Solid Foundation

by J. A. Armstrong

  “Yeah,” Jameson said.

  “That’s what Mom wanted, huh?” Michelle guessed.

  “No. She wanted small. I wanted even smaller,” Jameson laughed.

  “Better get used to those crowds, J.D. If Mom runs a big campaign you’ll be in them a lot.”

  “I know. I just would rather one of them not be on the most important day of my life,” Jameson said honestly. “I’d kind of like to keep that one personal.”

  Michelle nodded. “Well, just don’t lose your voice that day. I can handle holding a ring, even holding you up, but I am not speaking your vows to my mom. That’s just too weird, even for me.”

  “No worries,” Jameson said.

  “So? When is the big day?” Michelle asked.

  “July 3rd. Party to follow on July 4th. Then you get the crowd.”

  “You’re good at this,” Michelle complimented. “Covered all the bases. Maybe you should quit architecture and run Mom’s campaign.”

  “I don’t think so,” Jameson answered.

  “So, she is going to run…”

  “Shell…”

  “J.D….”

  “Your mom…”

  “Oh, I get it. It’s like Mom hiding her engagement ring from me until Grandma Pearl and your folks got there that day. I get it. Mums the word.”

  Jameson rolled her eyes. “Maybe it’s you who should consider politics.”

  “I don’t think the world is ready for two of us,” Michelle said.

  Jameson laughed. “Ready or not, I have a feeling the apple is not that far from the tree.”

  “Maybe someday,” Michelle said. “After I am old and married like you.”

  “Laugh it up. Your time will come.”

  “Maybe,” Michelle said with a wink.

  “Shell? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Mum’s the word,” Michelle said. “Now, come on. I could use an adult beverage after all this bonding…and you are buying!”

  “Why am I buying?”

  “You’re the parent. It’s your job to provide,” Michelle said as she pushed the check for their dinner to Jameson and left the table.

  “Kids,” Jameson grumbled.

  ***

  Pearl sat on the couch watching Candace as she sipped her wine. “Careful there. Jameson isn’t home yet and I can’t carry you up those stairs,” she warned Candace. They had enjoyed a day together shopping, talking, and teasing each other. It had been longer than either had realized since they had spent any quality alone time. Pearl could tell that Candace’s thoughts had drifted to someplace troubling in the last few moments. She reached over and removed the glass of wine from Candace’s hand. “Let’s have it,” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Candy, you can fool almost anyone. You have never been able to put one over on me. Your face is a roadmap to the truth.”

  “Must be hard to follow with all those added lines,” Candace joked. Pearl crossed her arms and waited. “I don’t really know how to start,” Candace admitted.

  “The beginning is usually a good place.”

  Candace chuckled. “I’m not even sure I know where that would be,” she said.

  “I know this is not about Jameson. So, what is it? One of the kids?”

  “I ran into Jessica last week.”

  “And?” Pearl urged.

  “It got me thinking about the past,” Candace said.

  “In what way?”

  “Just how it has a way of popping up when you thought it was behind you,” Candace replied.

  “It is behind you,” Pearl said.

  “Yes, but it can get drudged up. That can be painful.”

  “Did it upset you to see Jessica?” Pearl asked.

  “No, not really. It was a little awkward when she came up to our table. Jameson was so gracious.”

  Pearl smiled. “I’ve no doubt. Did it upset Jameson?”

  “No,” Candace said happily. “I think she was curious about Jessica.”

  “Yeah, she’s curious how she could have blown her life with you,” Pearl said.

  “I don’t think…”

  “Oh, she is. She told me so more than once,” Pearl laughed. “So, if it’s not Jessica that upset you; what is it?”

  Candace took a moment and then sighed. “You remember when Grandma got sick?” she asked softly. Pearl nodded sadly. “I used to sit with her for hours. I think I felt guilty. I mean, I loved her but I was always with Granddad. I guess I felt like maybe I’d missed something.”

