There Must Be a Way

Despite the fact that the bill had been filibustered, Paulina didn’t feel comfortable boarding her flight to Ireland. It departed at ten o’clock, which meant that there would technically be two hours before Congress officially adjourned for the summer. The Republicans could do a lot of damage in two hours. That was why while Francis slept comfortably in his seat beside her, Paulina sat wide awake, obsessing over what could possibly be going on in Washington. She came up with horrifying scenarios – they could go after birthright citizenship like they’d been threatening to do since the midterms, they could try to pass another one of the bills that sought to defund Planned Parenthood because there were over ten versions in circulation at the moment. They could do so many horrible things that would impact millions upon millions of Americans, and the mere thought of it made her sick to her stomach, which was why despite being exhausted, she stayed awake. She couldn’t rest until she knew for sure that her constituents would be okay, she couldn’t rest until she verified that nothing had been done in Washington. That was why as soon as the plane landed, she whipped out her phone to see if there was any news from Washington, but thankfully for her nerves, all was quiet.

“Told you everything would be alright,” said Francis, groggily. “Those assholes don’t hate you enough to postpone their vacations.”

“Well that’s a comforting thought.”

“Comforting enough to turn your phone off?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she joked, “But we are on vacation and rules are rules.”

Francis and she had a strict no work phone policy whenever they went on vacation. They didn’t want to be bothered by Washington or its intrigues, which was they turned those phones off for the entirety of their vacations. That led to the occasional issue. Someone or another always complained about being unable to reach them, but they felt that if anyone absolutely had to get in touch with them, they could put in the effort of figuring out where they were. After all, their respective secretaries knew their precise locations. They could tell someone and then that person could trouble themselves with finding a way to get in direct contact with Francis and Paulina. Sure it took a little more effort than simply selecting a name and pressing the call option, but it also wasn’t an unreasonable amount of effort, which was why they didn’t feel bad about cutting ties from Washington.

And that was why the moment she turned off her work phone, she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. If only for two weeks, she wouldn’t be held accountable to it. She would be free from the pressures of Washington and its endless drama. For two weeks, she would cease to be Senator Balcázar, the bitch that annoyed and infuriated her opponents. She would simply be Paulina, free to roam with her boyfriend and free to do as she pleased. Of course, if a serious situation were to arise she would find herself obligated to resume her aforementioned role, but for the time being she was content to be just another thirty-three year old on vacation.

It was shortly thereafter that they disembarked and cleared customs. With their luggage in tow, they went outside to meet up with their chauffer for the day. Had they been traveling within the United States, one of the bodyguards would’ve been charged with picking them up from the airport, but since they were abroad and the threats against Paulina’s life were nonexistent in Ireland, they scaled back on security. Only one bodyguard would accompany her on her trip, and since Tomás was the only one that had yet to accompany her on a trip abroad, he was the one selected. He was the one charged with ensuring her wellbeing, and he took his responsibilities seriously. He walked alongside her as they made their way through the airport, he stepped out first just to ensure that nothing strange was happening in the surroundings, and when they finally reached the vehicle, he held off on climbing aboard until he had visually confirmed that her seatbelt was on.

The drive from Dublin to Wexford lasted the better part of two hours, and although it was a drive that Paulina normally spent sightseeing, she actually ended up knocking out in the backseat. She didn’t wake up until long after they pulled up to the stately country home that the Kennedys owned on the coast. Francis thought it best to take the luggage inside before he woke her up. So he did just that while Tomás stood guard beside the vehicle, and after he finished dropping off their things in the bedroom, Francis went outside to wake her up.

It took a couple tries to rouse her, but she eventually woke. She didn’t get out of the car right away. She just sort of sat there, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her back felt stiff, a side effect from sleeping in an awkward position, and she was still tired. She needed at least another eight hours to make up for the past three days, but sleep would have to wait. Francis was standing there with that smile she loved so much and they were in Ireland, free to do as they pleased. So she couldn’t squander that opportunity.

And she didn’t.

Alongside Francis, she spent her days walking through the countryside and swimming off the coast, and in the evenings, they sat in front of a roaring fire, enjoying one another’s company along with that of a good book and a bottle or two of wine. It was a peaceful existence, a stark contrast to the lives they led in Washington, and all too quickly their time in Ireland came to an end. They packed up and drove back to Dublin, where they then boarded a flight to Boston.

