by Marie Force
“Holy moly,” Sam said, her mind spinning. “In all my years of living a few blocks from here, I’ve never given much thought to what goes into running this place.”
“You’ll find the staff is a well-oiled machine made up of wonderful people, many of them like Roland, the second or third generation of their family to work here. Many will become lifelong friends to your family.” She gestured to a small kitchen. “This is the family kitchen Jacqueline Kennedy had installed so the family could cook for themselves if they so desired. She also established this dining room on the residence level and is largely credited with making the residence feel more like a home. The old family dining room is tucked in next to the State Dining Room downstairs. There are sixteen rooms and six bathrooms on this floor as well as twenty rooms and nine more bathrooms on the third floor, all of which are for your use, along with a wet bar and second kitchen on the third floor.”
“After hearing that, Sam, aren’t you glad the residence comes with a staff?” Angela asked.
“For sure,” Sam said. “All the houses I’ve ever lived in could fit into the two floors we’ll live in here.”
“People are always amazed by how much bigger the White House is than it appears from the outside. I should warn you that you’ll receive a grocery bill at the end of every month, to cover your family’s needs as well as any personal entertaining you may do.”
“That’s good to know.”
“People don’t realize that the first family pays for their own food.” As Gloria opened a door, Sam was aware of the photographer following them to document the moment for history. “This will be your bedroom.”
Sam stepped into the spacious room that included a huge four-poster bed, a sitting area and a fireplace. “This is beautiful.”
“You’ll be welcome to redecorate the residence to your taste. The chief usher will help you with that as well as redecorating the Oval Office in conjunction with the director of Oval Office Operations.”
Sam gulped at the thought of redecorating. That was so not her thing. “Nick is better at that stuff than I am. Since he won’t have anything better to do, I’ll put him in charge of that.”
The others laughed as Gloria showed them bedrooms that would work for Scotty, Eli and the twins and then led them to another room at the end of the hallway. “This is the famous Lincoln Bedroom, which was actually President Lincoln’s office when he was president. Presidents have lived in the White House through moments of great personal celebration, including the weddings of children, and great tragedy, such as when the Lincolns lost their son Willie to typhoid fever at the age of eleven. He died in that very bed, although it wasn’t in this room at that time.”
“That’s so sad,” Tracy said.
“It’s believed that he—and his brother, who survived—contracted typhoid from the contaminated water in the White House,” Gloria said.
“Oh God, that’s awful,” Sam said.
“Things have come a long way since then.” Gloria showed them the famous Truman Balcony before leading them to another flight of stairs. “I want you to see the solarium on the third floor.”
As they followed her up the stairs, Sam thought about the house parties they could host for family and friends with all those bedrooms and bathrooms and a wonderful staff to handle the cooking.
“This is one of my favorite rooms in the house,” Gloria said of the solarium that boasted a sweeping view of Washington. “It has an amazing history—it was FDR’s favorite place to take a lunch break. President Eisenhower liked to have barbecues on the parapet. It also served as Caroline Kennedy’s preschool and the Bush twins’ high school hangout. We had some of our best times as a family here.”
“This is incredible.” Angela moved to the wall of windows to take in the view. “I had no idea this was even here.”
“It’s a hidden gem.” Gloria cast a wistful glance around the room, probably thinking of happier times. “We’ll take the elevator down to the main floor.”
Over the next half hour, they toured the public spaces, which included the Red, Green and Blue Rooms, the East Room and the State Dining Room. Then they went down another floor, where Sam met chefs, florists, calligraphers and other staffers whose names flew by in a whirlwind. Gloria knew every one of them by name and asked after their families and parents. She was obviously well loved by the staff, some of whom were emotional as they expressed their condolences to her.
Sam couldn’t help but wonder what the staff would think of her. It was probably better not to speculate about that. Their tour ended in the office of the chief usher, Gideon Lawson, a handsome man of about forty-five years old, who stood to greet her with a warm handshake.
“Gideon is basically the general manager of the entire White House,” Gloria said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He had short-cropped light blond hair and kind brown eyes that twinkled when he smiled.
“Gideon will be your very best friend in this place,” Gloria said. “He knows everything about everything and can get anything done on a moment’s notice. He’s your go-to guy for all things White House.”
“You flatter me, ma’am,” Gideon said with obvious affection for the outgoing first lady.
“I’ll try not to make your life too difficult,” Sam said.
“Nonsense,” Gideon said. “My job is to make your life as easy as possible.”
“She’s a handful,” Tracy said bluntly. “You’ll have your job cut out for you.”
Gideon laughed. “Thank you for the warning, ma’am, but I’ve heard only good things about your sister and brother-in-law.” To Sam, he said, “My staff and I are ready to welcome your family to the White House. It’ll be the first time in many years that we’ve had young children in residence. Everyone is looking forward to that.”
