Thin Line
by: Rhiannon & AJ
"Mom?"
Abbey closed the door to her son's closet, "What baby?"
Brennan looked up at her, "Are you mad at the President?"
Abbey sat down next to him on the bed, "To tell you the truth, I don't know
who to be mad at."
"So you are mad?"
"Yeah... I am mad Brennan." Abbey responded truthfully. "I'm very mad about
what happened."
"It wasn't his fault, Mom."
Abbey leaned over and kissed the little boy's forehead, "I know." She tousled
his hair, "Goodnight, Brennan."
"Night Mom."
Abbey rose from his bed and walked to the door. She turned and looked back at
him, "Lights out in twenty minutes. I come back in here and find you up,
you'll be in a lot of trouble young man."
"Crap."
Abbey smiled as she shut the door and walked down the hall to Jason's room.
She tapped lightly on the door, "Jason?"
"Come in Mom."
Abbey opened the door and stuck her head in the room. She raised an eyebrow
when she saw Ariel sitting on a beanbag next to Jason's bed, "What's up?"
Jason looked to his sister, who nodded back to him. Jason turned to his
mother, "Why did those guys come after us like that at Brennan's game?"
Abbey sigh and made her way to Jason's bed, "Because that's their job,
Jason... They get paid to write about famous people."
"But we're not famous." Ariel interjected.
"The President is," Jason responded.
Abbey nodded, "That's right. The President is probably the most famous person
in the world. And ... because the President and I are planning to be married,
that makes us pretty famous too."
"Mom, this isn't fair." Ariel protested from the floor. "Everywhere we go
people stare at us! There's always Secret Service agents around. They're at
school, at practice, in our house! They're everywhere, Mom!"
"I know Ariel," Abbey replied. "It isn't fair. It sucks to have our lives
turned around like this, I know. But we've talked about this before, Honey.
The President wants the Service with us because he loves us and he wants us
safe."
"They didn't do much good today," Ariel grumbled.
Abbey looked at her daughter for a long moment, "You're right, it didn't."
She looked away from them for a long moment. Abbey pursed her lips and
glanced back at her children, "Okay ... bedtime."
Ariel nodded and walked to the door that connected Jason's bedroom with the
bathroom they shared, "Night Mom."
"Goodnight Ariel," Abbey walked to the door she entered through, "Lights out
in thirty minutes, please."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Abbey shut the door behind her and walked down the hallway into her own
bedroom. She turned on the light and sat down on her bed. Abbey lifted her
left hand up and stared at the diamond engagement ring that hadn't left her
finger since Jed had slid it on.
Biting her lip, she slid the ring off her finger and placed it on the
nightstand beside her. Letting out a ragged breath, she laid down on the bed
and continued to stare at the glittering ring.
TBC...