Cassidy smiled and shook her head. “She’s amazing.”
Jameson grinned. “Yeah. She said you wrote it, though.”
“No one writes Candace’s speeches. I just tailor them, help her find the words she seeks that help her stay on track.” Cassidy chuckled. “Besides, she never sticks to the script.”
Jameson laughed. She knew that was true. Candace always deviated, if only slightly. Jameson had heard Dana comment that Candace had an uncanny ability to read the emotion of a crowd. She knew when a message needed to be expounded upon and when it needed to be vacated. Candace had told Jameson that Cassidy was a master of setting the stage for what could be deemed Death by the Doldrums. Jameson had been confused. Candace had explained:
“She knows how to set the stage,” Candace said. “How to hook people so that facts and figures sound more like pie in the sky ideals. Facts and figures—thoughtful and decisive action are what makes great leaders, Jameson. That’s not what wins an election. Cassidy understands that better than any speech writer I’ve ever worked with.”
“Are you worried about this speech?”
“Worried isn’t the word I would use.”
“Aware,” Jameson mumbled.
“What?” Cassidy asked.
Jameson shook her head. “Just realizing what you meant earlier,” she said. She looked back out at Candace. “Did she?” Jameson asked Cassidy.
“What?”
“Go off script already?”
“Only a little.” Cassidy winked. “And, it was better than what I’d written.”
Jameson nodded. Show them, Candace. Show them who belongs in that White House.
***
“Great speech,” Dana complimented Candace.
“It was; wasn’t it?” Candace smiled. She walked side by side down a long corridor with Dana. “I can’t take the credit for this one. Cassidy wrote most of it.”
Dana nodded.
“Oh boy, I know that look,” Candace said.
Dana sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Candace asked.
“Glenn called.”
Candace raised an eyebrow at her friend.
Dana sighed again. “Keyes gave an interview to Talk on the Nation. It airs tomorrow.”
“And?” Candace asked.
“Glenn got a transcript.”
“Go on.”
“He’s echoing the Republican claims.”
“Which ones? Candace asked.
“That you have been at this so long you have no ability to think outside the box. You are the party’s flunkey.” Dana was surprised when Candace greeted her news with laughter. “You’re amused?” she questioned.
“You’re not?” Candace returned. “George has been in Democratic politics as long as I have.”
“Yes, but…”
“It’s nonsense. He’s seldom broken with the party line on anything. You know that as well as anyone.”
“Doesn’t matter what I know. He’s trying to knock you out of this race.”
Candace smiled.
“Candy, he’s gaining some momentum.”
“Of course, he is.”
“Glenn is…”
“It’s Glenn’s job to worry about that.”
“You’re not concerned?” Dana asked.
Candace took a deep breath and turned to Dana. “Concerned? Yes. Not surprised. What did you all think? That George Keyes was going to enter a presidential race and not try to win?”
“He’s not the most popular figure in the party.”
“And, that is what will benefit him.” Candace started walking again.
“Candy, he might not cut into the most liberal part of the base; he will pull some of the centrists away from you.”
“I would expect so.”
“What are you going to do?” Dana asked. “Glenn and I will work the press, rework your schedule. I talked to Shell; she has some great ideas…”
“I’ve no doubt.”
“But ultimately it’s up to you.”
“Yes, it is.”
“The first debate is a values debate, Candy.”
“And?”
“You know as well as I do that he is going to gently exploit who you are.”
Candace shrugged.
“Candy? We need to plan your response. It’s only four weeks away.”
“I don’t need to plan my response to him or to the moderator.”
Dana shook her head. Candace was an adept orator. She was quick witted and possessed a command of nearly any issue a journalist or moderator could raise. This debate would be about the values that a president brings to the office. Dana fully expected that Candace’s family would be raised and that her support of liberal social issues would factor. Candace might be able to secure the nomination solely on the excitement of progressives in her party. She would need the support of moderates to win the general. “Candy…”
Candace stopped again and turned to Dana. She smiled. “It’s funny; isn’t it?”
“What’s that?”
“Well, Senator Keyes and the Republican field are all trying to paint me as the establishment candidate—the insider who votes according to what her party dictates, the career politician who puts the money of donors first in how she votes, in what legislation she puts forth.”
“That’s funny?”
Candace shrugged. “At the same time, you’re worried about them attacking what sets me apart. I’m too progressive; right?” Candace laughed. “So, establishment is predictable and progressive is reprehensible?” She shook her head.
“I know that I should be following this…”
“It’s their Achilles heel.”
“Huh?”
“Playing both sides,” Candace explained. “It’s how I will win.”
“I’m not following.”
“They think they know who I am,” Candace said. “They might even believe they know what I know. They don’t. Let them paint with whatever colors they choose, Dana. Stick to what we’ve always done. I’ll talk to Glenn.”
“Candy, this election is not like anything…”
Candace nodded. “I know. You need to trust me, Dana. It’s going to get much uglier.”
