King of the Mountain:
Part 31
Lynn Jepsen
Hey little girl. Your momma isn't very happy with me now. I was just
surprised to see you. I'm sure you'll come to understand that I don't
like surprises. Your Uncle Toby went searching for a map of Kosovo so we
could figure out exactly where it is you're from. I think you've already
won over the big softie. Lucky you. Took me three years, and he never
once offered me his thumb.
I can hear Lisa moving around in the next room. Zoey and Ramon took a
break from, you know, the boring tasks related to running the state and
the campaign to go get Samantha's old furniture out of storage. The
bedroom next to our room is a nursery again, and this wooden rocking
chair is parked in the corner next to the window. I don't remember that
being there before, but then again, I wasn't here as often as I would
have liked to be. I pick her up, and try to keep the blankets wrapped
around her.
Talk to me little girl. How did you charm Lisa so completely? It took
Josh's help and a miracle for me to get that far into her heart. How did
you manage it? She smiles at me then, and I think I know. She's darling.
She's adorable. She's snuggled into the crook of my arm, and sniffling
softly. "She likes you." Lisa leans against the door frame, and I'm sure
we're going to have a long conversation about consulting with each other,
but right now, I just.... I'm not sure what I'm feeling, but whatever it
is, I like it.
"I thought Donnatella was appropriate, but I couldn't tell you why." It's
okay. Elle's a pretty name - so's Donnatella for that matter. She perches
on the arm of the rocker, and I shift Elle to my other arm and grab Lisa
by the waist, pulling her onto my thigh. I've got to leave tomorrow for
the Convention. I want you to stay here. She shakes her head then, and
settles her head against my shoulder. "Together. You promised me we would
do this together." Yeah, but.... "Together, Sam. That's our problem. We
lose when we fall apart."
*
Alice Ritcher is cooing over my daughter. That is a frightening thought.
I haven't seen her in person since the 2002 Convention - more
specifically, about twenty minutes before President Bartlet died. Josh
and Toby vetted her. CJ and Carol coached her. Lisa interviewed her.
Ramon had the "T"s crossed and the "i"s dotted. Now all I have to do is
ask.
I don't want to ask.
This woman scares me. She scares me if for no other reason than the fact
that she wrote a book entitled "A World Without Men." It frightens me
more than a little that she left Toby hiding in my office during her
vetting. The most frightening thing though is knowing she and Lisa get
along.
I bite the bullet.
I ask her to run for Veep.
She says yes.
Why does that frighten me more?
*
"Sam! Sam, get up!" The pounding on my door jolts me from bed, and I
almost expect my wake-up call to be Elle's crying. When I recognize
Josh's voice filtering through the door, I sit up in bed, and glance at
Lisa. She's blinking sleepily, and nods at me. I shout for Josh to come
in. He looks like he's been run through a wringer and we're redefining
the phrase rumpled. What happened?
He uncrinkles a piece of paper from his fist and hands it over. "It's a
copy. The Secret Service has the original." Lisa sits up and turns on the
lamp and my eyes skim the paper. No. Absolutely not. Lisa must have been
reading over my shoulder, because she's not in bed any more, and she's
opening the door to the nursery and grabbing Elle. When she reappears,
there's this look of veiled panic on her face, but she's rocking Elle
back and forth in her arms.
Uh, look. Why don't we go visit my mother tomorrow. Then we'll all go on
the campaign trail on Monday - just like we planned. I'm sure the Secret
Service is on top of this.
King of the Mountain: Part 32
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