I'll Cover You

by A. C. Grey

  “Goodbye, Emmaline. I love you and just want to protect you. You know that, right?”

  “I do. I love you too, Daddy. I’ll talk to you soon.” With that, Emmy hung up the phone and began to ponder how to tell the President of the United States that her father was demanding an audience with her . . . on his own timetable. She smiled slightly and shook her head. Only Stephen Harris would be that unfazed by Kate’s position of importance.

  * * * * *

  Kate was overwhelmed. She was exhausted. She was exhilarated. The combination of the stress and the inundation of inquiries, phone calls, and meetings had left her stripped bare, raw with little energy left to give. Yet at the same time, she was over the moon. She’d finally come clean. No more hiding in the shadows, no more pretending to be something or someone she wasn’t. She could finally be open about how she felt about Emmy, which was the best part of all. She knew now, without a doubt, that Emmaline Harris was the love of her life. She also knew that she’d do anything for Emmy; sacrifice anything for her, so long as it made Emmy’s life better. To hell with any consequences.

  Beth strode into the room, her usual no nonsense attitude in place. Kate looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak.

  “So, as expected, many in conservative circles are outraged, calling for you to resign. Even some talk of impeachment . . .”

  Kate shook her head, trying not to get angry, as she cut off Beth. It never ceased to amaze her how blindly judgmental some people could be. “To hell with them.” She said, fiery passion bubbling beneath her skin. “Let them be outraged. I won’t go down without a fight. And impeachment? Please. On what grounds? I’ve broken no laws . . . apart from maybe ones in their own bigoted minds. I’ve done nothing wrong. I swore to the American people that I’d do my damned best to make their country a better place, to uphold the Constitution, to protect the rights of all citizens. I intend to do that. If the American public doesn’t want me or isn’t ready for a gay President, they can vote me out next election . . . though I’d hoped maybe they’d have been a little more open-minded . . .” Kate stopped as Beth raised a staying hand.

  “I wasn’t finished, Kate. While some conservatives are crying foul, early polls suggest the American people are behind you. 73% of them. You’ve put a face, a well-liked, well-respected face to the issue of gay rights. If your opponents try and drag you through the mud, I think they’re going to be the ones to suffer the political consequences. Big time. The American people are with you, Kate. You’re going to make history. You can do some real good here. Hopefully make some real changes.” Beth stopped, clearly getting a little choked up, which was not normal for the usually unflappable woman.

  Emmy cleared her throat from the doorway, which broke Beth out of her moment of weakness. “I . . . uh . . . I’ll come back and we can discuss the next steps. But again, congratulations, Kate.” Beth hastened from the room, purposely avoiding eye contact with Emmy so as not to reveal the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

  Emmy looked at Kate questioningly as she strode across the room. “Congratulations on what?”

  Kate beamed. “There’s the expected outcry from some conservative, but the polls show that almost three quarters of the American public supports me. Presidential approval ratings like that are unheard of.”

  Emmy grinned as she pulled Kate into her arms. “How could they not support you? They love you just like I do.” She paused. “Okay, maybe not just like I do, but they obviously see what an amazing, talented, dedicated woman you are and respect you for being honest with them.” Emmy pulled Kate in for a quick kiss before leaning back again, still keeping her arms circled about Kate’s waist.

  Emmy chewed her lower lip nervously before meeting Kate’s gaze.

  Concerned, Kate furrowed her brow as she studied her girlfriend. “What is it?”

  Emmy rambled in a rushed, nervous cadence. “So . . . my dad wants to have coffee with you. And he wants it to be tomorrow. I told him that you were far too important and far too busy to just drop everything, but he would not take no for an answer. Leave it to my father to expect the President to fit her plans around his desires. I’ll tell him no . . .”

  Kate smiled slightly, noting to herself how absolutely adorable her girlfriend was when she was nervous. The thought of meeting Emmy’s dad sent cold dread running through her, but Kate was never one to back down from a challenge and never one to run away from a test of her character. And unless she was mistaken, this was definitely such a test – did she care enough about Stephen Harris’s daughter to make room in her extremely busy schedule? Kate Stewart did not fail tests and she sure as hell wasn’t going to fail this one.

  She offered Emmy a confident smile. “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure we can work something out. Talk to Kathy and have her check my schedule. She’ll fit it in somewhere.”

  Emmy let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Thank you, Kate. Have I told you how amazing you are?”

  Kate shot her a dimpled grin. “Once or twice. Now come here and kiss me.”

  * * * * *

  The next day, Kate nervously fidgeted as she waited for Emmy to bring her father in for coffee. She silently shook her head at herself. It was pathetic how this ordinary, relatively unimportant man could strike fear through her heart. But then, she corrected herself. He wasn’t unimportant or ordinary. Far from it. Because his daughter was the most important person in her life, the most extraordinary woman she’d ever met. Therefore, he was, as her father, also important. Making a good impression mattered. A lot.

  Kate steeled herself as Emmy let her father into the room. She rose, offered him a smile and a handshake. “Mr. Harris, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Emmaline’s told me so much about you and your family.”

