A/N: Hello again, everyone! I hope you're all doing well and hanging in there—that's all anyone can do. I hope everyone has enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekend. The year's gonna come to an end real soon…I might crack out another chapter or two before the year ends. That is, if my writer's block and personal life don't get in the way too much.
While Seraphine and Isaac were at school, Rose had the morning and afternoon, William offered to look after Alexander and Éliana, and Spencer was at work, Élise took advantage of the spare time she had for herself to relax and prepare for a few events.
There were the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee reviews of her nomination to the US Supreme Court, with the confirmation hearings once her two-to-three-month maternity leave has ended, which will be in a few more weeks. Then, there was the Nordic State Dinner. Finally, there was Derek and Savannah's wedding.
According to the engaged couple, they want to marry in the summertime before the baby's arrival. Rossi offered to host the event at his mansion—for no charge, of course. As predicted, Garcia offered to be the wedding planner (who had playfully announced herself as the head of planning everything bridal-related—from the invites and calling Savannah's maid of honor and bridesmaids to choosing the gift bags for the reception to the food to the decorations).
"O…M…G, Élise, girl…" Gelila cupped her manicured hands over her face. "You…look…amazing!"
Élise tried on a delicate black stretch silk fully sequined gown with a fishtail hem by Céline by Michael Kors when he was the brand's creative director in the 1990s.
"How is it that you just had a baby, and yet you look so good?" Gelila wondered while circling Élise in one of the upstairs spare bedrooms they use as a dressing room. "It's too good to be true."
Élise looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror and poked her cheekbones. "Sometimes, I wonder that myself…but I know a couple things: black don't crack, and brown don't frown."
"Amen to that, sister," Gelila agreed, and the two ladies high-fived each other before Gelila offered up a couple more gowns and dresses.
Élise rolled her neck around. She had spent almost thirty minutes doing postnatal yoga, Pilates, and cycling. Using the cotton towel hanging around her neck to wipe the sweat from her face, she hiked up the stairs and marched into the kitchen, where a glass pitcher of lemon lavender sparkling water was calling her name.
She grabbed a tall highball glass, poured herself a glass, and gulped it down. Élise sighed as she had another one and kept on gulping it down until she heard the front door knocking. She checked the cameras, and her mouth dropped when she saw her parents, big brother, and sister-in-law on the stoop with their luggage.
With a big cheesy grin on her face, she happily minced to the front door and opened it. "Hey, familia!"
"What is up, little sister?" Arthur was the first to hug Élise.
Brenda was next. "You lookin' good, Lise…"
Élise closed the door behind her. "So…what ya doin' here?"
"Why else would we be here for, Lisey?" Mr. Micha asked with obviousness in his tone. "For your Supreme Court confirmation hearing."
"Oh," Élise's eyes widened, and she had a look on her face where her lips were pressed, and she nodded her head. Now, her stomach was in spin cycle mode. The Supreme Court confirmation hearings were this upcoming Monday.
"Look at you, baby sis…movin' on up to the Supreme Court…" Arthur threw his arm over her shoulder, and they walked into the living room. "Next stop…Congress itself. Or better yet…the White House."
"Élise Bastien-President of the United States," Brenda added, now standing next to Élise, who is now in the middle. "It has a nice ring to it."
Ms. Geneva smiled warmly. "You must be so excited."
"Yeah, I'm so excited…" Élise replied as the front door opened and slammed, and the sounds of rapid footsteps and the semi-noisy squeaky-wheeled stroller. Spencer came around the corner with Seraphine, Isaac, Alexander, and Éliana in the double stroller.
"Hey, everyone!" Spencer waved to his in-laws.
"Grandma! Grandpa! Uncle A! Auntie B!" overlap of the toddlers as they scampered to their maternal side of the family, who showered them with hugs, kisses, and promises of presents.
Arthur held his hand up for his oldest niece and nephew to give him a high five. "Oooh, aren't you two growin' up fast?"
"Hoo-ooo!" Ms. Geneva tiptoed to the stroller and gently scooped out Éliana as Mr. Micha lifted Alexander (with Brenda's help). "Look at my grandchildren… aren't they so adorable?"
After her family settled into the guest house, Ms. Geneva offered to help cook dinner—chicken parmesan with a vegetable salad, garlic bread, and angel food cake for dessert. Mr. Micha mostly kept to himself and watched videos on his tablet; Arthur and Brenda watched DVDs.
Sunday evening, Élise sat down at her computer in her home office, tucking on the elastic waistband of her long pink dot pajama set and pink fuzzy slippers. She was writing her welcome-back statement for the DOJ and then the keynote speeches she planned to deliver for the commencements of Howard and Rutgers-New Brunswick. She will be presented with honorary degrees from the two universities.
After about an hour and a half, triple-saving her work on her USBs, she typed in her name on the search engine and scrolled through the results before clicking on the news tab. There were mostly articles about who she is regarding her educational and professional background, including her tenure as a D.C. Circuit Judge and now as Attorney General.
"Lise…"
Élise jumped, almost jolting her knee on the underside of her desk, and snorted. Spencer stood at the doorway. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Élise patted her eye and sniffled again. "I'm good…"
Spencer asked again, watching Élise shut off her laptop and place it in her Faraday laptop case in her desk drawer. He watched her nervously stumble out from her leather executive-style chair.
"I'm okay," she insisted, holding her hand out to assure him she was fine. She cleared her throat again, "I'm good, babe." She straightened up, held her shoulders back, and cantered out of the room. Spencer turned off the light before he closed the door and followed her.
