He sat in the Lincoln Bedroom, taking in the history of his new home. It was all a little overwhelming and he enjoyed the quiet moments like these.
“Dad!” Maggie yelled as she ran into the room. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s in a meeting,” he said. “What’s up?”
“I need Mom.” She stood with her arms crossed, looking at him like he was a complete idiot.
“What, the First Man isn’t good enough?” he asked. “No, you’ve got to go all the way to the president.”
“No, I need Mom,” she insisted, rolling her eyes, her teenage attitude already becoming evident. “It’s a woman thing.”
“A woman thing? You’re thirteen, you – ” He stopped short as he realized what she meant, why a girl that age would want to talk to her mother. “Oh! Right. You need Mom.”
He jumped out of his chair and headed out the door. He stopped in the hallway and turned around, waving to her to follow. “Come on. I think we can probably interrupt her for this.”
Again, she gave him that look, her lip slightly upturned in a sneer, eyes squinting their disapproval.
I’ve got two masters and doctorate, he thought to himself. I’m not an idiot.
Outside the Oval Office, he knocked on the door. When he heard his wife say, “Come in,” he opened it to see Izzie seated behind the big desk.
President Isabelle Jansen was signing a document. She looked up and removed her glasses. “Tom, I’m in the middle of something. Can’t it wait?”
“No, I don’t think so,” he said as he entered the room, trying to quietly close the door behind him. The latch made a click that echoed like a cannon.
He walked around the inside curve of the wall, sticking to the edge and somehow feeling less conspicuous than if he’d crossed the center of the room to her desk. He gave a little wave of his hand and a nod, mumbling a mortified hello to the Secretary of State and two other important-looking men.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Um . . . Maggie said she needs you because of the woman thing. I think you need to . . . you know, do something. She’s out in the hall.”
He gave her a sheepish grin, his cheeks getting a little pink.
She stood up and addressed the group. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course,” said the Secretary of State. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, just a small family thing. I’ll only be a moment.”
She left the room and found Maggie waiting in the hallway.
“Oh, sweetie,” she said and hugged her daughter. “Dad said you started.”
“Started what?”
“Your period.”
Maggie took an exaggerated breath and rolled her eyes. “No, Mom.”
Izzie turned to glare a Tom.
I guess it’s my day to get looks, he thought to himself as he held his hands up and shrugged. “She said it was a woman thing. I thought . . .”
“No, Dad, it’s about the dinner event tonight.” Maggie turned and looked at her mother. “I just wanted to know if I should wear the pink dress or the blue one.”
“Dad!” Maggie yelled as she ran into the room. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s in a meeting,” he said. “What’s up?”
“I need Mom.” She stood with her arms crossed, looking at him like he was a complete idiot.
“What, the First Man isn’t good enough?” he asked. “No, you’ve got to go all the way to the president.”
“No, I need Mom,” she insisted, rolling her eyes, her teenage attitude already becoming evident. “It’s a woman thing.”
“A woman thing? You’re thirteen, you – ” He stopped short as he realized what she meant, why a girl that age would want to talk to her mother. “Oh! Right. You need Mom.”
He jumped out of his chair and headed out the door. He stopped in the hallway and turned around, waving to her to follow. “Come on. I think we can probably interrupt her for this.”
Again, she gave him that look, her lip slightly upturned in a sneer, eyes squinting their disapproval.
I’ve got two masters and doctorate, he thought to himself. I’m not an idiot.
Outside the Oval Office, he knocked on the door. When he heard his wife say, “Come in,” he opened it to see Izzie seated behind the big desk.
President Isabelle Jansen was signing a document. She looked up and removed her glasses. “Tom, I’m in the middle of something. Can’t it wait?”
“No, I don’t think so,” he said as he entered the room, trying to quietly close the door behind him. The latch made a click that echoed like a cannon.
He walked around the inside curve of the wall, sticking to the edge and somehow feeling less conspicuous than if he’d crossed the center of the room to her desk. He gave a little wave of his hand and a nod, mumbling a mortified hello to the Secretary of State and two other important-looking men.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Um . . . Maggie said she needs you because of the woman thing. I think you need to . . . you know, do something. She’s out in the hall.”
He gave her a sheepish grin, his cheeks getting a little pink.
She stood up and addressed the group. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course,” said the Secretary of State. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, just a small family thing. I’ll only be a moment.”
She left the room and found Maggie waiting in the hallway.
“Oh, sweetie,” she said and hugged her daughter. “Dad said you started.”
“Started what?”
“Your period.”
Maggie took an exaggerated breath and rolled her eyes. “No, Mom.”
Izzie turned to glare a Tom.
I guess it’s my day to get looks, he thought to himself as he held his hands up and shrugged. “She said it was a woman thing. I thought . . .”
“No, Dad, it’s about the dinner event tonight.” Maggie turned and looked at her mother. “I just wanted to know if I should wear the pink dress or the blue one.”
