the kennedy's daughter

camelot

July 31, 1964

The White House

Kate's 1st Birthday

And just like that Kate's first year was done.

Jacqueline Kate Kennedy enjoyed
• Daddy
• Her elephant
• swimming
• anything that has to do with "mommy"
• getting into anything she can get her hands on
• and running around the oval and on the front lawn

She started to walk when she was about 7 1/2 months old. At this point she was running around the White House like it was nothing.

And of course her first word was da-ddy.

Kate kept Jack on his toes at all times, but he was just happy to see her running around like a normal little girl, like nothing was wrong with her.

She had monthly visits to Georgetown, of course with Jack right there. At this point she didn't mind the routine of echo and ultrasound, she would go to sleep so much easier now than before, like she knew what was going to happen. Jack found comfort in his little bundle of joy, she was always happy, smiley, and giggly. If he was ever having a bad day he would just request to see Kate. Immediately she would run and jump in his arms, which put a huge smile on his face

Kate was starting to resemble Jackie more and more everyday. Beginning to take interest in horses, although she did love roughing around with her aunts, uncles, and cousins while playing football.

She adorned her Uncle Bobby, Grammy (Janet), Lee- Lee, and of course Gramma (Rose). They often took trips to both New York and Hyannis, Kate always enjoyed being able to see both sides of her family. And of course both sides spoiled her like she was there own.

Jack was doing ok these days, to him it seemed like the month of July trickled by so extremely slow. He celebrated two of the most important birthdays to him.

His deceased wife and his little girl.

He had to go through pain with Jackie's birthday, and then be relieved and happy with Kate's.

On the eve of Kate's first birthday, Jack watched at she seemed to cling to a picture of her mother. Now don't get this wrong, Kate at her age was very, very smart, but Jack didn't think she would grasp something like that yet. As Jack tried to take the picture away, Kate screamed.

"Da-ddy, NO!"

'I've got an idea' he thought as he scoped up Kate, putting the picture back on the mantle.

He walked up to one of the agents and whispered in his ear

"I need two red balloons ASAP"

"Yes Sir" he responded walking out of the room, talking into his chest

Soon he re-entered the room with two beautiful red balloons, already blowed up, and had string attached to them.

Jack wrote a quick message to his wife,

Hey kid,
Man, so much has happened! Kate is one now! She's beautiful Jackie, she loves to look and hug the pictures of you and me. Oh, she's so smart (I think she gets that from you!), kind, and loving. Of course she loves horses, and I'm thinking of getting her her own. She still has your deep brown eyes and my curly light brown- blond hair. Kate grasps that your her mommy, and Jackie she loves you so very much. And so do I.

Come see us soon

-Jack

Then he helped Kate write a very one year old looking "mommy", then she scribbled all over it showing her mother her love.

Each balloon held a picture of Kate earlier that day and the notes from the both of them.

They walked onto the back balcony and let the red balloons drift into the night sky. Jack held Kate as she started to wave to the balloons. The moment brought tears to his eyes, then Kate spit out what was probably her first sentence

"Love mo-mmy!"

- -

Later that night

As Jack walked around bouncing Kate on his hip trying to get her to go to sleep, she just wouldn't so he turned on his favorite record

"Each evening from December to December, before you drift to sleep upon your cot"

"Think back on all the tales that you remember of Camelot"

As the memories of him and Jackie dancing together to this song started to flood back, his eyes began to water. He walked out of his room and into Kate's to lay her down and tuck her in.

As he entered his room again he heard the record still playing,

"Don't let it be forgotten that once their was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was know as C-a"

Jack tore the record off the player, tears in his eyes, and threw it against the west wall of his room. As he slid his back down the wall of his room, he got this unbearable pain in the arch of his back, he quickly collapsed onto his side, he could hear Kate screaming for him, but he couldn't move

"DA-DDY!, DA-DDY!"

The last thing he remembered was Kate walking in, seeing him and running out of his room. Jack thought she freaked out and ran away but no. Kate went and got help, bringing in some of his agents.

One ended up taking Kate out as he screamed and yelled for her father, Jack's heart sank as he saw her fighting the agent to put her down.

"Mr. President?"

Slowly his eyelids began to close, looking at the door, waiting for Kate

This whole chapter is so random, it was supposed to be a filler but then I got ideas as I wrote so here it is🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

-finley💙