“And, you are determined to stay out of the mud.”
Candace chuckled. She’d already had heaps of mud thrown at her. “You mean that I’m determined not to fling any.”
“I do.”
Candace grinned.
“Candy?”
“Let’s just say that if and when I do, it will be more than a handful. And, it won’t just stick; it’ll stain.”
Dana was surprised. Candace did not like to fight dirty. “Candy?”
“This isn’t just the biggest race of my life,” Candace said. “A lot is at stake, Dana. What I talked about up on that stage? That’s the tip of the iceberg. I’m hardly perfect. One thing I do know, a careless captain is likely to sink us all.”
Dana noted the seriousness of Candace’s voice.
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to win this,” Candace said.
Dana’s eyes widened.
Candace smiled. “Within reason,” Candace clarified. “I have to be able to look at my kids without guilt,” she said. “I have to be able to face myself in the mirror. If I don’t give this everything I have, I’m not sure I will be able to do either.”
“You believe everything you said up there; don’t you?” Dana guessed.
Candace nodded. “Every single word—yes.”
***
Christmas Eve
“Momma?” Cooper jumped in front of Jameson.
Jameson smiled. Cooper was a bundle of excitement. “What’s up, Coop?”
“Where’s Jonah?”
“Oh, buddy, Laura isn’t feeling so great,” she explained. Laura was almost two weeks late delivering what would be the newest addition to the family. She was slated to be induced the day after Christmas if she didn’t go into labor by then. Jonah had called that morning a
nd told Jameson that Laura wasn’t up to even a short drive. She was exhausted. Jameson was sure that Cooper was disappointed.
“Oh.” Cooper hung his head.
“But, you know,” Jameson said. “We can Facetime Jonah and Laura after we eat if you want?”
“Really?”
“Sure.”
“Jonah said he’d help me and Spence with Santa.”
“What’s this about Santa?” Candace came into the room.
Cooper smiled at his mother. “Dylan told me to feed the reindeer,” he said. “He said they have… ummm…. Sway with Santa.”
Candace laughed. Cooper had spent the afternoon of Candace’s speech with Alex and Cassidy’s son, Dylan. He hadn’t stopped talking about the teenager since. When Candace stopped to think about it, Cooper had been talking about the trip to Connecticut incessantly. In fact, she’d heard him telling Spencer that Dylan had the coolest planes and that he was going to fly one someday. She wasn’t surprised to hear that Cooper had told his older brother about Dylan’s reindeer theory. She was even less surprised that Jonah had offered to help. “Well, I will bet that if you ask Scott, he will help you and Spencer feed the reindeer. There’s a whole bag of carrots in the refrigerator. Ask Marianne; she knows where they are.”
Cooper scampered off happily.
“What is that grin about?” Jameson asked Candace.
“When Jonah was little, I think he was about Cooper’s age he fed the reindeer every year until he was ten.” She shook her head. “He made me buy a whole bag of carrots every year just to feed the reindeer.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ve always kept a bag thinking Spencer would follow suit one day.”
Jameson smiled. “Dylan made an impression on him.”
“He did. They have a lot in common, those two.”
“I guess they do,” Jameson agreed.
Cooper and Spencer shared a special kinship. They had both lost a parent, and they both had found solace in the care of Candace and Jameson. Dylan, much like Cooper, had lost his father and ended up being raised by two mothers. Candace was certain that far beyond the fact that Dylan was John Merrow’s biological son, Cassidy had recognized the similarities the two shared. Cassidy’s public persona had diminished over the years, but it had never completely vanished. People remembered the affable school teacher who had charmed the masses. For years, the Democratic party had groomed Cassidy’s ex-husband, Christopher O’Brien for higher office. He had ended up an embarrassment to the party. Cassidy had suffered some of the fallout as well. Overall, public perception of Cassidy Toles had remained positive. So positive, Candace knew that on more than one occasion Cassidy had been approached about entering political life. That was not Cassidy’s passion nor her aspiration. Candace was grateful for her friendship with Cassidy. While she valued Cassidy as a professional resource, it was Cassidy’s perspective that Candace cherished the most. Cassidy had become more than a friend, she’d become an adviser, and not just about speeches.
“Candace?” Jameson pulled Candace from her thoughts.
“I was just thinking how lucky Cooper is to have so many people supporting him.”
Jameson nodded. “He is.” She looked at Candace curiously. “You’ve been quiet all day. Is something bothering you?”
Candace smiled. “No.”
Jameson was skeptical.
“No,” Candace promised. “I was just thinking that in a week the world is going to start spinning in a million directions.”
“Worried about the debate?”
“Not worried.”
“Aware?” Jameson asked.
“That’s a good way to describe it.” Candace took Jameson’s hand. “For the next two days, I don’t want to think about the campaign. I don’t want to watch the news or look at a paper,” she said. “I just want to enjoy Christmas with the kids. I admit, I wish Jonah could be here.”