  “Your Grandma was the sweetest person I ever knew,” Pearl said. “She was like my mama.”

  Candace wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “You know she felt that way about you; don’t you?”

  “Candy, what is this about?”

  “Pearl, Grandma…She told me a story.”

  Pearl nodded and smiled. “She told you that your Granddad was my father.” Candace nodded. Pearl smiled more broadly. Candace could transform into a little girl in less than an instant with Pearl. “He was. For all the lies and all the secrets; he was my father.”

  “I’m sorry, Pearl.”

  “Sorry? Whatever are you sorry for?”

  “For how that must have made you feel,” Candace said.

  Pearl could see the curl in Candace’s lip that always appeared when she was battling her anger. “It made me feel like a second class citizen, to be honest,” Pearl admitted. Candace grimaced. “Thing is, I still loved the old phony. And, I loved your Grandma.”

  “I know. I can’t believe that he…”

  “This is why I never told you,” Pearl said. “You see? That thing you said about the past? You’re getting upset over a memory that isn’t even yours.”

  “Pearl, there is no one on this earth outside of my kids and Jameson that I love more than you.”

  “I know that, Hellion. I know that. But, you can’t be angry at your granddad. That was a different time. You know that. He loved me. He did. Your grandma…well, she wanted him to acknowledge it. I think he was just too afraid.”

  “Of what? His reputation?”

  “No, Candy. He was too afraid for hers. Too scared for your father’s….for yours. He did the best he could.”

  “Bullshit!”

  Pearl moved beside Candace and took her into an embrace. “Is this what you’ve been so worried about? You think some young twerp might dig out the skeletons in the Stratton closet?”

  “It’s not as crazy as you make it sound,” Candace said. “You know how it works. People are already comparing me to him. Look at my family. Untraditional. It’s ammunition, even if it’s stupid. And, I won’t hurt you like that.”

  Pearl laughed. “Hurt me? Candy, I don’t much care who knows or who doesn’t know who my parents were. I know who I am. I know who I was to him. No one can change that. And, no one can change the past now. It’s over. All this is just memories. It might surprise you, but my memories of my parents are not so sad. When I lived with your great grandma, I had the best life. Your grandma and granddad were always kind to me, always there for me as much as they could be. When I moved in with them? Hell…I hardly lifted a finger. You know that. Certainly no more than your daddy and his brothers did,” Pearl laughed.

  “Why did you stay? I mean after they passed?”

  “Because it’s my family,” Pearl said. “Families are what they are. I wouldn’t change mine. I like my life. I wouldn’t have it if I’d had another family. You don’t need to worry about me. I just don’t want those ghosts to hurt you.”

  “I wish you knew how many times I laid awake wishing you were my mother.”

  “I do know,” Pearl said. Candace had begun to cry in her arms. “Your mama is who she is, Candy. She loved you the best she could. If you ask me, she never had anyone love her, not even really your father. Like my own mama. She just didn’t know how to be one. Families aren’t always what you are born into. You make them as you go.”

  “I know, but…”
<
br />   “There is no but,” Pearl said. “Your granddad, my father…He thought you hung the moon. We are very much alike; so do I.” Candace began to sob and Pearl rocked her gently. “You need to let this all go. Let it go; all of it. You have too much to let the weight of these old hurts jeopardize everything you have to look forward to.”

  “That’s what Jameson said,” Candace chuckled through her tears.

  “Smart kid; that one.”

  “She is. Smart, I mean.”

  Pearl laughed. “You need to let go of that too.”

  “What do you mean?” Candace asked.

  “Well, to me you are still a kid. Jameson is a woman, a grown woman who loves you. She’s your equal.”

  “I know. People are going to talk. You know that as well as I do,” Candace said.