They spent the night in Francis’ house in the city before they headed out to Hyannis Port. The Kennedys had all gathered together to celebrate Mary’s eighty-third birthday. Her sons had, months earlier, contacted all the members of their extended family to ensure they would be available for a four day weekend. They had even toyed with the thought of throwing a huge elaborate party where they would invite politicians, but Mary had urged them against that. She devoted enough of her life to public service and networking, she didn’t want to spend her birthday doing that as well. Instead, she wanted to be with her loved ones. To be in the company of her sons and their families, to laugh with her nieces and nephews, and sit beside Ethel while they watched the younger members of their family play football.

And since that was what she wanted, that was exactly what she got. Her sons and their significant others and children all stayed in the same house. It was a tight fit, but they bore it with smiles on their faces because Mary loved having all her children under one roof. That was something that didn’t happen often, what with their busy schedules. So she treasured the fact that all her boys were there with her, she cherished the smiling faces of her grandchildren, and enjoyed the company of her daughter-in-laws and Paulina. They spent their days having picnics and going sailing, and since Mary wasn’t much for staying up late, they would sit out on the porch in the evening while she dozed off.

Paulina always enjoyed her time with the Kennedys. They might’ve been raised in a different lifestyle than her, but their commitment to family and love for one another was something that strongly resonated with her and it made her feel at home. When she was with them she felt that warmth that she felt with her own family. They had that dynamic, that vivaciousness, and intensity that’s unique to large families, and she loved the fact that they had welcomed her as one of her own. At no point in her interactions with them had their ever been any awkwardness, she had been given the stamp of approval by Ted and she was in a three year relationship with Francis, so she was a Kennedy in all but name. That was they treated her the way they did, and why Francis’ brother had dog-watched Thea while they were abroad.

As much as she enjoyed her time with the Kennedys, Paulina was happy to see it end. If only because it meant she would soon be reunited with her family. She hadn’t seen her brothers and their families since late May, when she flew out for her goddaughter’s birthday. She hadn’t seen her parents since early July. They had spent the last week and a half of June with her and Francis in Washington. And it might’ve only been a month since she’d last seen her parents, but after the month she’d had she desperately needed to be spoiled and indulged – Francis could only do so much. She needed the kind of doting that only parents are capable of, which was why she practically ran out of the airport.

The plan had originally been for them to drop off their luggage at Paulina’s house before they went over to her parents, but things didn’t go as planned, because when they pulled into the driveway, they were immediately spotted by her nieces and nephews.

“Tia Paulin’s here!” Isabel gleefully cried out.

Francis let out a booming laugh when he saw the kids jump over the small brick fence that separated the houses.

“So much for slipping in unnoticed!” he managed to say between his laughter.

“Seriously!” she smiled as she spoke. “We should’ve known better. My parents and the kids have probably been in the front yard all morning.”

Only eleven months earlier, Paulina had purchased the house to the right of her parents’. She had held off on buying a house for as long as she could. She believed it to be a waste of money, especially considering the fact that she spent the majority of her time in Washington, but during her reelection campaign, the Republicans strongly criticized her for not keeping a residence in California. It was unacceptable to them that their United States Senator didn’t own a house in the state she represented. Paulina thought that was the stupidest thing she’d ever heard. She didn’t need a house in California. She wasn’t there often enough to need one. The vast majority of her days were spent in the Capitol. That’s why she’d signed a six year lease on a house in Washington. It was there that she needed a home, somewhere to base her operations from. She didn’t believe the same was necessary in California, because whenever she was in the state, she spent the majority of her time, traveling. She would go up and down its coast, meet with local politicians and state officials, and engage her fellow Californians in town halls and events. That traveling required that she live out of a suitcase and spend her nights in hotel rooms, and that was fine with her. That was what she’d signed up for when she ran for office, but she felt that that traveling rendered a house unnecessary.

After all, why take on a mortgage for a house that’ll rarely be lived in? But the criticisms kept coming and soon the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee advised her that it would be in her best interest to own property in the state. It was because of that conversation that Paulina finally bought a house. She figured that since she would rarely live there, she ought to get one close to a family member so they could keep an eye on it, and when she heard that her parents’ neighbors were putting the house on the market, she swept in and made an offer before the realtor could place the listing.

Her siblings teased her about living next door to their parents, but it just felt right to her. She felt comfortable knowing they were looking after her house, and truth be told, on those rare days when she was actually able to be home, she loved being able to walk over to their house for breakfast or have them come over for dinner.

