The sky had brightened over Washington by the time he had hung up on what would be the final call of the night. It was 4.45 am and Jill had fallen asleep. Joe's body felt tired but he couldn't rest, his mind was whirring, he was rolling through possible permutations and impacts on escalations. Strategising how he was going to deal with individual sticking points with certain countries and gaming the push and pull he would need to indulge in in just a few hours time. The next tranche of sanctions were due to be announced in the late afternoon and the allies weren't all there yet. He looked at his wife sleeping beside him. She was his strength and comfort and he was already depending on her so much more just in the past few days. He felt bad that she had missed her night's sleep, especially as she had to wake for a day's travel in less than two hours. He was glad she hadn't accepted his offer to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom. He never really expected that she would but in offering he wanted her to feel that she wasn't being taken for granted, that he understood her work was important too, her rest just as important as his. Jill had serious jobs to fulfill too, both her teaching and First Lady duties and she was fantastic at both. He smiled as he looked towards her. After the tumult of the past few days and nights he felt so content in these few moments, lying in their bed, quietly, just being able to take a breath, to enjoy the proximity of her body, the sound of her even, steady breathing matched by the beating of his own heart. He savored every moment of the all too short respite.
At 6.00 am he quietly left their bed and made his way to the kitchen on the second floor. Support within their marriage wasn't a one way street. He prepared coffee and toast and poured some raisin bran for himself. He robbed a rose from a display in the living room and propped it in a glass when he couldn't find a vase small enough. He rooted around and finally found a tray and arranged everything to carry to their bedroom. Jill came awake to the feeling of Joe's mouth on hers. She parted her lips to allow him access and she sighed as his tongue explored her mouth, without opening her eyes she reached up and laced her fingers together behind his neck, her tongue responding greedily to his actions. Finally they parted and she opened her eyes. He presented her with the rose and placed the tray with toast and coffee across her lap as he settled back onto his own side. 'Mmmm, breakfast in bed', she exclaimed, 'thank you Joe'. He grinned his crooked smile 'it's an apology for keeping you awake all night', he explained. 'I'm sorry you got so little sleep, especially on a work night'. She sighed deeply, reality coming flooding back. 'It's not your fault baby but I certainly appreciate the gesture. Thank you honey', she said, running her hand across his neck and pulling his face close to hers. She kissed him softly but with urgency. Promising a lingering goodbye after breakfast.
It was Sunday evening before she saw him again. A trip to Florida to promote the cancer moonshot and visit military families; a visit to a school and a community center focused on supporting childcare for those in continuing education. He missed her, missed having her near him. Most days they were apart during the day anyway but just knowing he would see her in a few hours, or could pop down to her office in the East wing if he wanted, or know she was back from school and so nearby calmed him, made him feel satisfied. He hated when travel separated them, not that they weren't two perfectly capable individuals but because they were a team, partners, each other's best supporters, their other halves. He loved her so deeply and craved having her near him. She was his drug, filling his every desire, he was simply incomplete without her. Now Saturday and Sunday loomed ahead of him, an empty bed and an empty space at the dinner table. Not that he hadn't plenty to do, he needed to work on the allies response to the war and practice, practice and practice some more on his next looming task; his State of the Union Address
By Sunday evening he felt he was getting places with the speech. The State of the Union was thought of as the biggest speech the president made every year. All the networks were scheduled to carry it live so he had a chance to speak directly with millions of people across the country who wouldn't usually hear him, it was an opportunity not to be missed. His team had been working on it for months now but with just two days to go until the big event they needed to settle on the text and let him practice. All day Saturday and Sunday they tackled it, taking breaks as necessary to switch his attention to the war and then back to the address. Even as he sat in his usual pew in Holy Trinity on Saturday evening both events invaded his mind. As he sat on the polished wood, with hands settled in his lap and listened to the priest give his homily, Joe's mind drifted to the war, the suffering and devastation being unleashed. He prayed for right judgment, patience, empathy, strength, and a path towards peace. He also, a little selfishly he felt, prayed that Tuesday would go ok, he asked for eloquence to deliver his speech and for the safety of all attending, covid was still a concern but so was the so-called truckers convoy that had wrought havoc recently. He knew the law enforcement teams would be prepared but he hoped there would be no violence. In the quiet moments after communion he felt the peace settle on him. Being in church always calmed him, made him feel closer to the divine, feel that there was a plan and not just chaos. Since winning the presidency he implicitly understood that his job now was to tip the balance, to work towards right and truth no matter the cost. These days war and peace depended on his actions, his decisions, his words. He removed his rosary ring from his pocket and slipped it onto his little finger. It fit snugly, settled into the familiar crease above the joint, and he said a quick decade, praying that he was up to the task.