"Wakey-wakey, Lisey."
Élise groaned, slapping her head over her face and opening her eyes slowly. She yawned loudly and smacked her lips. She rubbed her eyes again and asked, throwing the comforters to the side, "What's happening?"
Spencer took her hands, rotated her body, and forced her out of bed. "Today's the first day of your confirmation hearing to be our nation's newest Supreme Court Justice."
"Yay…" Élise tried sounding excited but couldn't, so she yawned loudly while stretching her limbs. Rolling her neck, she added, "The day's come…"
Traipsing to the bathroom, she turned on the faucet, ran warm water over her face to try to alert herself, and turned it off. Looking at herself in the mirror, she found it to be a miracle she didn't feel as wrecked as Élise could be—maybe it was that peel and facial she had done last week. "I'm just so tired, and yet I got eight hours' worth of sleep."
"Oh, it'll be alright," Spencer planted his hands on her shoulders and tenderly massaged them. You just have to keep telling yourself that, and everything will be alright." He patted her shoulders again, encouraging her, "Come on, say it. Everything will be alright."
Élise sighed and finally replied, "Everything…will be alright."
"Feel better?" he asked.
"Better than nothing," Élise shrugged her shoulders; Spencer kissed her temple.
Ms. Geneva offered to make breakfast for the family this morning. She stood over the oven, cooking scrambled eggs and whole-grain pancakes for Mr. Micha. Arthur and Brenda sat at the counter, having their breakfast, while Mr. Micha sat with Seraphine and Isaac at the nook.
Spencer strolled into the kitchen, holding Élise's face. "Mornin', everyone!"
"Morning…" everyone replied concurrently.
Ms. Geneva used the spatula to plate the eggs and two pancakes. "So, are you ready for today?"
Élise's stomach went into spin cycle again. "Not so much."
"The power of prayer, Élise," Ms. Geneva gave Mr. Micha his breakfast plate and a small glass of orange juice. "Ask God to protect you and ask for his guidance. Ask him to give you the confidence you need for today."
Élise hissed through her teeth and took a seat next to her brother. "Believe me, mother, I am."
Taking everyone's advice (mostly her mother) to relax and calm herself, after breakfast (pancakes, turkey bacon, French toast, berries, and fresh orange juice), Élise did five minutes of breathing and relaxation techniques. She wasn't gonna lie—it actually did the trick to ease her anxiety. Most of her anxiety.
Gelila and her glam squad team were a big help (they even offered to help her parents, brother, and sister-in-law get ready) in getting Élise's confidence boosted for today. Her skin glowed, her teeth were radiantly white, and her hair was in a glossy chignon.
The archived Stephen Burrows black-and-white color block three-quartered-sleeve dress Gelila got for herself was comfortable. Her black Christian Louboutin slingbacks still fit her. Her only other accessories were gold-studded earrings, a chain necklace, a bracelet, and one of her Cartier watches—a Tank Louis with a yellow gold case and black alligator strap.
"I look good, don't it?" Élise asked her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She burst out smiling and giggling. She took one last glance at herself and gave herself a wink before she left. When she came out and strolled into the main bedroom, Spencer had just finished looping the final knot of his tie.
"Don't you look for handsome, babe," Élise tucked on the lapels of his black tailored Ozwald Boateng suit. "Like a male model."
Spencer ruffled his hair a bit. "I think I was in a past life."
Élise sleeked back her hair again. "I don't know how often I've said I'm nervous."
"About eleven times."
Élise gave him an of course you would know look. "But at least I'm ready to make history today."
Spencer and Élise hugged and kissed the children goodbye before Rose took them to school. William proffered taking care of Alexander and Éliana for the majority of the day—whom Élise made sure she pumped and prepared extra bottled breast milk in care of the confirmation hearings took longer than she thought it would.
There was a bit of traffic as the black Suburbans drove to the D.C. metro, but nevertheless, they made it time thirty minutes before Élise was expected to testify on why she should be the nation's next Supreme Court Justice.
Being escorted into the Hart Senate Office Building (one of the three congressional office buildings with the other two being Russell and Dirksen) by tall black suits, everyone encountered the photographers, reporters, and journalists from every major news and media outlet in the country. It was the same as everyone got into the room where the hearing would occur. It was a completely packed house, including the twenty senators who would be asking her questions.
She knew the process—the committee spent this time collecting and receiving any and all necessary information about her to prepare her for questioning. This meant her background check, employment history, education, writings and speeches, citations, financial records, conflicts of interest, and professional activities. During this time, Élise made courtesy calls with each Senator individually as an opportunity for them to get to know her better.
She didn't care if numerous reporters would physically hear her. She blurted to Spencer, side-glancing at everyone, "I'm scared, babe. I mean, look at all these people…"
"Hey-hey-hey," Spencer talked in a lower tone and firmly held her shoulders. "You got this, honey."
Arthur patted Élise's back. "You're gonna be alright, sis." Brenda agreed with him, nodding her head.
"Don't be nervous, Lise," Mr. Micha guided
"Ask God for the strength and confidence," Ms. Geneva advised.
After everyone got seated and settled down, Élise approached the desk. Other than the sounds of flashing cameras and silent stares from the crowd. The first senator to speak up was the SCJ's Chairman, who asked Élise to raise her right hand.
"Confirmed that the testimony you're about to give before the committee will be the truth, the whole, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do." Élise replied confidently.
A/N: I know the chapter's a little short, but I'm gonna try and make up for it in the next chapter. Besides...guess what's about to happen?