Much like her siblings, Francis had teased Paulina, but he knew it was best to live near family. That was why the Kennedys had built homes on six acres of land in Hyannis Port. It was why his home in Boston was only a couple houses down from his older brother’s. There was a sense of security that came with living close to love ones, a belief that if anything went wrong, one could turn to them for help, and when all that was added to the fact that one didn’t see their family as often as they’d prefer, it just made sense to live near family.

“Let’s just leave the stuff in here,” said Francis. “We’ll take it out later. I mean it’s not like we’re going out tonight.” He paused. “We’re not – are we?”

“Fuck no,” she quickly replied. “As soon as we’re able to, we’re gonna run upstairs, put on pajamas, get at some wine, and watch your stories, because I know you’re going crazy over Tyrant and that show about Washington’s Spies.”

“Don’t even remind me!” he groaned. “I’m three weeks behind.”

“Well tonight you’re catching up.”

“Now this is what I call a vacation.” He grinned. He loved Ireland and being with his family and being with hers, but Francis absolutely loved lying in bed watching his shows. It was a luxury that his schedule rarely afforded him. “But can we tweak things a bit?”

“Of course we can.” She smiled indulgently. “What does my Francisco want?”

“Instead of the wine, can you please make me some guacamole and get those chips from that place I like?”

“I will, and as for the chips, I already have. My mom picked some up this morning. I figured you’d crave ‘em at some point.”

“See this is why I’m going to make an honest woman out of you one day.”

“But I’m having so much fun living in sin!” she joked. “And anyway, what else will our moms complain about?”

“That is true,” he said, thoughtfully. “They are always going on about how they’re going to burn in hell because of us.”

“Our living in sin has put their souls in mortal peril.”

“We’re such dicks.”

“We are,” she said with a laugh. “That’s okay though. We’ll save their souls – eventually.”

“Eventually,” repeated Francis. “But for now we should head out. Thea’s wagging her tail like crazy. She wants to be with the kids.”

The moment they stepped outside, they were swarmed by her nieces and nephews. The children were indiscriminate with their love. They hugged and kissed Francis as warmly as they did their aunt, because despite the fact that he was technically only their aunt’s boyfriend, he was more like an official uncle to them. That was why they called him Uncle Frankie. After all, he was the one that built forts with them, the one that gave them ice cream and made popcorn during SpongeBob Squarepants marathons. He treated them with the same love and affection that he treated his own nieces and nephews, and for that, the children loved him.

And the love the children felt for Francis was nothing compared to what Irmalinda and Ricardo felt towards the young man. He wasn’t just their daughter’s boyfriend. He was as good as their son. After everything they’d been through together, he had earned that place in their hearts. It was he who had looked after their daughter in the days following the assassination attempt. He had taken it upon himself to ensure her basic needs were being met, and it was during that time that they came to understand just how serious he was about her. They had, in the beginning, held reservations about Francis. They knew the sort of men the Kennedys were, the reputation they had established throughout decades, and so they worried Francis was just having a little fun with their daughter. That his friendship with her was nothing more than a pretext to get her into bed, but then she was attacked.

It was then that Francis demonstrated that he wasn’t just there to fuck around and have a good time. He was there for the exhausting days where smiles and happiness were nowhere to be found. He was there to change the dressings on her wounds, to talk her down from the vivid nightmares that plagued her sleep, to coax her into eating when no one could, and for that and so much more, Ricardo and Irmalinda respected him.

That was the reason why they gave their blessing when Paulina and Francis announced that they were moving in together after having only been officially together for seven months. Now that’s not to say they didn’t complain about it. They grumbled about it to themselves and to their daughter, went on about how it wasn’t right to live with someone before marriage, but life went on just the same because if their daughter was going to live in sin, then it might as well be with him.

True to her style, Irmalinda made a fuss when she reached Paulina and Francis. She might’ve been balancing Vivienne (Adrian and Thomas’ eight month old) on her hip, but she still placed multiple kisses on their faces, hugged them warmly, and did the obligatory complaining about how thin they were looking. Ricardo was infinitely more subdued. He kissed his daughter’s cheek and hugged her tightly while saying how glad he was to have her home. He then shook hands with Francis and pulled him into a hug that although being brief, conveyed all the warmth that needed conveying.

With all the welcomes taken care of, Irmalinda took control of the situation. She ushered everyone into the house so they could sit down for breakfast. She had cooked chilaquiles for Francis, prepared eggs with chorizo for Paulina, and had a bountiful spread of pan dulce (sweet bread) and cut up fruits for the children. And so with the food at the ready, they crammed in around the dining room table as best they could and proceeded to eat until they couldn’t take another bite.

