Page 171 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

Nick walked her to the door. “If there’s anything we can do for you or your family, you know how to reach us.”

“Likewise.” Gloria looked up at him. “You’re one of the good ones, Mr. President. Make me proud.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll do my best.”

“She’s right,” Sam said when they were alone. “You are one of the good ones.”

He put his arms around her and held on tight. “As long as you think so. That’s all that matters.”

“I definitely think so.”

When they landed in Pierre, Sam and Nick disembarked along with the Nelson family and stood with them on the tarmac as members from each branch of the military carried the late president’s casket off the plane.

After the casket was loaded into a hearse, Gloria turned to Nick. “Thank you for everything, Mr. President. I’ll pray for you and your family. I wish you all the best. Enjoy every minute. It goes by so fast.”

Nick hugged her. “Thank you again for your graciousness to us during this difficult time for your family.”

Gloria hugged Sam. “I’m a phone call away if I can be of any assistance to you at any time.”

“Thank you for sharing your wisdom and advice with me. It’s very much appreciated.”

Gloria stood back and reached out her hands to them while photographers and TV cameras captured the moment. “Take good care of each other. Don’t let the job swallow you whole. Trust me when I tell you it’s not worth the sacrifice. God bless you both.” She dropped their hands and walked away to join her family in the car that would follow the hearse to the South Dakota State Capitol.

Nick shook hands with Tom Hanigan, the South Dakota governor and the state’s two senators, all of whom had ridden home on Air Force One and would attend the local services for Nelson.

All told, they were on the ground in Pierre for an hour before they were on their way back to Washington to face whatever came next.

When they’d reached cruising altitude, Sam went looking for Nick and found him in the president’s bedroom, staring out the window. She slipped her arms around him from behind. “What’re you thinking about?”

“That I’m president of everything as far as my eye can see and way beyond what’s visible.”

“That’s a rather daunting thought.”

“It’s a rather daunting reality.”

“You’re going to be a wonderful president. I have no doubt about that.”

He turned and put his arms around her, holding on tight for a long time. “Tonight’s our last night at Ninth Street for a while. I asked them to pack the loft last so we can spend some time together before the move.”

“That sounds perfect. We may even get home in time to see the kids before bed.”

“I hope so.” He kissed her neck and then her lips. “What Gloria said about holding on to what’s important… You’re the most important thing. You and the kids. Stay close these next few years, okay?”

“I’m planning to stay close for the next fifty or sixty years.”

“That won’t be long enough, but it’s a good start.”

Smiling, Sam burrowed into his embrace, determined to do everything she could to give him comfort during their White House years and to love him long after those years were a distant memory.

Epilogue

The move to the White House was carried off with the same kind of precision Sam had come to expect from the Secret Service. With Gideon and Shelby supervising, Sam barely had to do anything more than unpack a few boxes and help the kids get settled in their new rooms. With a goal of getting the twins into their own rooms eventually, she’d assigned them each a bedroom, but they’d chosen to sleep together for a while longer. Whatever brought them comfort was fine with her and Nick.

His surprise of the playground equipment on the South Lawn was a huge hit, with the kids playing for hours until the cold drove them inside.

As Scotty predicted, the movie theater, bowling alley and pool made the transition much more exciting for the Littles than it would’ve been otherwise. They wanted to do and see everything the first day, until Scotty told them they had to save something for the next day.

At bedtime the first night, they FaceTimed with Elijah to show him their new rooms and to tell him everything about life at the White House so far. Their excitement was such that Sam feared they’d never sleep that night. Sam had kept the three kids at their end of the hallway, so they could be as close as possible, and after they tucked them all in, Sam and Nick went into their room and closed the door.

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