mrs. Santos and Prince Phillip follow behind.
The Queen is wearing a white jacket trimmed with black buttons, and black lace at the sleeves and collar. Her skirt is black. She's wearing white gloves and carrying a small black handbag. She's also wearing her trademark hat, at first it appears black but I see that its actually white, covered in black lace. It has a large black and white flower adorning it. She is, at the same time, both utterly regal and adorable. I can't help my broad smile. I can't believe, I'll get to meet her in person. I hope my Mom and Bella are watching on C-Span right now.
The Marine Corp Band plays God Save the Queen, followed by the Star Spangled Banner. Then the President and the Queen step off the dias to review the troops. They appear to be chatting while doing so. I'd love to know what she's saying. Mrs. Santos and Prince Phillip stay behind and appear to be having a conversation of their own. This is the perfect opportunity for Josh and I to take our places near the Vice-President and Mrs. Baker in the VIP Section.
After they have reviewed the troops on the South Lawn, the President and the Queen return to the reviewing stand to observe the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps perform. The corps is wearing colonial style uniforms with tri-fold hats. They are very good and quite entertaining.
When the performance is finished, the President steps up to the podium. "Helen and I are honored to Welcome back to the United States Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh. The United Kingdom has written many of the greatest chapters of history, they are our friends and allies. We are united in our joint commitment to move the world toward peace, and also toward greater human rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We stand together today a symbol of that commitment, and we look forward to celebrating our friendship this evening."
President Santos steps back and the Queen moves forward. It's hard to believe that she's 81. She speaks softly, but eloquently, with a gentle smile. "Thank you, President Santos. Indeed the United Kingdom and the United States enjoy a unique relationship. This is a moment to take stock of our present friendship, rightly taking pleasure from its strengths while never taking these for granted, and it is the time to look forward, jointly renewing our commitment to a more prosperous, safer and freer world."
Once the Queen has finished, the Commander of the Troops indicates that the ceremony has concluded. President Santos and the Queen, along with their spouses walk toward the White House. Josh and I follow behind.
As we head toward the Blue Room for the photo opportunity, I hear small bits of the conversation between the Queen and Helen.
"Lovely ceremony, just lovely. I do enjoy a good drum and fife corps, you know. And by the way, your shoes are just fabulous."
My eyes whip over to Josh to see if he overheard the comment. His barely repressed smirk tells me he did. It takes all my will power not to burst out laughing. I hope Annabeth is prepare to spin, because if I had any doubt before, now I know for sure we're going to be hearing about these shoes again.
In the Blue Room, the White House Photographer takes several photos with the Queen and the President, then with their spouses, then the Vice-President and Mrs. Baker and the Prime Minister and his wife join in. There will be many more photographs taken tonight at the State Dinner.
In the mean time, the Queen and Prince Phillip will be attending a garden party at the British ambassador's residence. I imagine that will truly be something. I'd like to observe, but it's a private event.
Just when I think I'm going to have to wait until this evening to meet the Queen, Helen motions me forward.
"Your majesty, may I present my Chief of Staff, and good friend, Donna Lyman."
I give a little curtsy and immediately feel kind of silly. It's not required and none of the other Americans have been doing it, but damn it, I've been practicing for this moment since I was 6!
"Oh, you're having a baby. How lovely." The Queen pats my belly and Lulu gives her a little kick. But The Queen smiles at me. "A fiesty one. How nice."
I don't think I'll ever stop smiling.
As the British delegation leaves, I hear Josh murmur in my ear. "You curtsied for the Queen." There is a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Shut it, Lyman."
"Donnatella, you crack me up." He puts his hand on my back and guides me toward the door.
I'm sure Josh will want to check in on his office before getting ready for tonight's dinner. And I have some last minute things I want to check on as well, but right now, I need to eat. I'm very relieved when he steers me towards the residence. "Lunchtime for my queen and princess." He whispers in my ear.
After lunch, I head down to the State Dining Room. Thirteen Tables, 134 guests, Five Courses, White Tie. No pressure. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I haven't been solely responsible for planning all of this. Thank God. But ultimately Helen is the hostess and so ultimately I feel like the buck stops with me.
I smile as I see that the Chief Usher, Chief of Protocol and Head Florist are all here checking up on things as well. The tables are all set and an aide is walking around with the Chief of Protocol making sure each person is placed at the correct spot. Josh was not happy to learn that couples are not seated together. As White House Chief of Staff, he's hosting his own table. I'm seated with the Secretary of Education.
The Chief Usher is examining each place setting with a ruler to make sure the vermeil silverware is precisely placed. I haven't heard of any protests, but I'm glad Danny Conconnan isn't around to try to rile anyone up.
The Florist smiles as she sees me and hurries over. "The arrangements are complete. We'll keep them downstairs in the coolers until 5. Would you like to see them?"
"Yes, I'll be down shortly." I have just enough time to check in with the Chief Usher and the Head Chef and make a trip through the florist shop before going back up stairs to begin getting ready.
At 4 o'clock, Josh joins me in our room on the third floor.
"It's no Lincoln bedroom, but it is rather handy to have our own bedroom here, isn't it?" He says stripping off his jacket as he comes through the door.
"Definitely. I wouldn't have been able to get nearly as much done today if I'd had to go home to change."
A look of concern crosses Josh's face. "You're not doing too much, are you? You haven't been on your feet all day, have you?"
"Josh. Look at me." He stops and his eyes gaze down my body. "What am I doing right now?"
"Sitting in a chair with your feet up."
"I'm being careful. I'm taking good care of Lulu. I promise."
He comes over and leans down to give me a kiss. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now go take your shower, I'm going to need help dressing." The dresses have undergone a lot of vetting and coordination. It's important that no one outshine the Queen or the First Lady. Mine is ice blue. I hope it still fits.
During the pre-dinner reception, the English ambassador makes a bee-line for me. He grabs both of my hands and puts them to his mouth for loud smacking kisses, then he looks me over with rakish eyes.
"Oh dear Lord, you are huge with child! I suppose this means you'd no longer like me to make arrangements with Edward, Earl of Ulster."
"Lord John, it's always entertaining to see you again." Josh says through gritted teeth.
He needs to relax. Yes, Lord Marbury is wildly inappropriate, but he's generally harmless. It's better just to laugh.
Lord John looks at Josh. Puts on his glasses, and looks him over again.
"You look familiar. Are you the new Gerald?"
"Yes, I'm Josh Lyman, Chief of Staff to President Santos. We've met a dozen times. And this is Donna," he emphasizes the words, " my wife."
"Ah yes, the fair Donnatella, I know her well. I suppose you did that to her." He gestures at my stomach, which is prominently displayed in my silk mermaid style gown.
"Yes, of course," Josh hisses, "the baby is mine." Josh wraps his arm around me protectively, or maybe it's possessively, I'm not quite sure.
"Well, then, congratulations, old man, you know, a baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty." He gives a wise nod, then notices someone across the room.
"I must be gone. There are drinks to be drunk and women to be ogled."
I'm left standing there, a bit overwhelmed, but oddly pleased.
"For being a complete lunatic, that man has odd moments of clarity." Josh mutters.
"I'm glad you think so. He's seated at your table."