“When are your mom and dad getting here?” Paulina asked Isabel.

“They said they’d be back before noon,” replied Isabel. “Aldito’s football team had a mandatory meeting for the parents, so they couldn’t get out of that.”

“Then why aren’t you at football practice, Ronaldo?” she asked the sixteen year old boy that was still miraculously stuffing his face.

“We’re on break,” he replied, talking with a mouth full of food.

“Don’t be nasty!” explained Isabel. “Mom told you not to talk with your mouth full.”

“Tia asked me a question though.” Ronaldo replied, defensively.

“You could’ve swallowed and then replied.” Isabel pointed out.

Ronaldo shrugged his shoulders and redirected his attention to his aunt. “Since we’ve been practicing all summer, we’re getting two weeks off to actually have a vacation. Then when we get back we’re doing hell week.”

“Hell week . . .” Paulina groaned at the memory. “Those were the worst. I hated having to fight to grab the water bottles, and when you do finally get one, there’s always grass on the side so it’s all nasty.”

“But you still drink it anyway,” said Ronaldo, knowingly.

“I’m pretty sure that’s one of the reasons I don’t get sick that often.”

“You get everyone’s germs and it toughens you up,” he smiled. “That’s what I tell my mom, but she says it’s nasty.”

“Because it is,” Isabel joined in. “You should just take your own water bottle. That’s what I do with wrestling and soccer.”

“Too much of a hassle,” he grumbled.

“You won’t be saying that when you get mono.”

As the older sibling, Isabel always tried to keep her brother safe. She also always teased him, but that’s only natural.

“Uncle Frankie, a little help?” Ronaldo looked over at Francis.

“Sorry Aldo, I’m with your sister on this.”

“But I thought you did sports?”

“Not sports like the sports we do,” said Paulina.

“I’ll have you know that crew is an intense sport,” Francis began defending himself.

“You mean you row a boat?” Ronaldo scrunched his nose. “Uncle, you’re always going on about football this and how you did a little boxing.”

“Football with the family,” he explained, “And I do box, just at the gym. And I resent the fact that you don’t view crew as a sport. Just you wait and see when you have your spring break, I’m going to fly you out and we’ll see if you can hang.”

“It’s rowing a boat. I’ll be good.”

“Don’t be too cocky, Aldo.” Paulina advised. “I’ve gone out on the water with him, and it’s no joke. You engage muscles that you don’t ever work out on the football field, and they get so strained by the end of it that everything just hurts. It’s like your entire back and your arms are on fire.”

“Can’t be that bad,” said Ronaldo. “Isa and I can do it.”

“Speak for yourself, I hate water.” Isabel stated.

“Then Catalina and I can do it. Right, Catalina?” he looked over at his little sister.

The eight years old grinned as she said, “Aldito and I can do it!”

“I know for sure you can, Catalina.” Francis smiled indulgently. “I’m just not so sure about Aldo.”

“He’ll be okay. He’ll have me on his team!”

“Well if you two do win, what prize will you want?” he asked her.

“To go to Disneyland!” she exclaimed. She had an annual pass, and never tired of visiting.

“Well that’s not much of a prize, we’re already going tomorrow.”

“Uncle Frankie!” she exclaimed. “Are we really going?”

“Yes,” he chuckled at how excited she got. “Your Tia and all of us are going to go. I mean I’m only here a week so we have to make the most of it.”

“Why can’t you stay longer? My mama says I’m on vacation for another three weeks, so you should stay that long.”

“I’d love to, but I don’t think my boss would let me.”

“Just tell them that I said you can’t go back.”

“Alright,” he did his best not to laugh. “I’ll call him after lunch and tell him.”

Catalina didn’t forget about what Francis said. She sat beside him during lunch, and when he finished, reminded him that he had to call his boss. Knowing that there was no way around it; he instead called his older brother Teddy, and pretended to ask him whether or not he could take off another two weeks from work. Ted was initially confused by the conversation, but after he heard Catalina’s voice in the background, he figured out what was going on.

“I’m afraid I can’t spare you,” said Ted in his best voice. “There’s a case sitting on your desk right now that only you can take care of. You’re fortunate I even gave you this week off.”

“It’s alright, Sir. I understand. Thank you for taking the call though.” He hung up. “I’m sorry, Catalina. My boss said I have to go back.”

“He’s not very nice, is he?” Catalina furrowed her brow in displeasure.