“Me too,” Jameson said.
“Mom!” Shell’s voice rang through the house.
Candace shook her head.
“Do you think she’ll still be doing that when she has two of her own?”
Candace raised an eyebrow.
“Never mind,” Jameson said.
“Mom,” Michelle peeked around the corner. “You have got to come out here and see this.”
Candace looked at Jameson. Jameson shrugged. They followed Michelle to the back door.
“What are they doing?” Jameson asked.
“Apparently, Dylan said Coop should leave Rudolph a message,” Marianne offered as she came in the door from outside.
“Do I want to know?” Candace asked.
Marianne laughed. “Let’s just say your bag of carrots didn’t cover it.”
Candace and Jameson exchanged a confused glance and walked to the back door.
“Is that my asparagus?” Jameson asked.
Candace tried not to laugh; about the only green anything Jameson would eat was asparagus.
“They needed to spell all the words,” Marianne said.
“Who gave them my asparagus?” Jameson asked.
Michelle looked away.
“Shell! You could’ve suggested sticks or something,” Jameson complained.
Michelle turned to Jameson. “It’s for the reindeer, JD. They don’t eat sticks.”
“What? They’re four and five; they don’t know that!”
“So, you wanted me to lie to your son and grandson?”
“Yes!”
“JD, that shit is nasty.”
“It’s my asparagus!”
“You mean your a sprig of ass?” Michelle teased.
Candace lost all hope of keeping it together and burst out laughing.
“Big help you are,” Jameson groaned.
Candace tried to make herself be serious. She looked at Jameson and lost all hope again. “I’m sorry,” she apologized through her laughter.
“Just what did they need to spell that was so important?” Jameson asked.
Marianne smiled. She pointed out the door.
“It’s 4:30, Marianne. I have no idea what that says,” Jameson pointed outside into the darkness.
“It says, don’t forget my mommies,” Scott said when he walked into the kitchen.
Jameson’s jaw dropped at the same moment her heart stopped. “Who needs asparagus,” she said, pushing back a wave of emotion.
Candace slipped her arm around Jameson. “He really is something,” she said.
“Mommy!” Cooper burst in through the back door.
Candace smiled at him.
Cooper grabbed both his mothers’ hands. “Look!”
“I see,” Candace said.
“Dylan said he used to spell his name so Santa could find him,” Cooper said.
“But you didn’t spell your name?” Jameson questioned.
Cooper looked up at her and smiled. “Momma, Santa knows where I am.”
Jameson was puzzled.
“He always finds me,” Cooper explained.
Candace understood. Cooper might have had a rough beginning. It was clear to her that no matter what it might have been, Cooper’s mother had always made sure Santa brought him something. “Of course, he does,” Candace said.
Cooper beamed. “He knows where kids are,” Cooper said. “But sometimes he might forget about the old people.” Cooper grinned and skipped back out the door toward Spencer who was playing in the snow.
Michelle looked at her mother and Jameson and gloated. “Well, now we know how Santa finds all his grannies.”
Jameson glared at Michelle. Candace burst out laughing again. Jameson finally gave up and laughed along. “Grannies?” she asked Michelle.
Michelle patted her stomach and winked. “Six times over before you know it,” she said. “Come on, Mel.”
“Where are we going?” Melanie asked.
“I think there’s still a bunch of asparagus in the fridge. Maybe we should tell the boys to cover the front yard just to be safe.
”
“You wouldn’t!” Jameson called after her.
Candace shook her head. Lunatics.
***
“Momma?” Cooper pulled on Jameson’s hand just as she was about to leave his bedroom.
“What is it, Coop?”
Cooper reached over the side of his bed and fumbled for something. Jameson was surprised when he handed her a picture he had drawn. Jameson looked at it. It was his rendition of the three of them. They were, of course, surrounded by what Jameson surmised to be dinosaurs.
“This is beautiful, Coop. What’s it for?” she asked him.
“It’s for you and Mommy,” he told her. “Just in case Santa forgets.”
Jameson sat down on the edge of Cooper’s bed. “Cooper, Santa won’t forget me or Mommy. Don’t worry.”
Cooper smiled, but Jameson sensed he was concerned.
“And, you know,” Jameson looked at her son. “Mommy and I already got the best present anyone could ever give us. Not even Santa could deliver a better present,” she said.
Candace hovered in the doorway and listened.
“The new car?” he asked innocently.
Jameson grinned. She and Candace had just purchased a new SUV, although Jameson doubted either of them would get to use it much for the next few years. “It is a cool car.”
“Yep. It has TV!”
Jameson chuckled. “Yes, it does. But I didn’t mean the car,” she said.
Cooper tilted his head curiously.
“I meant you,” she told him.
“I’m not a present,” he giggled.
Candace stepped into the room. “Momma’s right.” She came up and sat beside Jameson. “You are the best present we could ever ask for.”
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