“The kids are excited about the bowling alley, the pool and the movie theater,” Sam said.
“We’ll make sure all three are ready for them. Your husband has already spoken with us about procuring a play set for the South Lawn for the little ones.”
Touched to hear that, Sam said, “Why am I not surprised? He thinks of everything.”
“We’ll be reaching out this week to finalize the plans for your move.” Gideon handed her his business card and a file folder. “That’s a copy of the in-depth questionnaire we ask all incoming families to complete so we can have what you need ready for you. It covers everything from your preferred shampoo to food choices and sizes for new bowling shoes for each family member. The sooner we can get that information, the faster we can get busy preparing for your arrival.”
“I’ll get it right back to you,” Sam said, handing it to Tracy.
“She means that one of us will get it back to you,” Tracy said.
Gideon laughed. “Whatever works for you works for us. We’d also love to have a collection of family photos we can use to decorate the residence.”
“We can take care of that too,” Angela said.
He handed business cards to Tracy and Angela. “In the meantime, we’re at your service. Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns you may have.”
“Thank you, Gideon,” Sam said. “I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise, ma’am. Say the word, and I’ll have staff assigned to packing up your current home to prepare for the move.”
“I can do that? Just say the word and make that happen?”
“Yes, ma’am. You’re the first lady. We work for you.”
“Let me speak to Nick… er, the president, about that and get back to you tomorrow.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
Gideon escorted them to yet another room on the main floor. “This is called the Vermeil Room, or the gold room.” He gestured for them to go into the room where Gloria waited for them.
A staffer materialized with a gift bag that she gave to Gloria. “Thank you, Ariana.” Gloria handed the bag to Sam. “This is for you. I’ve
included some of my favorite books about the White House as well as a guestbook. You’ll have a lot of visitors while you’re here. You’ll want to record them all for history.”
“Thank you so much for the gifts, the generosity, the information and, most of all, for the gracious example you’ve set for me and everyone who will follow us both,” Sam said. “I appreciate your willingness to help me during this difficult time for you and your family.”
“It’s been a pleasure to have you and to get to know you and your husband over the last year. My door is always open to you and the president if I can be of service to you. I included my contact information in the bag.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Nelson.”
“Please, call me Gloria. We’re members of a very small club, and we have to stick together.”
Sam hugged her. “I too will wish for all the best for you and your family.”
“I’ll pray for your every success.”
“Before we go, I wondered if I might leave a gift for Nick in his new office.”
“I can help with that,” Gideon said. “Right this way.”
“Thank you again,” Sam said to Gloria before she, her sisters and Lilia followed Gideon to the West Wing. She realized she was taking the route Nick would travel each day to go to work.
“Nick is lucky he gets to walk to work,” Angela said, echoing Sam’s thoughts.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Previous presidents have referred to it as ‘living above the store,’” Gideon said. “Many presidents would tell you that working and living in the White House is good for families that are accustomed to spending a lot of time apart during campaigns or when separated by other offices.”
“We haven’t spent much time apart,” Sam said, “but I can definitely see the benefit of living above the store.”
“I believe you’ll find your husband will be more readily available to his family than he was as vice president,” Gideon said.
That might be true, Sam thought, but will I be less available to them? Ugh, that would suck.
When they walked into the West Wing, Sam noted it was more subdued than it had been when she’d visited in the past, probably due to the president’s death and the transition currently under way. Plus, it was Sunday on a holiday weekend.
Even the desks outside the president’s office were vacant. “What happens to all the people who worked for President Nelson?”
“A few will remain to work with President Cappuano, but most of them will be looking for new positions,” Gideon said. To the Secret Service agent positioned outside the Oval Office, Gideon said, “Mrs. Cappuano would like to leave a gift for her husband in his office.”
The agent nodded and opened the door for Sam. “I’ll be right out,” she said to her sisters, wanting to take this mission on her own. Inside the Oval Office, Sam noticed that President Nelson’s personal effects had already been removed to make way for the new president and his belongings.
Sam went around the Resolute desk, which she’d once done a report about in a high school history class, never dreaming that her husband might one day be the temporary custodian of the desk, the office and the people’s house. She sat in his seat and took in the majesty of the most powerful office in the world, letting it settle on her that this was really Nick’s office and their home for the next three years. Would they be here longer than that? If someone asked him that today, he’d say no way. In a year or two, he might feel differently, and she was prepared to support him, no matter which path he took.
She withdrew the silver-framed photo they’d taken on Thanksgiving with Scotty, Elijah and the twins, the first photo of them as a family, which she’d asked Tracy to have printed and framed for her so it could be the first photo to grace President Cappuano’s desk. She placed the photo on the desktop and then opened a drawer to find a piece of paper. The only paper in the drawer had the Office of the President of the United States of America embossed in gold at the top along with the presidential seal.
