And I'm back. I've had a good little run with this story and it means I'm hoping to post with a little bit of regularity while I'm finishing it up. Not a set schedule yet, but I'm hoping before the end that I'll be able to do regular posts as I begin to work on my next story. As for now, here is the next chapter.
If you want to know what is coming next, please join my Facebook group, AgoodWITCH Writes, where I'll be teasing some things to come. Including the return of an on hiatus story. As always, thank you for reading, and for your support. I can't believe it has been a year since I was in DC doing some in person research, and now I'm planning the final moments of this fic.
Chapter 29
Edward returned from his trip and kept up his momentum on the bill. The public support was more than even Edward had expected and, with sponsors lined up to bring the bill to the House floor, they were already ahead of what Peter had thought. His best hope had been to see it folded into a larger budget that got passed, but within weeks of Edward's return from New York, the bill was about to be up for a vote in the House.
From there, it sailed to a quick victory in the Senate. By the end of August, the bill came before President Swan-Masen to be signed.
While that was going on, Isabella had been able to formally announce the Unsung Voices Arts Endowment.
"We have so many talented voices that are overlooked in this country. With this initiative, we welcome members of underrepresented communities to submit plays to be produced around the country. Submissions will open on September first, and we hope to see our first shows produced in the spring and summer of next year."
Her doctor's appointments had shown both babies were healthy and growing normally, but the parents-to-be were most excited for Isabella's appointment a few days before her birthday. It was her doctor's hope that they'd be able to see the sex of the babies. If so, it would be added into the pregnancy announcement that Isabella was planning on making in a scheduled press conference.
When President Swan-Masen walked up to the podium in the Press Briefing Room, the press corps stood. They'd known the President planned to speak but hadn't thought it would be following a regular briefing.
"I apologize for catching you all off guard, but some things can't be helped. I promise this is a brief announcement and I will have time for a few questions after."
Isabella took a deep breath before she continued. "The First Gentleman and I are thrilled to announce that we're expecting twins. I'm halfway through my pregnancy and everything is going well for us. We're happy to share this news with the American people and look forward to sharing news through our social media accounts as my pregnancy progresses. Thank you."
Riley signaled to the reporters that the floor was open to questions.
Isabella gestured to the first reporter, who announced her name and news outlet before she asked, "How are you feeling physically, Madam President?"
"I've been fortunate not to have too much trouble early on, aside from some morning sickness, which has thankfully passed."
Another reporter was called on and inquired, "Do you know what you're having?"
"We're having a boy and a girl."
"Will you be able to continue performing your job with all the stress involved?"
"Right now, we don't see any reason I wouldn't be able to do my job. As I get closer to my due date, some meetings will be handled by my team, but I'm not the first world leader to have a child in office. Any adjustments that we need to make will be done when and if the time comes."
"Last question," Riley announced.
When Isabella selected the reporter, she expected the question the man posed. "Any concerns in regards to your age and the pregnancy?"
"Any pregnancy over thirty-five is classified as high risk, but there are many ways to mitigate that risk. I assure you all my medical team and staff are doing everything possible to minimize things."
With a final wave and nod to the press corps, Isabella left the room.
There had been discussion of her weight gain in the tabloids and online, so the photos posted of Edward embracing Bella from behind, cupping her belly, and then a second closer shot with their hands and the First Cats' paws on her bump fit perfectly with the caption.
Donut and Lance are happy to welcome their new human brother and sister in early 2030.
The dual pronged announcement immediately became the top news story and trended on every social media platform. Garrett had been vetting additional agents for any engagements that might require extra support, knowing some might join the teams assigned to the children.
For their own part, Isabella was happy to celebrate her fortieth birthday at home with Edward and their two favorite couples.
"How's the wedding planning going?" Isabella asked Emmett and Rosalie.
"Stalled for the moment," Rosalie admitted.
"Rosie," Emmett's tone was a warning.
