Madam President ✓

44. Changing The Rules

Tanya
Three Weeks Later

  Last week's funerals were some of the most depressing moments of my life. I attended as many as I possibly could- including his wife and daughter's, because regardless of how we felt about each other she was our First Lady and the mother of his child.

Their's was a private one- he didn't want cameras snapping pictures of what was left of them. For his daughter there was her upper torso and head- which they had to stitch back on. His wife's was in worse shape- just a head and legs, so whoever was in charge of dressing her tried to conceal it with her outfit.

That day I cried not for myself but for him. Later, when we were alone- he approached me.

"Darrel are you sure you'll be ready for the press conference? That was.... Intense." He was still being pushed around in a wheelchair then, unable to walk on his own with crutches, so I pushed him to the window and sat down in front of him.

"Yeah. The world can't come to a complete stop for me." He replied. "Life will go on as normal for the average person and... Promise me something Tanya."

"Anything-" I nodded. "What?"

"Take care of yourself please. This job will drive you literally insane after a while. The things you'll see and other things people will blame on you...."

"Don't worry about me." I smiled and grabbed his hand. "I'll be fine. I've still got you as a friend."

Now, on the day of our scheduled conference, we sit on one of his couches in the residence. He decided to leave all of his furniture here- saying I had more important things to worry about. All around us government approved movers carry boxes of his and his family's things. When he sees one of them containing a box of his daughter's clothes, he looks away.

"Mr.President-" one of them also emerges from her room. "Where do you want this?"

He holds up a large framed picture of his daughter speaking at one of his campaign rallies when she was just nine years old.

"Hand it here." He gestures. Two seconds later, the picture is in his hands and he's staring at her smile. Tears threaten to spill over.

"Okay- no." I gently move it down so he can't look at her. "We can't.... Be emotional today. This is important and the people need their leaders. You can grieve as much as you need to after-"

"Tanya- Mr.President - they're ready for you in the press room." Walter pokes his head in. He and Darrel don't have the relationship we do. I nod.

"You can grieve as much as you need to after these five minutes, okay?"

"Okay." He nods.

I stand and grab his hand to help him up. We take the elevator and walk side by side outdoors, stopping for just a second in front of the door to the west wing. Some photographer somewhere snaps a picture.

I place a hand on his back and we enter. The staff immediately stop what they're doing in the presence of an individual they still consider their boss.

"Good to see you again, Mr.President." The speech writer says.

"We've missed you around here sir." Luna smiles.

"I've missed y'all too but..... consider this my goodbye."

In the briefing room we make things short and sweet.

"Today we won't be taking questions." I silence the reporters. "I have been in discussions with members of the senate and my political advisors- and my friend Darrel Lowe, on my next steps as the president of the United States."

"So here today- I am officially resigning my presidency." Darrel says, forcing a calm facade. "To put it simply- I just don't see a world in which I can function as the commander in chief knowing what happened to my daughter."

"And so the question comes up of who will be my Vice President. We've floated and vetted many names. Some were former senators, representatives and cabinet secretaries. We spoke to each potential nominee many, many times. I decided to take advice from someone who has been the president for four years and- I believe his exact words were "Choose someone you know and trust, and not just because they have experience."

  I pause for dramatic effect.

  "So that is why I've chosen Senator Anthony Breyer." I say. "There is the matter of his age, with him being just thirty two. Two days ago, in a closed floor vote, the senate unanimously agreed to lower the age requirement to twenty five. This is not only a sign of progress but one of unity. If anything good is to come out of this horrible tragedy, it is politicians themselves putting politics aside for the greater good."