He'd been up early, hit the gym, showered, and dressed.
She was still asleep.
He watched her for a moment as he knotted his tie. Curled on her side, hands together tucked under her chin, blond hair spilling across the pillow she was breathing deeply, at rest, at peace. He checked his watch, dropped his airpods in their case and left them to charge on his side table, picked up his phone, tapped a message confirming he'd do the daily brief now. He locked the phone, threw on his suit coat, slipped his phone into the pocket. The urge to kiss her was so strong but he didn't want to disturb her. Instead he blew a kiss in her direction. 'Be back soon', he whispered, 'love you'.
Quietly he opened the door of their bedroom on his return.
Almost an hour has passed.
She had turned.
Was in a lighter sleep, her breathing not so deep. He smiled, just looking at her from across the room took his breath away. He slipped off his jacket, laid it across a chair on his way to her side. He sat on the bed, reached across and laid his hand atop the linen and leaned down to touch his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. She murmured softly in her sleep.
He kissed her again. She inhaled deeply. Beginning to come through the last layers of sleep he watched her eyelids flutter, her eyes open. Clouded by the fog of sleep she closed them briefly again before fixing the blue pools of light on him.
She registered his presence.
He saw it happen in her eyes. The crinkle at the edges as her mouth realigned into a smile. Lines rippled across her forehead as she raised her eyebrows in a laugh, the sound felt like a blanket wrapping around his whole body, his whole self. Warmth and love and complete acceptance of him and all of his glitches, his inadequacies.
To her, he was perfect.
To him, she was perfect.
Together they were pretty darn perfect.
He smiled playfully at her, slowly moved his hand from the bed and gently brushed her curls back from her face. He leaned down, kissed her again.
This time she responded.
Wholeheartedly.
They broke away, grinned at each other.
'Good morning gorgeous', he said, brushing his fingers so gently down her cheek. Her smile lit up her whole face, the whole room. 'Good morning handsome', she replied, followed by a giggle. 'Did you sleep ok?' she asked him, rubbing her finger across her nose, catching some lint from the sheets that was tickling her skin.
He nodded.
'I did! I got up early, worked out, I've had my briefing and I'm ready for the day', he exclaimed.
'Are you going down now? What time is it?' she asked, running her questions together. '8.00am. I thought we'd have breakfast together before I'd go?' It was posed as a question and she smiled. 'That would be lovely honey', she said, reaching out and resting her hand on his shoulder.
And it was.
Afterwards they hugged, kissed, wished each other a good day and then kept in touch via texts and notes passed from staffers. The day passed in a whirlwind. The State dinner looming at the end.
Now, standing outside the North Portico, awaiting their guests he held out his hand and she took it gladly. It was a little chilly but there was so much energy, so much excitement in the air, fizzing all round them that she didn't feel it.
He had told her fifty times how beautiful she looked, how much he adored her, loved her, and would look after her tonight.
'I'm ok. Honestly Joe', she said as they were about to leave the residence. 'Knowing that we did something, that I spoke up, that something positive will come from the situation, has already, that's empowering. Knowing that, in spite of what he tried to do I will walk out there, hand in hand with my husband. Will take my place representing our nation and not be the victim he wanted me to be. That's enough for me tonight'.
His eyes glistened.
God she was amazing. Always ready to fight back. Unwilling to accept injustices, never backing down from a fight. How the hell had he ever gotten so lucky he asked himself again.
He leaned down a little. 'Ok, I'll accept that', he said with a wry smile. 'But I will be keeping an extra eye on you and just tell me if it's becoming too much ok?' She looked up into his eyes. 'Ok. Deal', she agreed. 'Let's seal it with a kiss', she suggested and, slipping her hand along his neck they kissed in the corridor before they left home.
Now as they waited on the steps for the Macron's to arrive they could hear shouting and cheering. It carried over the fence from the public area outside the gates and so they couldn't really figure what was happening.
'What are they saying?' Jill asked. Joe listened more intently, there appeared to be a rhythm, it seemed familiar.
He smiled.
Called across to the press pool. 'Are they chanting for my wife?' 'Yes sir!' they replied. Elevated on a platform the press corp had both an uninhibited view and no interruption of sound.
Joe turned his body towards her, slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. The camera flashed popped in a dizzying dance of spots.
'They're calling for you', he told her. 'Can you hear it?' She frowned, turned her head slightly, still wasn't sure. 'They're chanting Dr. B, Dr. B', he told her, unable to keep the huge grin off his face as realization dawned on hers.
'Oh gosh', she whispered. 'What do I do?'
'Wave at the cameras. It's being shown in the park, that must be where they are'.
She nibbled her lip, a little unsure, she raised her hand to the cameras and waved, the cheering came in waves towards them. She laughed out loud. Moments later a ripple of accompanying laughter rumbled up to them. She blew a kiss and held her hands out in thanks.
'Thank you. Thank you but you're the real fighters. Please come forward if you have a similar experience. If you're struggling please don't struggle alone. Reach out for help', she appealed to the people gathered, to the people watching across the country, across the world.
Applause, cheers, chanting, laughter was carried toward them on a wave of silent tears, of pain and fear and rejection.
They both waved.
'We've got your back', the president said aloud. 'We want to hear your voice'.
And the people listened.
Help lines were inundated that night and for days afterward. So many people choose to reach out, to tell their stories, not so afraid now, not so alone because they had an advocate in the White House, a role model.
They had a friend.
Two friends.
To be continued ...