  “Yeah, but in my experience most of the time no one is really listening. They forget what they heard five minutes before, just as soon as something else strikes their fancy. Ghosts, Candy. All these things you are worried about; that’s what they are; just ghosts. They’re not real. Just passing images, memories and snapshots of other people’s imagination. You know what’s real. Don’t let those ghosts haunt you.”

  Candace snuggled against Pearl. “Thanks, Mama.”

  “That’s what mamas are for,” Pearl said. “Now, you stop all this foolishness and go remind folks what it was like to have a Stratton in the Governor’s Mansion.”

  “One more thing,” Candace said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, Jameson and I decided to do a small ceremony here the day before the Fourth of July barbeque.”

  “Smart idea,” Pearl said.

  “It was Jameson’s.”

  “I’m sure it was. So, how many people am I cooking for?”

  Candace laughed. “None. You are not cooking anything. Not this year. I’m having everything catered. Period.”

  “I know I’m supposed to know where this is going…”

  “I want you to stand with me when Jameson and I get married. It’s only going to be the kids, Maureen, and Duncan. That’s it. I’m past having anyone give me away,” Candace laughed. “It would mean the world…”

  “Candy, I would love to be there with you…this time,” Pearl chuckled.

  “I think you might just love Jameson even more than me.”

  Pearl kissed the top of Candace’s head. “No. I love Jameson because she loves you so much. And, I know that when I am gone someone will be there to protect you.”

  Candace closed her eyes and let Pearl hold her as if she were still a child. She found herself pondering a conversation she had with Marianne. Sometimes, it was nice to be needed. Candace hated to see her children disappointed or in pain, but she was grateful when they still felt inclined to slip into her embrace for comfort. Sometimes, it was nice to be a child that needed her mother. Pearl had always been Candace’s haven. She had been the person who always made Candace feel safe, loved, and protected. Pearl was right. For the first time in Candace’s life, she had two places to find refuge. One with the woman who had protected her since childhood, the other in the arms of the person who would hold her for a lifetime. Candace sighed in contentment.

  “Don’t you get any ideas about going anywhere anytime soon,” she warned Pearl.

  Pearl laughed. “And miss this show? It’s cheaper than cable. No way.”

  Chapter Six

  “I’m not stumping here. It’s my wedding, not a campaign stop,” Candace reminded the group seated before her.

  “I’m not suggesting that it should be,” a voice responded.

  Candace looked at the voice’s owner. She’d known Jason Singleton for fifteen years. He was an up and comer in the Democratic Party when Candace first arrived in Washington. He was bright, intuitive, imaginative and driven. Those were all the qualities that made someone an effective campaign manager. Candace admired all of those qualities. Jason could also be aggressive. The line that stood between determined and aggressive was often extremely fine. There were times in a political campaign when an aggressive posture was beneficial. This was not one of them. Candace could see Dana and several of her staffers flinching in the background as she stared down her campaign manager.

  “That is exactly what you are proposing. Jameson and I will decide what photographs to release and when we will release them. I’m not restricting guests at the barbeque from playing on their little phones and posting their little sentiments. The day before is for our family.”

  “Candy, be reasonable,” Jason implored her.

  Candace looked out at the rest of the room from over her glasses. “Would you please excuse us? Jason and I need to have a discussion.”

  Dana motioned to the small group that was gathered in Candace’s office. She stopped in the doorway and grinned at Candace from behind Jason’s back. He was about to get a lesson in Who’s The Boss 101. “I’ll see you in a bit,” she said. Candace nodded her agreement to Dana as the door closed and promptly returned her attention to the man seated in front of her.

  “Candy, this is a golden opportunity. I am sure that Jameson understands that.”

  Candace nodded thoughtfully. She removed her glasses, set them down gently, and rubbed her eyes. She deliberately moved from behind her desk to lean against the front of it and shook her head at the younger man. “This is not about what Jameson understands.”

  “What is it about?” he asked her pointedly. “You have a chance here, one that not many people get I might remind you.”

  “What kind of chance might that be?”

