'He'll have eggs, toast and coffee please', Jill said as Joe walked into the breakfast room. 'Just raisin bran please', he said to Tom. 'He'll have eggs, toast and coffee', Jill repeated as Joe raised an eyebrow in question. He leaned to kiss her and her stomach flipped pleasurably at the contact. She ran her hand across his freshly shaved face and through his hair, still damp from the shower. 'You need to keep your strength up', she murmured, her lips almost touching his. He kissed her again and nodded in acquiescence. Joe understood implicitly that their roles were being defined now for the duration of this crisis. He would focus on what he needed to, what literally no one else in the world but him could do and Jill was going to be his greatest support system, his rock and his comfort. If Jill said he was to eat eggs, toast and coffee for breakfast then so be it, she was just looking out for him and he would lean on her to make these decisions in his best interest, like he was making decisions in the best interest of the world.
'You didn't go to barre class?' It was a question rather than a statement. 'No, I can go tomorrow, I wanted to be here with you this morning', she said matter of factly. 'It's not every day that your husband is called on to save the world', she said, rubbing her thumb across his hand. Joe ran his other hand across his face and sighed. 'I really hoped it wouldn't come to this', he admitted. 'I just find it difficult to comprehend that anyone would choose to declare war on a country that had done nothing to provoke it', Joe said with feeling. 'The country is going to look to you for those very answers Joe so you need to come up with some explanation. What time do you expect to address the nation?' she asked. 'I need to talk to the allies this morning, make sure everyone is in full agreement, I can't have any ambiguity, nothing less than a full strength, fully aligned response will suffice. After that it'll be a matter of advising congress and dotting the i's and I'll announce the first set of sanctions then. I don't want to be seen to be late to the party but I won't move without being sure either so I expect early afternoon. The European response will take up the airwaves for the next few hours so that'll give us some cover. Then I need to announce the Supreme Court Nomination. Anyway, tell me about what your day will look like,' he said as his breakfast appeared.
Jill was in school as the networks all cut to Joe's speech. Although she knew a lot of what the initial response would be she was still compelled to watch the president address the crisis, just as every other citizen was. Some students were blissfully unaware of what was happening, she envied them their ignorance. Not an ignorance born of complacency or a jaded isolation from the world. Rather it was an ignorance born from survival. From a single mindess owing to the focus on the survival of their own family, of a need to balance jobs and kids, study and childcare. They didn't have time to focus on the affairs of the wider world. Their focus was completely on their own world and the constant battle to fight for and keep their own place within that world. People were elected to take care of those issues. People like Joe.
She glanced around the lobby and noticed some students and other faculty pausing to stare into their phones, adjusting the volume on headphones. Some took a seat, others stood where they were and watched, waited and listened for the president to begin his address to the nation. To the world. One of her agents, totally inconspicuous to the untrained eye, spoke softly to her. 'The President will be speaking shortly ma'am, we've gotten the 2 minute warning. The networks are all cutting to the White House. What would you like to do?' Jill glanced around, as the giant tv screen flashed to display the presidential podium. There was space to see the large tv screen to her right and she nodded in that direction. There was something compelling about watching it live. Offering support to him in real time.
As soon as she was in the car on her way back to the White House she texted him. 'Great job Mr President. Leaving school now, I'll see you soon baby.' She wasn't expecting a reply. She knew the drill. As soon as the speech was delivered the communications team would be scanning the airwaves for responses and the rest would have already moved onto the next issue. Joe was probably deep into conversations about his Supreme Court nominee, due to be announced to the public tomorrow but Jill already knew who he had chosen. She settled back in the leather seat as the car made its way across northern Virginia back into Maryland, and thought about the night out on the trail that Joe had declared his intention to nominate the first black woman, the audience at the debate had been electrified at his words, and had erupted into cheering. It was going to be an historic moment and she hoped that the shine wouldn't be taken off it for Joe the nominee, or the country, having to announce it now in the shadow of an outbreak of war. She looked down as her phone pinged in her hand. It was a message from Joe. 'Thanks babe. Looking forward to dinner and spending some time together later x.' She smiled, he was truly amazing.
'Have you much more to do tonight honey?', Jill asked, her hand resting on top of his. He ran his thumb across the side of her hand. 'I need to ring Nancy to check in with the House, then I'm getting another intelligence briefing and that'll be it for a couple of hours until the bombs start to fall again', he said with a taut grimce. 'I don't envisage much sleep again tonight I'm afraid. We're not where we need to be yet in the alliance so I predict another disturbed night's sleep'. He swallowed. Jill watched as he struggled to say something. She let him work through whatever it was. 'Jilly', he said, raising his eyes to hers. She smiled and moved from her seat to sit in his lap. 'No', was all she said before running her hands along his face to settle at his chin and kissing him. He raised his eyebrows, causing a ripple of lines to run across his forehead. She traced them with her fingers. 'You don't even know what I was going to say', Joe replied quietly. 'Sure I do. I know all of your tells. Every. Last. One.' Each of the last three words were punctuated with a kiss. 'Okay, so what was I going to say then smartypants', he challenged her, running his hands lightly across her ass, delighting in the feel of her sitting in his lap. 'You were going to ask if it wouldn't be better if you slept in the Lincoln bedroom', she began. He grinned, his eyes bright. 'Maybe I was going to suggest you sleep down the hall, not me'. She shook her head and leaned her face to kiss him again. 'No, because you are a total gentleman and always put me first so you'd offer to leave our bed and go to another room. You are offering to do that not because you want to but because you want what's best for me and you don't want my sleep disturbed, especially on night's before I have school or travel. How am I doing so far?' she asked. He caressed her ass with his free hand, the other was holding hers. 'You're doing pretty well', he admitted. 'Well the answer is thank you for the offer but no', she snuggled closer to him. 'I want to be with you and I know you want me there too, despite your heroic manners.' He couldn't help but laugh. 'It's ok, I knew you'd say no', he teased, 'you need me as much as I need you.'
They shared a deep and loving kiss, taking their time to explore each other's mouths to trace the lines on each other's faces, to kiss small frown lines and bumps on their skin, tiny inconsistencies, indicative of their uniqueness. They relaxed into each other. Jill felt herself sink into the contours of Joe's body, so familiar to her. She lay her head against his neck and drank in his scent. Joe was glad for the few moments of solitude, blinking away a tear as he thought about how much he loved this wonderful woman, how ready she was to support him, how willing she was to throw away her own rest, her own comfort to be his support. He was a lucky, lucky man. He thought too of all those couples half a world away who were perhaps saying goodbye to each other at this very moment, terrified, wondering if they would ever see each other again. He set his resolve there and then to do everything in his power to bring down the toughest response on the murdering bastard. He took a deep breath and thanked God for the billionth time for the gift of this woman in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter and kissed her; her hair, her neck, her face. He gently pulled the collar of her shirt open so he could kiss that delicate favorite spot where her neck and shoulder met. He felt the goosebumps erupt on her body as he sucked lightly.
Unbeknown to the first couple the chief butler was holding his team back. He had been about to enter the private dining room to serve coffee when he had seen the First Lady leave her seat and approach the President. Had watched for a moment as she slipped into his lap. It was a familiar movement, one that affirmed it was a regular occurrence. He smiled and turned away from the intimate moment. All of the staff knew quickly after the inauguration that the First Couple had a very special relationship and were determined to allow them to feel as comfortable as possible in their new home. In time of great challenges for the President the residence staff prided themselves on giving him everything that he needed. President Biden seemed to have everything he needed in his First Lady and the staff would make sure they had all the time together that they could possibly give them. He returned to the ante room. He would wait to be called.
To be continued ...