"What aren't you saying?" Isabella demanded.
"We would love for you to be at our wedding, but with your pregnancy any venue we choose would have to be a fortress to appease your protective detail. And I understand that," Rosalie was quick to add, "but that would put us at March or April before we could get married."
"What if you had your reception here?" Edward proposed.
"Are you serious?" Emmett asked.
"Yes. Anyone who went to your wedding would be vetted anyway, so have your wedding at your church and we'll host you in either the State Dining Room or the East Room. I have free time now that my bill has passed, so I can help you get with Dawn to plan the particulars. We would just need a date."
"I'll call your office to make an appointment. If you could have Dawn sit in on it, that would be wonderful. Thank you, both of you." Rosalie was bursting with happiness.
"We're happy to do it. And I don't want you to delay your happiness any longer on my account," Isabella told her.
"Garrett?" Edward asked as his friend had gotten a far off look in his eye.
"March first of 2031," he announced.
Alice choked on her drink. "Is that you asking?"
"No, this is." He stood long enough to drop to one knee. "Alice Mary Brandon, I've always been impressed by your drive and your no-nonsense approach to life. But it is your passion for everything and everyone you care about that stole my heart. I'm ready to start planning for our forever. Marry me?"
In a rare moment of speechlessness, Alice could do nothing but nod, wiping the happy tears from her cheeks as they fell hard and fast. Garrett slipped the delicate gold ring on her finger. A light pink diamond and smaller marquise-cut diamonds to resemble a rose and leaves with the facets of the cushion square center stone.
Everyone stood to congratulate the happy couple, and when Garrett pulled Bella into a hug, he whispered, "Did I win 'best birthday gift'?"
"You did not do it today because it was my birthday?" Bella asked, shocked.
"I wanted her best friend to be a part of it. There won't be many outings in the near future, so this felt like the right time. The ring has been burning a hole in my pocket since I got it back last week."
"Well, you did good. And yes, this was definitely the best gift. Thank you for including me."
"You're welcome. I can't believe that the last few years have led to our unlikely friendship, but I'm thankful our friends have excellent taste."
That comment had the group laughing and broke up the moment.
With the news of Isabella's pregnancy out there, there was plenty of speculation, but the couple and their administration were too focused on the planning ahead.
Virna flew in and decorated one of the spare bedrooms upstairs for the twins. A search for the perfect caregiver for the children was already underway and Teeny was taking that job very seriously. But a break in that came from an unlikely source.
"Has anyone seen Garrett?" Edward asked one evening as he and Isabella relaxed after dinner.
"He's doing a home visit," Teeny answered. She was organizing documents that needed to be dropped at the Oval Office before leaving for the day.
"For whom?" Bella questioned.
"My top choice for the babies' nanny," Teeny responded.
"When do we get to meet her?" Edward asked.
"Them. And once Garrett gives the all-clear. Which I'm hoping is this evening."
"Keep us posted," Isabella told her aide.
It was two days later that Isabella noticed an hour blocked out at the end of her schedule. When Edward arrived two minutes before the meeting, she had a good idea what this was about.
"Have you met them?" Isabella asked, excited.
"No. They were going through the final checks."
Just then, Shelley buzzed through on the intercom. "Diane and Maria Cope are here."
"Cope?" Edward asked just as the women were escorted in by Samuel.
Isabella recovered first, motioning to the couches. "Please, sit. I'm sure we have a lot to go over."
The pair sat, and Edward and Isabella took the couch across from them.
"You'll have to forgive us. We haven't been actively involved in the initial interview process, so if you could talk about your qualifications for the job, I think that would be a good starting point," Edward began the interview.
The lighter-haired of the two women straightened her back. She had a warm and welcoming energy and a bubbly personality just below her nervousness. "I'm Diane Cope. My sister Maria Messi and I worked at, and eventually ran, our own daycare for over thirty years. It was a labor of love for us as we've never had children of our own, but we got to watch thousands of children we cared for grow into some wonderful adults."
