The following morning they woke up feeling refreshed and renewed. Over breakfast, the usher brought in the morning newspapers. 'Oh, look, positive coverage. I'm not sure my eyes actually believe it', Jill exclaimed.
Joe grinned as she handed him over some editions. 'I guess some foreign investments are popular', he said as he scanned the accompanying article. 'Or maybe it's my wife that's popular', he commented, handing the paper back to Jill for her to see what had caught his attention.
'Mmm, whoever said diplomacy was a waste of time obviously hadn't a clue how men operate', she said with a laugh. The article was mostly based on an interview with President Eze of South Africa lauding the investment Joe had promised and telling all in sundry that the First Lady of the United States had accepted his kind and generous invitation to visit his country and see the investments first hand.
'When can you fix a date for the trip?' Joe asked, scoping up a spoonful of his cereal, one eye still scanning the headlines.
'I hope to have the dates set by tomorrow. There's just a few things I need to check on first', she said. Thinking silently that she needed to talk to Gideon before she could finalize anything.
She took a glance at her watch. It was almost time to leave for school.
She laid her hand on his.
'What I can't do on this trip I'll make good again', she promised him, knowing that there were so many projects Joe was leading, and the G7 were investing in that she needed to be careful in her approach. Not visiting a project could be seen as a snub to another nation on the continent.
He smiled. 'Thanks babe, all kidding aside I'd love to go myself but, well, you know how precious time is', he shrugged, 'it's just not an option for me right now. But I do have a notion that we can do a big trip together, sooner rather than later', he said.
She leaned in close and kissed his cheek. 'I'd like that Mr. President' she said, thinking how wonderful it would be if she and Joe could do one of those big, busy, noisy trips together. The frantic pace, the excitement of discovering local customs and being introduced to the food of another continent, the unique atmosphere of a country, it was all such fun. Even doing so on vacation was fun but experiencing it on the scale of a presidential visit was a whole other circumstance. And to do so together. Well, those are just some of the very best times; when they could attend formal events during the day and maybe get time to slip out and just enjoy a drink together or a walk in the evening after a successful, hectic schedule. When they could stroll hand in hand with just a small team of agents and staff and just a few cameras. Those moments were incredibly special.
Seeing the deferrance with which Joe was treated when he traveled, the warmth of people who had no ax to grind, but simply wanted to meet this kind and wonderful man always made her so happy too.
Beside her Joe let her have her moment in peace as he continued to eat his cereal. He wasn't sure where her mind was gone right now but he knew she was somewhere outside the four walls of the breakfast room. He watched as she sat back in her chair and thought some more, the lines of her forehead more pronounced as she puzzled over something in her mind.
'How about I factor that in with my current plan?' she asked aloud. 'Make this a down payment trip on a longer one we both do, together?'
He smiled, guessing that she was already visualizing a second trip to Africa. 'That would be great babe, really great', he replied, warming quickly to the idea. 'I've wanted to do something like that but I haven't got the time to plan and I've gotta prioritize the war and domestic issues ...'
He stopped as she ran her hand along his shoulder, coming to rest against his face, cupping his jaw gently in her palm. Her eyes were soft, a little unfocused, like she was looking into the distance. The future, perhaps.