  “You know exactly what I am referring to. How many people launch a campaign at the same time they are getting married? On the Fourth of July no less!”

  “Actually, we are getting married on the third of July,” Candace reminded him.

  “Cute, Candy. You are trying to tell me that this is just happenstance? You didn’t plan this timing deliberately?”

  “I didn’t plan this timing at all,” Candace said flatly. “It was Jameson’s idea to get married that weekend, not mine.”

  “Smart woman. I like her more and more,” he said.

  “Glad you approve, and yes, she is,” Candace agreed.

  “Even your partner sees the low hanging fruit here,” he said.

  Candace chuckled. That was true. Jameson had excellent instincts about many things. Candace had no doubt that Jameson saw the political gain in the timing of their wedding. That was where the compromise of the weekend had been born. Candace recognized that. Jameson did not need to say anything specific for Candace to realize that their plans were, in fact, one of many compromises they would make in their relationship. Jameson was a private person marrying a public figure. She had engineered a plan that would respect both their private world and Candace’s public persona. Candace had no intention of breeching that unspoken agreement. She folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow at the man before her.

  “I think we need to establish some ground rules, Jason. First, I will accept your advice at face value. I accept that it is based on what you see in my best interest regarding this election,” she said. Jason smiled. “With that said,” Candace continued, “you will respect that the decisions ultimately lie with me. When I say no, it means no. When I close the debate, it is closed.”

  “You aren’t even open to debate,” he said.

  “Oh, you will find that I am open to debate on many things. You want to rearrange the campaign schedule? We’ll talk. You want me to address one issue over another? I am all ears. You want to align this campaign with a certain group or issue? We’ll discuss it. You want me to appear beside someone at an event? The conversation is open. What is not ever open to debate is my family. Any decisions that affect my children, my marriage, or the people I care for will rest with me and me alone.”

  Jason groaned. “You know as well as I do that family can be either an asset or liability. Nothing in a campaign is off the table for the press. You of all people kn
ow that.”

  Candace nodded. “I certainly do know that. That is precisely why those decisions rest with me.”

  “Candy, this could go either way in the courtroom of public opinion. It all depends on how it is spun.”

  “Jason, I want you to listen to me.”

  “I am listening to you! You are not listening to yourself!”

  Candace laughed. Jason was still young. He was energetic and she genuinely liked him. He still had a great deal to learn. She had spent her entire life around politicians and campaigns. The courtroom of public opinion was a playground. It moved back and forth, up and down just like a swing. You could kick as hard as you wanted, inevitably you would fall back down again. Sometimes it was best to just stretch out your legs and coast for a bit.

  “You are going to do well,” she complimented him. Jason was confused by the praise. Candace laughed at the peculiar look on his face. “You’re not married yet,” she observed. “No children running amok.”

  “No. What does that have to do…”

  “It has everything to do with everything,” Candace said. “For you, this is life itself. Am I right?” she asked knowingly. “There is more to life than campaigns and elections, Jason.”

  “I understand that.”

  “Do you?” she questioned him.

  “Why run if you aren’t willing to put everything into it?” he asked.

  Candace took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Everything? I’ve spent my entire life in this world. I do mean my entire life. As early as I can remember I followed my grandfather at campaign stops. I watched him press the flesh. I learned how to work a crowd. He was a master.”

  “Yes, he was,” Jason agreed. “Most people think that he could have been president if he’d wanted,” Jason said. Candace smiled. “So could you, Candy. It’s not only me who believes that.”

  “Maybe he could have been. He never wanted to. Maybe I could be. I’m not at all sure that is what I want either.”

  “Why on earth not?”

  “Because…There are more important things in life than elections, Jason. At least, there is for some of us. There are two kinds of people in this business,” she said. He listened. “There are those who are in it to win it. It’s a competition. It’s a challenge to be the best and come out the victor, to climb the ladder as high as it can take them.”