“Not nice at all,” he said. “But at least we’re going to Disneyland tomorrow.”

And they did go. They took four vehicles to the happiest place on earth. Her brothers and their spouses had requested Tuesday off from work, so the entire family spent the day in Anaheim. It was exhausting running around from one park to another, especially with so many kids, but despite being tired, they were glad to have the family all together. It had been a long time since they were able to spend like that.

The rest of the week went by much faster than they cared for. They went up to Big Bear on Wednesday to have a picnic by the lake and run around, they went to the Aquarium of the Pacific on Thursday, on Friday they went to the swap meet to walk around, and on Saturday there was a big family party to which all her aunts and uncles and cousins, and relatives who weren’t actually relatives, were invited to. They feasted, they drank, they danced the night away, and the next morning, Paulina woke early to fix Francis’ luggage for his flight.

“Francisco . . .” she spoke his name softly. “Francisco, you have to wake up.”

“Go away,” he grumbled in response.

“Afraid I can’t,” she said. “We have to go to LAX, remember?”

“That’s not until later.”

“Not that much later,” she told him. “Your flight leaves in three hours.”

“Only takes an hour to get there . . .”

“Without traffic,” she pointed out. “And this is LA – when is there ever no traffic?”

That did it. He rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes. The emerald green orbs that normally twinkled mischievously were bloodshot. He’d hit the tequila harder than he should have. He kept having glass after glass in an attempt to keep up with the Balcázar boys and Rodolfo, and while he kept pace well enough, he was now suffering from an excruciating hangover.

“Why’d you let me drink so much?” he complained.

“Because there’s nothing I enjoy more than hearing you bitch about how hung-over you are,” she replied. “It’s my absolute favorite thing.”

“You’re such an ass.”

“But you love me just the same.” She reached up to his face and brushed the hair from his face. “Go shower. I left some water and aspirin by your toothbrush, so that’ll help, and I’m making you that disgusting smoothie you swear cures hangover.”

“Are you putting the raw eggs?”

“Two raw eggs,” she confirmed. “Although I’ll never understand why you risk salmonella just to cure a hangover, you might as well just eat Menudo.”

“Did you make Menudo?”

She shook her head.

“Then why bring it up?” he sighed dramatically. “You can’t mention Menudo to a man and then not have any for him.”

“Well that’s exactly what I did,” she fought back a smile. “Now go shower.”

It was several minutes before he finally left the comfort of the bed to shower, and he took forever in the bathroom. She gave up waiting for him and instead took the luggage down, because she didn’t want to risk him missing his flight. He had two high profile cases waiting on him in Washington. They were both against massive multinational conglomerates, and their outcome would set a national precedent.

In time, Francis emerged dressed and ready to go, and they climbed into the Acadia and drove off towards the airport. As expected, there was traffic. Although fortunately for him, it was light traffic. It transformed the hour drive into almost an hour and a half, but that was manageable. He managed to arrive at LAX well before the flight was scheduled to depart, and after a few kisses and sweet words, he took his boarding pass and got in line to clear security.

After that, Paulina went back to her house and spent her last day of freedom with her family. The next day marked the beginning of her two week tour through California, because Congress might not have been in session, but she had to spend those last two weeks doing community outreach. She had to engage voters, hold town halls, attend fundraisers for an election that wouldn’t happen until five years later, and give speeches at private events to raise money to pay for her bodyguards. It was two weeks spent living out of suitcases and not being able to see her loved ones, which was the hardest thing, because if she was in California, it would’ve been nice to see her family, but she was on a schedule and she had to adhere to it. She had to fulfill her duties as a Senator, and so she smiled and went from event to event, she gave impassioned speeches, and after her final event in California – a fundraiser held in San Francisco, she decided to fly back to Washington a day early.

“Ma’am, are you sure about this?” Jeffrey asked her as they sat in the rental vehicle. “We have tickets for tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t want to wait that long,” she replied. “I’d rather sleep on the plane than in the hotel room. Why? Did you have plans for tonight? If so, you can stay. Your tickets been purchased so you can use it when you like.”

“That’s not it,” he told her. “I only wanted to remind you, but if you’re set, then I’ll book a flight right now.”

“No need for that,” she motioned for him to put his phone away. “We’ll just show up. There’s bound to be a red eye with some space.”

And there was, except it wasn’t first class like they preferred to travel. They were stuck in economy, nestled between strangers, and although her security was irritated by the lack of proximity to their person, they made it to Washington with no problems.

