𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 ℂ𝕒𝕟'𝕥 𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪 •𝕁𝔽𝕂•

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 7 - ꜱᴀᴜᴄᴇʀ ᴍᴀɢɴᴏʟɪᴀ

A week had passed since my stay at the White House had begun and it had been four days since I had seen or heard from John Kennedy. All I did was stay in my room, reading books from the White House library where I found countless books that I had been yearning to read, I even managed to find the first editions of a few of my favourites. If I wasn't reading, I often found myself walking around the White House in the massive South lawn, staring at the pale blue sky spread out like a vast ocean, giving a shape to the clouds in my head.

But the only place that I found deep solace in was the Rose Garden that bordered the Oval Office and the West Wing. When I had first arrived at the White House, I had been told not to go near the Oval office or the Rose Garden unless the President had requested my presence but now, one week into my stay at the White House, I wasn't sure why nobody even stopped me from going through the Oval Office Hallway into the Rose Garden anymore.

Holding my easel in one hand and my paint kit in the other hand, I , as usual, found my way through to the Rose Garden without being stopped. I would not deny how much this bothered me secretly. I took position just in front of a massive, beautiful saucer magnolia standing tall against the backdrop of the off white pearly side of the Oval Office. I slid out of my pumps and sat down on the grass, feeling the softness on the pads of my feet.

I usually let my hair loose against my shoulders but since I was in a creative mood today, I messily pulled my hair into an unkempt bun, very unlike the upper class ladies and their prim and proper looks. But the truth was, I didn't care. I placed my shallow heighted easel in front of me and placed my pallette of colours beside me.

Surprisingly, today was a warm morning for the month of January in Washington for the sun was shining brightly over my head which made my blood feel tingly warm and pleasant. I kept working at trying to replicate the beauty of the magnolia tree in front of my eyes for an hour without any disturbance or hindrance.

Just then, the door of the Oval Office opened and I heard the sound of shoes flapping against the concrete mixed with the momentary  sound of leaves getting crushed under somebody's feet. I also heard the chuckles of children and the childish giggles erupting from their mouths.

I closed my eyes and inwardly kept hoping that I wouldn't be spotted but I very well knew who the intruders of my peaceful place were, the First family. I had barely managed to open my eyes again when I heard a gasp behind me and Caroline rushed over to me and started gawking at my nearly completed painting.

"Did you paint this, Miss?" She turned to me, amazed, her blue eyes pushed open so wide, her eyes appeared to look big and round.

I gave her a sweet smile and nodded.

"Can you please teach me how to paint too?" She said, giving me the puppy dog eyes which I wasn't sure if I would be able to resist.

"Miss Caroline,I think you don't need to be taught anything about painting, you are already excelling at it." I said.

"You think? Miss, come on–" She abruptly stopped talking and threw out her hand towards me and I just kept staring at her in confusion until she spoke again, " – I want to take you to my room! To show you my paintings!" She said excitedly.

"Caroline" The hypnotizing Bostonian voice called from behind me, forcing me and Caroline to abruptly turn around. The President was standing behind us, his face devoid of the usual tension I saw him with, replaced with a carefree, wrinkle free forehead and a soft smile playing on his lips. "John wants to play hide and seek. Go find him before he decides to uproot some of my most favourite flowers." I forced myself to look away from his perfectly chiseled arms that were clearly visible due to his rolled up sleeves and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck.