“Will the President address the growing class sizes and the need for
more school teachers in his recommendation to the House committee?”

“Let me emphasize that we are working closely with the Secretary of
Education and the committee to come up with a solution to address the
growing class sizes. “Bruce?”

“Does the President plan to outline some of that proposal in his speech
to the Teacher’s Association next week?”

“I do believe the President will outline some but not all of the
proposal. Next, Danny?”

“CJ, what about the health care bill, can you comment on the progress
there?”

“We’re beginning the research for the health care bill. We support the
proposal for the bill, but beyond that I wouldn’t want to speculate.
That is all for today folks the lid is on have a great day see you all
tomorrow. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.” The
Press Corp chuckled at the last remake, CJ walked out of the Press Room
with Danny in pursuit.

“CJ!” Danny shouted as he tried to catch up with her.

“Danny, What’d ya need?”

“Nice job with the health care bill.”

“Thank you, what do ya need?” she asked as she and Danny walked through
the twisting halls of the West Wing.

“I was wondering if you knew why the First Lady canceled her day and why
the President’s Chief of Staff left at lunchtime and hasn’t been seen
since?”

“Danny!” CJ stopped dead and gave the Senior White House Correspondent a
glaring look.

“In the office?” Danny asked.

“Yeah.” CJ and Danny turned the last corner, and into her office.
“Danny, today is June 1st, the President and First Lady haven’t seen
each other in weeks. Plus, It’s June 1st.”

“Oh CJ,I... how could I forget about Michael. I’m sorry.”

“It’s Okay, Danny. As for Leo, he got a call from his sister. She is in
town so he took the afternoon off to be with her.”

“Thank you CJ”, Danny said as her phone rang.

“You’re welcome.” She replied as she picked up the phone and talked into
the receiver. Danny left and closed her office door behind him.

“Hi Toby, What do ya need?”

“Just wanted to let you know the speech is done.”

“Great.”

“You can let the press in on it. We’re meeting in an hour to go over the
bullet points. Sam’s gonna come too.”

“Okay Toby, see you in the Press Room in an hour.” As she hung up the
phone she looked over at the picture on her desk, she had a funny
feeling that she was forgetting to do something today but she didn’t
know what it was.

She turned to the pile of paper on her desk hopefully she could get
something done before her meeting with Sam and Toby.

Liz and Leo walked up to the grave sight where the head stone read
Robert H. McConnel, Captain, U.S. Air Force. Liz held tightly onto Leo’s
hand as she approached the sight were her husband was buried. Leo could
tell she was holding all of her emotions inside; she was relying on him
for support as she did nine years before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liz was washing dishes when she heard a car come up the driveway. She
looked out the window and saw three Air Force officers walking up to her front door, one she
recognized as her older brother, but she didn’t know the other two. She went to the door “Le, what happened?”

“Lizzy, can we come in?”

“Le, she said uneasily as she opened the door and admitted them into the
living room. “Please be quite the baby just went down for his nap.”

“Liz, please come sit.”

Leo sat next to his sister “Lizzy, Robbie was on a rescue mission in
Israel, his plane was shot down.”

“NO!” She screamed in shock and disbelief. “Oh Leo,” Elizabeth said as
she fell into her brother’s arms.

“Ssshhhh, Lizzy it’s gonna be ...I’m gonna help you through this.”
Nothing Leo could say at this moment would help, she just lied in his
arms weeping.

“Ma’am we are sorry for your loss," said one of the officers.

“Thank you, she replied weakly still buried his the safety of her
brother’s arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo noticed that Liz began to shake as she stood in front of the
grave.

“Le, I’m lost without him, ya know.”

“I know.” He said helping to steady her.

“I miss you babe. Leo let’s go. I don’t think I can take anymore of
this."

“Okay, Do ya want go to my place?”

“Yeah,” she said with a tear in her eye as she placed flowers on the
grave. Leo helped her to a standing position, holding her in a strong
embrace. She put her head on his shoulder as they walked to the car,
her emotion now getting the best of her.

Abbey lay silently in her husband’s arms having cried herself to sleep.
Jed sat thinking of his son while watching his wife finally at peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dad! Catch.” Michael yelled as he threw the ball. Jed ran and grabbed
it out of the air.

“Nice throw, son.”

“Thanks!” Michael replied almost out of breathe.

“So how are you feeling today son. Better, I hope?”

“Yeah, but Mom still wants to run some tests, why?”

“Because we want you to get better son?”, Jed replied as the started to
walk up to the house. “How about some lunch?”

“Then can I have some ice cream?” Michael asked with a smile across his
face.

“Yes you may, after you eat your lunch,” he added firmly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jed thought back to that day, it was Michael’s last Summer. The day
after they played catch in the backyard, Alex Wilson, told his mentor
and her husband that their son had a rare form of Leukemia and that he
had at most a year to live. Jed couldn’t stand the memories that came
flooding back to him now, he had.. he still did love his son. Jed
slowly moved Abbey carefully out of his arms, and stood up quietly. He
placed a pillow under her head , bent down, and kissed her tenderly on
the forehead He couldn’t stay he had to get his mind off the pain, not off his son, he would never forget Michael.

He left the room carefully not to wake Abbey, she was sleeping finally
at peace with herself, at least for now. Jed went back to work.