It was shortly before eight in the morning when they arrived in Washington, and as soon as they got their luggage, they dropped Jeffrey off at the apartment that he shared with another staffer and then drove over to her house. She didn’t expect Francis to be home. She figured he would’ve gone out with some of his friends, perhaps even flown out to Massachusetts to visit his mother for the weekend, but when she went into her bedroom she found him fast asleep on the bed with a half eaten bag of chips.

Out of all the ways she’d expected him to spend his Saturday night, staying home and eating chips in bed was not one of them, but she was glad that that had been the case. And eager to be next with him, she went over to her dresser and pulled out a fresh pair of pajamas and undergarments, and slipped them on before getting into bed beside him. She tried to be careful about it, not wanting to wake him up, but as soon as the weight shifted on the bed, his eyes fluttered open.

“Aurelia?” he whispered, still half asleep. “What are you doing here? You’re flight doesn’t get in until four.” He was quiet a moment. “Fuck! Did I forget to pick you up? I swear I set my alarm. I –”

“Calm down, you didn’t forget,” she assured him. “I flew home early.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to see that mug of yours,” she lifted her hand to his face and cupped the side of it. “I have to admit I missed a little.”

“Just a little?” asked Francis.

He was fully awake now, and smoothly snaked his arm around her waist to pull her in closer.

“Perhaps a bit more than a little,” she answered, gazing up at his face all the while. “How was Washington?”

“Infuriating, as always,” he replied. “I’m glad to have you back. Maybe now I’ll be able to get some good sleep.”

“Awe, my poor Francisco can’t sleep without his Aurelia,” she teased him. “You’re so sweet sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” he scoffed. “Get your shit right. I’m all sorts of sweet all the time.”

“With that mouth the way it is?”

“I’ve never heard you complain about this mouth before.”

“Francisco!” she cried out, blushing furiously.

“I’ll never understand why you blush when it’s only the two of us. You swear there’s anything to be embarrassed about.” He paused a moment. “How about I remind you of all the great things this mouth can do?”

“I thought you wanted to have some good sleep.”

“I can have that later.”

And he did. They both did. They slept for half of the afternoon, and when they finally did wake up, they simply showered and changed into another pair of pajamas before going downstairs to plop down in front of the couch. They spent their day watching Netflix with Thea, and when it finally came time for dinner, they were too lazy to cook so they instead ordered a pizza.

It was the perfect way to spend her last day of recess. The next morning she was back on her usual schedule. She woke at 4:30 to exercise. Did she enjoy it? Not that much, but her doctor had advised her that she had to keep her stress levels down and exercise helped with that, so she spent an hour lifting weights and doing cardio before she went upstairs to get breakfast started.

It was at a half past seven that she finally left for the office. After a month long break she was eager to get back into the swing of things. Being away from Washington always left her feeling rejuvenated and optimistic, and she was excited to put that positivity into the minimum wage fight. She was determined to see the legislation passed before the New Year rang in. And so she walked into the Hart Senate Office building with her head held high, ready to take on whatever was thrown away, except that wasn’t true. She was ready to take on political adversaries and the legislative agenda, but she wasn’t ready for other more private things, and unfortunately for her, that was what was thrown her way that morning.

When she neared her office, she noticed a cluster of reporters standing outside the door. At first she thought they were at the wrong office, they were probably looking for one of the other Senators. She remembered having heard something over the recess that a Senator had been caught misspending federal funds, but then she drew nearer and she began to recognize the faces, they were the ones that often covered her.

“Good morning,” she greeted them warmly. “Now I understand you missed me over the break, but this is a bit much.”

Her words fell on deaf ears.

“Ma’am, we’ve reached out to your office for a comment, but as of yet have not received one. Can we get one from you?” asked a reporter.

“Let’s revisit this after lunch, shall we?” Paulina proposed, trying to deflect the questions. “I have a meeting lined up right now.”

“But Ma’am –”

“After lunch,” she said firmly. “We’ll have ourselves a press conference of sorts. I’ll have Ember coordinate.”

She hoped four hours would be long enough to become informed about whatever it was they were going on about.

“Ma’am, what are your feelings regarding the death of the Prince of Wales?”

Paulina had turned her back to enter her office, but when she heard that she froze.

“What did you say?” Paulina didn’t turn around. She kept her hand on the doorknob and had to make a conscious effort to keep her voice steady.

“Prince Charles,” the reporter went on. “Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that he passed away late last night.”