  He shook her hand and offered a small smile. “Please, call me Stephen. May I call you Kate?”

  “Daddy . . .” Emmy began.

  Kate chuckled softly. This man had balls, she had to give it to him. Most people would never have presumed to call her by her given name. She liked it. “No, Emmy. He’s right. For the purposes of our relationship, I’m not the President, so none of this formality nonsense. Kate is fine, Stephen.”

  Kate moved to Emmy and placed a light kiss on her cheek. “Please, have a seat.” Kate gestured to the nearby chairs. “Please help yourself to the coffee and pastries.” She said as they sat.

  Stephen began, ignoring the spread of food and coffee before them. “So, Kate, you’re a smart woman. Let’s rid ourselves of any inane pleasantries and just cut to the chase. Please tell me what your intentions are with my daughter.”

  “Daddy, please!” Emmy cut in, clearly exasperated. “I’m a grown woman and make my own decisions about who I date. Just jumping right in and interrogating her is not exactly in good form.”

  Kate was pleasantly surprised to find that her nerves had fled. Facing a challenge, her keen competitive instincts had suddenly kicked in. This was simply another of Stephen Harris’s tests and she intended to ace it. She patted Emmy’s arm reassuringly before returning her attention to Stephen. “No, Emmy it’s fine. You’re very special and your father has every right to want to protect you.”

  Emmy sighed and relaxed slightly. She recognized the glint in her girlfriend’s eyes. Kate was clearly not one bit intimidated by her father and Emmy had no doubt now that Kate could handle anything he threw at her.

  “Anyway, Mr. Harris,” Kate continued. “To answer your question, my intentions with Emmy are nothing but honorable. I love your daughter and I make it a priority to cherish and protect those people whom I love. I want to assure you that I will never intentionally do anything to hurt her. She means too much to me.”

  Stephen pondered this for a moment and offered Kate a slight nod. After a few awkward moments of silence, he spoke. “How do I know you’re not just using her for political gain? To further some sort of agenda?”

  Kate thought for a moment and then locked eyes with the man,
hoping to convey the depth of her feelings. “I understand your concern. If I were in your position, I’d be worried about the same thing .”

  Emmy loved how Kate didn’t simply dismiss his questions, but recognized his concerns as valid. This woman really knew how to approach an adversary, who in this case happened to be her father. She grew more and more in love with Kate with each moment.

  Kate continued, her gaze never leaving that of Emmy’s father. “Why would I risk my career? Why now? Yes, I believe that as a gay woman I have a duty to be honest, to stand up for equal rights, but honestly, I’m not sure announcing this, especially in my first term, was the best timing. I could have worked for these rights a lot longer if I’d had remained silent. Be seen as a straight ally until I was re-elected, get 8 years to make changes instead of possibly only 4. Maybe I’ll still be re-elected, but I know it’s going to be more of an uphill battle now.”

  “So why do it then?” He prompted.

  “There’s one simple answer to that, Stephen. I did it because I’ve finally met someone who is worth that risk. Someone whom I would give it all up for. Someone that I cannot imagine living my life without. And that someone is your daughter. I know you don’t know me and I realize that saying I’m not the type to use your daughter for political gain is meaningless. I’m asking you to trust me. And to trust me with your daughter’s heart. I will cherish it. Most importantly, I’m asking you to trust your daughter and her judgment. As I’m sure you know, she’s a smart, responsible, amazing woman. I’m thankful that you raised such a beautiful soul, inside and out, and that she’s chosen to share her life with me, even with all of the complications that come with dating someone like me. I am forever grateful.”

  If Emmy wasn’t mistaken, she saw a slight smile cross her father’s lips. He nodded. “Very well. Thank you for speaking with me, Kate. Could I perhaps persuade you to join us at our family barbeque tonight? It’s in our backyard, which is fenced in and very private.”

  “Daddy. We’ve talked about this. Kate can’t just drop everything. She has meetings and other . . .”

  “I’d love to,” Kate interrupted. This was test number three and she planned on keeping a perfect passing score.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  After seeing her father off, Emmy turned back to Kate. “You don’t have to come tonight. You’ve already given up enough of your time just to satisfy one of my dad’s whims. I know my family will understand if you cancel.”

  Kate shook her head, blonde curls lightly brushing her shoulders. “No. I said I’d be there and I’ll be there. When I make a commitment, I keep it. Just relax, Emmaline. I want to come. It’ll be fun. It’s about time I spent some time with your family. And when I can find the time, I intend to return the favor. I’ve already had 5 messages from my mother demanding to meet you,” Kate said, smiling as she pulled Emmy into her arms.

  Emmy let out a sigh she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she gazed into Kate’s bright blue eyes. “I know I keep saying it, but you’re amazing, Kate Stewart. I love you so much.”

  Kate smirked. “I know.”

  Emmy arched her eyebrow, a bemused look on her face.

  “And I love you too, Emmaline,” Kate added, before placing a lingering kiss on Emmy’s lips. “But unfortunately, I’ve got to get to a meeting with my staffers, plan the next steps in getting this marriage equality issue made into some sort of legislation.”