Hoping he wouldn’t mind if she borrowed a piece, she grabbed a pen from her bag and wrote him a note.
Dear Nick, We love you so much and we’re so, so proud of you. Love, Sam, Scotty, Elijah, Alden and Aubrey.
On a second sheet of paper, she wrote, Sam loves Nick, and drew a heart around the words. She folded it in half and tucked it into the top drawer. Then, since there was nothing else she could mess with on the pristine desktop, she got busy moving around the few other things he’d already put in the drawers, making sure he’d know she’d been there. She smiled as she imagined him discovering her handiwork. She’d messed with all his previous desks, so she had to keep the tradition alive.
It was important, she knew, to keep it real between them going forward and to take Mrs. Nelson’s wise advice not to get so caught up in their new roles that they lost track of what was truly important. She also couldn’t wait to tell him they had plenty of bedrooms to use as a makeshift loft in their new home.
After taking another long look around the room that would be Nick’s office for the next three years, Sam went to rejoin her sisters in the reception area. To Vernon, she said, “Would it be possible to make a stop on the way home?”
“Of course, ma’am. Just let us know where you’d like to go.”
“Let me check to see if she’s home.” Sam sent a text to Shelby. Could I stop by for a minute to talk to you about something?
Oh lord, I’m a mess and so is my house.
Stop it. We both know your definition of mess and mine are two very different things.
Haha. We’re here. Come on by.
Will be there in a few.
Sam gave Shelby’s address in Adams Morgan to Vernon. “It’s the home of FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Avery Hill,” Sam told him.
“That’s good to know, ma’am. Thank you.”
Sam hugged Lilia. “Thanks for coming in to be here with me for this.”
“It was a pleasure. I hope you enjoyed the tour.”
“I’m dazzled and overwhelmed.”
“Don’t be. You’ve got this. We’ve got this.”
“I’m a thousand times more confident that’s true because you’re here to make it so. If I forget to say so later, thank you for what you’re going to do for me over the next three years.”
“I’m honored to serve you and your family.” She leaned in to whisper, “Are you going to ask Shelby to be your social secretary?”
“How’d you guess?”
“She’d be perfect.”
“She would indeed. It’s just a matter of whether she wants the job when she’s going to be juggling two little ones before much longer.”
“If anyone can find a way to make that work, she can.”
“I’m glad you agree. I’ll let you know what she says. Now go home to your handsome doctor and give him my love.”
Lilia blushed at the mention of Harry. “I’ll do that.”
Sam followed Tracy and Angela into the black SUV and buckled in for the short ride to Shelby’s.
“That was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done,” Angela said. “Thank you for asking us to come with you.”
“I agree,” Tracy said. “It was awesome.”
“Thank you for coming. I want you guys to be by my side through all of this.”
“Where else would we be?” Tracy asked.
Sam was saved from having to give an emotional response to her sisters’ outpouring when her phone rang with a call from Freddie.
“Hey,” she said. “What’s up?”
“I was expecting to have to leave a message.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. You’ve got me in the flesh.”
“Ew. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that one of Gonzo’s informants led us to Evans’s known associates. We’ve rounded them up and have them all in custody. We have Byron Tomlinson lined up to get DNA from all of them.”
“That’s great work, you guys,” Sam said, wishing she c
ould’ve been there with them.
“Another very interesting thing is that one of them was at Ballou High School with Calvin Worthington.”
Sam nearly stopped breathing when she heard that. “Is that right?”
“I recognized his name from a search I did of kids he went to school with who were in trouble before or after Calvin was killed.”
“That’s good thinking and very interesting indeed,” Sam said. “In the morning, let’s dig into that and see if he knew Calvin. Good work, Cruz. And tell Gonzo I said the same to him.”
“Will do. We’re waiting until they’re processed, and then we’re punching out for the day.”
“See you in the morning.”
“Later.”
She closed her phone with a satisfying slap. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day. We’ve got all five of the men who gang-raped a woman last night and murdered her boyfriend.”
“Jeez,” Angela said on a low whisper.
Sam glanced at Tracy, regretting the way she’d dropped that bomb in the middle of their good time. “I’m sorry, Trace. I wasn’t thinking.” Just over a year ago, Tracy’s daughter Brooke had been the victim of a similar attack.
“It’s okay,” Tracy said with a small smile. “She’s doing great now, and that’s what matters.”
“These things are so routine to me that I almost become numb to them,” Sam said. “I’m sorry to be insensitive.”
“Don’t worry about it, Sam. Really. I know it’s your job to deal with stuff like that all the time, and I often wonder how you can stand it.”
“The numbness helps, but it also makes me a clod at times.”
“Let it go. I totally understand. Really, I do.”
They pulled up to Shelby and Avery’s townhouse a few minutes later. “Come with me,” Sam said.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The sisters went up the stairs to the door, where Avery waited to let them in.
“I come bearing friends,” Sam said.