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you stop running the daycare?" Isabella asked.
"My husband became ill," Diane answered, "and after a while it was too difficult for me to handle both responsibilities. One of our administrators had been with us for a long time and we sold the business to her. Now that my Harold has passed, I'm a bit at loose ends."
"Harold Cope. Shelley's brother-in-law. I remember when she took those days off for his services." Isabella made the connection to her beloved secretary and knew these women could be trusted.
"I stayed on for a while during the transition to the new owner, but I'm not meant to be sitting at home and doing nothing," Maria added.
"I understand that," Edward admitted. "So living at the White House wouldn't pose a problem for you?"
"No. The young woman we spoke to, Athenodora, I believe, explained that we would be live-in nannies, at least while the children were young. We'll be happy to do it," Diane replied.
The First Couple talked to the sisters for well over an hour and left the meeting with a promise they'd be in touch soon. Once the meeting was over, security was discussed with their protective detail and other loose ends were hashed out before they made the final decision.
"Do you think your mother will come out when the babies are born? I know we didn't get to spend as much time with her around the wedding, but I hope she'll consider a longer stay."
"Me too. But she's not a big fan of all the additional security required," Edward admitted.
"Reach out and see what she says. If we need to do something at Camp David so the security isn't as in-your-face, we'll make it work."
The planning for the babies was only one of Edward's duties beyond visiting various VAs and being a visible advocate for their care. He worked with Dawn and Rosalie to finish the plans for their reception, which was on December fourth.
While the First Couple missed the ceremony, they toasted their friends at a winter-themed wedding reception that was all over the internet the following morning. Select news outlets had been invited to cover parts of the day, and the Vice President's social media team handled the rest.
Edward was able to convince his mother to come out for Christmas and, after the official event hosted at the White House, they spent some time at Camp David.
Isabella knew winning over her mother-in-law was not going to happen overnight, but she hoped the invitation would start to work toward more cordial relations.
With the start of 2030, Isabella reduced her hours in meetings and kept up on work from the Residence. Alice was like a guard dog with how she kept less important items off Isabella's plate, while Lottie would sit with the president in the evening and brief her on the meetings that had occurred.
There was a lot of scuttlebutt about when Isabella would step back and what that would look like. Since she wouldn't be incapacitated, Emmett wouldn't be fully stepping into her shoes, but a large majority of the work would be off her schedule until she was ready to return to work.
Diane and Maria had managed to sell their duplex and everything they hadn't moved into their rooms in the White House was stored in a secure facility for them.
Until the babies were born, they were staying with Shelley, but they were ready when the time came.
January passed with a slower gait and more stops as Bella walked the West Wing. One evening, as Charlotte spoke to Isabella about the following week, she laughed.
"I'm pretty sure you'll be sitting beside my bed if this continues like I think."
"Why do you say that?"
"I've been able to keep all their concerns at bay as far as complications, except the high blood pressure at times. But the way these two are moving, I think we're looking at days. Especially if they're planning on a C-section."
"Ma'am, Secretary Whitlock is here." Shelley's voice rang through the intercom.
"Let him in," Bella responded.
"This isn't work-related. I'm just here to pick up Lottie for dinner," Jasper prefaced as he entered.
"That's all right. What I need at the moment is an escort, so I'll walk with you."
"Ma'am?" Jasper asked.
"I'm pretty sure these contractions aren't Braxton-Hicks, but I need to get to the Medical Office to be sure."
Jasper stuck his head out the door only long enough to notify her detail, then he and Lottie helped the President to her feet.
It was a brisk walk, with the halls cleared until they entered the office where the doctor was waiting to examine her.
He sprung into action and prepared for the examination while Lottie assisted the President as she disrobed. Within a matter of moments, the doctor looked at Isabella with a smile.
"You were right, Ma'am. These babies are ready to make their appearance."