Page 25 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

They could speak in private there. The minute the kitchen door closed behind Tracy, the two of them were silent-screaming as they jumped up and down like idiots. Well, Tracy did most of the jumping. Since she was expecting her third child, Angela was in no condition to jump.

“Holy, holy, holy shit,” Tracy said. “Tell us everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

Sam made another pot of coffee, poured some seltzer for Angela and then joined them at the table to tell them the whole story, from the second Nick got The Call last night, through the swearing-in to waking up this morning as the nation’s new first lady.

“You looked so calm and composed in the pictures,” Angela said. “You had to be melting down on the inside.”

“I was pretty melty, but I held it together, thank God.”

“Celia told us how you came to get the Bible,” Tracy said. “It’s so scary and exciting and freaking huge all at the same time.”

“Yes, it is.”

“What about your job?” Angela asked warily.

“I’m keeping it. I’ve already told Nick that’s nonnegotiable.”

“Um, how will that work exactly?” Tracy asked.

“We haven’t figured out the details yet. It’s all still very new, but I’ve made my wishes clear. Nick said he’ll do everything he can to make it happen for me.”

“You’ll be the only first lady to ever hold a job outside the White House,” Tracy said.

“I might be the first, but I won’t be the last. It’s high time we had a first lady holding down a career in addition to being first lady.”

“We completely agree,” Angela said, “but you know lots of other people won’t see it the way we do.”

“I don’t care how they see it. That’s how it’s going to be. The end. I’m not debating it.”

The kids came into the kitchen with a grumpy Scotty, all of them dressed for an outing to the zoo. Scotty brightened when he saw Angela and Tracy.

“I guess this means you’ve heard the news,” Scotty said.

“Uh, yeah, the whole world has heard the news, sport,” Angela said.

Sam’s stomach started to ache at the thought of her husband and their family being a news story around the world. She hated being the center of attention, but she probably ought to get over that now that she was half of the highest profile couple on the planet.

Scotty grabbed a granola bar, and the kids got ready to leave with the Secret Service for a trip to the zoo.

Sam excused herself from her sisters to follow them to the door, asking Scotty’s lead agent, Debra, for a word. “I’m worried about them being bothered,” Sam said.

“We’re making arrangements to put space between them and the parties before and after them. We’ll make sure no one bothers them.”

“Thank you, Debra.”

Sam hugged and kissed the kids and Scotty. “Elijah is in charge. Whatever he says goes.”

“That’s right,” Elijah said. “I’m the boss of you.”

She watched them go down the ramp and get into one of the ever-present black Secret Service SUVs, her anxiety spiking as she watched them go. Only because she trusted the Secret Service implicitly was she able to wave them off and return to the kitchen.

“Why do you look panicked?” Tracy asked.

“I worry about the kids and crackpots.”

“They have the best security in the world with them at all times,” Angela said.

“We’re going to have to see about getting protection for Elijah when he goes back to school,” she said. “He’ll love that.” She dropped her head into her hands. “So much to think and worry about.”

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