  Emmy nodded. “I’ll see you tonight then. It starts at six, but don’t feel like you have to be there at any particular time. Whenever you can get there is fine.”

  Kate nodded and smiled, shooting Emmy a dimpled grin – one that still never failed to make her go weak in the knees. “I’ll be there.” After giving Emmy one more quick kiss, Kate breezed from the room.

  * * * * *

  Emmy fidgeted nervously in the kitchen of her parents’ home. She tried not to look at the clock. It wasn’t even six yet, but she was anxious, both excited and scared for Kate’s arrival. She hadn’t brought many people to meet her family. In fact, the last one had been her ex-husband. While she had no doubt that Kate would impress them . . . how couldn’t she, she was the freaking President . . . but she couldn’t seem to shake her nerves.

  Emmy nearly jumped out of her skin as her mother rubbed her back reassuringly. “Relax, sweetie. Everything will be fine. Your father clearly likes her, or he wouldn’t have invited her. And if you love her, then I love her.”

  Emmy half-smiled at her mom and nodded, only partially hearing her. “I know, mama. It’s just that she means so much to me. She’s like no one else I’ve ever met. And it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s the leader of the free world. She’s just the most special person I’ve ever met. She means so much.”

  Her mother chuckled knowingly and gently stroked Emmy’s cheek. “She’s the one, Emmaline.”

  “Mama . . .” Emmy sighed. “You haven’t even met her.”

  “I don’t need to, honey. Your face. Your nervousness. The glow you have about you. They tell me all I need to know.”

  Emmy grinned and hugged her mother. She closed her eyes and took in the familiar and comforting scent of her mother’s perfume. “Thank you, mama,” she mumbled into her mother’s hair. “She is the one. I’m sure of it. It’s why I did what I did. Why I risked everything.” She let out a small sigh and stepped back from the embrace, glancing once again at the clock.

  “Emmaline. You’ve been doing nothing but staring at the clock for the past hour and a half. It’s fifteen minutes before the gathering even starts. Relax. If she said she’ll be here, I know she’ll be here.”

  Emmy nodded. “I know. I’m just . . . I don’t know. Nervous. Excited. Scared. Happy. And I miss her.”

  Her mother chuckled again. “Yep. You’ve got it bad, honey. I’m happy for you. Now stop obsessing over the time and help me with this salad.”

  Emmy let out a sigh. “Right.” She said as she grabbed some vegetables that needed chopping. “Besides, she probably won’t be here right at six. She’s got a ton of meetings today and I told her she should just stop by when she could and after the way Daddy interrogated her I’m sure she’s regretting the decision to come and there might be traffic and I mean she’s got more important things than a dumb barbeque . . .” Emmy trailed off as she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard a familiar and comforting voice from behind her.

  “Emmaline. Stop rambling. I can think of nothing more important than spending time with my gorgeous girlfriend and her family.” Kate said as she wrapped her arms around Emmy’s waist from behind.

  Emmy smiled and glanced up at the clock once more. “You’re early.” She said as she turned in Kate’s arms and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

  “I know. I didn’t want to leave you hanging. I knew you’d be freaking out and me being late would have just made it worse.”

  Emmy grinned. “How do you know me so well?”

  “Because I’m awesome, remember?”

  Emmy laughed. “Right. How could I forget?” Their playful banter was interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing behind them.

  “Emmaline. Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to introduce me?” Her mother said.

  “Mamaaaaa . . .” Emmy groaned. “You know who she is.”

  Kate laughed as she offered her hand to Emmy’s mother. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Harris. We’re not being very polite are we? My mother brought me up better than that. I’m Kate. It’s great to finally meet you. I’m sorry we couldn’t do it sooner, but well . . . you know.”

  Emmy’s mom smiled and pulled Kate into a hug. “Anyone who makes my daughter this happy gets a hug, not a handshake. And please, call me Maria.”

  Emmy beamed as she watched two of the most important women in her life embrace. So far so good. And Kate had already survived one round with her father. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  “President Kate!!!” The whirling dervish also known as Gabby came tearing into
the room, quickly latching herself around Kate’s legs and waist. “Why are you here!?!?!? Mommy! The President is here!!” Gabby said, turning to Rachel, who had just entered the room.

  “I see that. But where are your manners, Gabby? We don’t just run around tackling guests now, do we?” Rachel said, a bemused look on her face.

  “Oh, it’s okay. We’re buddies, right, Gabby?” Kate said, ruffling a hand through the child’s curls.

  Gabby looked up at Kate with wide eyes, nodding. “Uh huh. We are. Can I call you Kate? Why are you here? Are you Aunt Emmy’s friend? Want to go play hide and seek? I’ll hide, you seek.” Gabby spouted the words a mile a minute.

  Kate looked over at Emmy and grinned. “I see rambling runs in the family.” Turning back to the little girl, she smiled again. “Sure, you can call me Kate. And yes, I’m um . . . Aunt Emmy’s friend. And a game of hide and seek sounds awesome. But I’ve got to warn you, I’m an excellent finder, so you’d better find a really good spot.”