In a split second, she went from lying on her stomach to sitting in a lotus position. “Oh, trust me,” she said, “it’s true.”
“Example, please.”
“Okay. He and Mom won’t let me have my computer in my bedroom, and when his brood is with us, he lets David have his.”
“You can’t have your computer in your bedroom here, either,” Lou said.
“That’s not the point. The rules should be the same for everybody.”
“How are you and Steve getting along these days?”
Lou knew the answer to that question. Renee had filled him in on Emily’s more recent flare-ups with her husband, and had even asked Lou’s help with reining in her temper.
“Steve’s all right, I guess,” Emily said. “When he’s not trying to be my father.”
“From what I’ve heard, I don’t believe he thinks of himself that way,” Lou replied. “I know he loves you, and wants only what’s best for you.”
“Well, what’s best for me is getting rid of the no-laptop-in-my-room rule.”
Lou frowned, but it was hard for him to maintain a stern expression. His daughter’s spirit reminded him of her mother.
“You know, sweetie, part of the art of living is knowing when you can break the rules, and when you can’t.”
Emily made a sourpuss face. “I prefer to follow your example,” she said. “You don’t take shit from anybody.”
“Hey, come on. You have too much class for that kind of language. And for your information, I’ve managed to get myself into quite a few pickles by not following the rules, so don’t make me your shining example there.”
“Yeah? Name one?”
“Uh … how about, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can-”
“-and the wisdom to know the difference,” Emily said, finishing the Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer that Lou had long ago imprinted on her. “Okay, but that’s different. You had a problem and you dealt with it. I’m talking about rules like what you fight against at the Physician Wellness Office all the time.”
Lou’s chest did a double-clutch. How much had Renee told her? Did she know about his suspension-that Filstrup blamed him for what Meacham had done?
“What about the PWO?”
Emily shrugged. “Just that you say you’re always fighting with your boss because you know that you’re right and he’s wrong about something. You don’t play along just to play it safe. You fight for what you believe. And I believe if David can have a laptop in his room, I can have one, too.”
Lou quickly decompressed. She knew nothing. But, he decided, it was time she did. “That’s not always a winning strategy,” he said. “There are times you can be wrong, even though you’re right. Does that make any sense?”
“No.”
“What if I told you that because of my tendency to trust my judgment
Emily went pale. “You got fired?”
“Not fired exactly, but I’m not in good standing right now with our board of directors.”
“What’d you do wrong?”
“Let’s just say that if I listened to my boss and some others who didn’t feel as strongly as I did, things might not have gotten so drastic so fast.”
“So if you hadn’t always been trying to prove that you were right, you might still be working there. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Something like that, yeah. Listen, I don’t want to see you complicate things with Steve. Give him a chance. Don’t fight him at every corner. Show him that you at least respect his judgment. Ask him what you could do to earn the same privilege that David has. Maybe the answer will surprise you. Maybe it will turn out to be something simple.”
“Now you sound like Mom.”
“Well, your mother is a very intelligent woman.”
“And beautiful.”
Lou nodded. “Yes, and beautiful.”
“Very beautiful,” Emily said.
“Very beautiful.”
“And incredibly talented.”
Lou sensed something was afoot. “Yes, your mother is very talented. She’s a great cook and fabulous dresser.”
“You forgot to mention a brilliant psychologist.”
“One of the best around.”
“And that you’ll never meet a woman who’ll compare to her.”
“Quite possibly so. It’s true your mother has set a very difficult standard to meet. And I say my nightly prayers of thanks that you inherited so many of her wonderful qualities.”
Emily was smiling-beaming was more like it. Then Lou realized that she was looking past him. He twisted around.
Renee was standing in the doorway, her set of his apartment keys in her hand. “Oh please, guys,” she said. “Don’t stop on my account.”
CHAPTER 21
Kim Hajjar beamed at the orderly behavior the children from the inner city Young People’s Chorus exhibited as they passed through White House security at the southwest entrance. No pushing. No horseplay. No yelling.
Looking like a mother duck with four dozen ducklings in tow, she led the children to the Rose Garden via a series of well-marked paths that took them around the back side of the West Wing. The chaperones flanked the line and brought up the rear of the procession.
The morning was already quite warm, and the cloudless sky guaranteed it would get even warmer. Forecasts had predicted rain throughout the day, so Kim saw the cooperating weather as a sign that the event would proceed without incident.
The buses had shown up on time. One hundred and fifty folding chairs were in perfect rows on the Rose Garden lawn, facing the podium and a set of risers. Refreshments were being served. The green, white, and orange Irish flag stood to the left side of the podium and the Stars and Stripes to the right. There was a buzz of conversation from the assembling crowd, many of whom were from a guest list that she had help to compile.
And the best part was that Martin Mallory would, in all likelihood, not be a no-show today. Kim, working with the president’s chief of staff, had assured herself of it. Just the same, she breathed easier when she saw Martin standing beside Darlene, chatting with some dignitaries. Despite his expertly applied makeup, the president looked drawn and haggard. By contrast, Darlene was radiant in a simple white Christian Dior dress and cloche hat adorned with a silk bow and rosettes.
The children filed into the Rose Garden as orderly as they had passed through security. Kim enjoyed seeing the awe in their faces as they took in the grandeur and beauty around them. The crabapple trees were no longer flowering, but the roses, tulips, primroses, and grape hyacinth were in spectacular bloom. The constant chirping of birds added a natural accompaniment to the quartet of professional musicians playing traditional Irish music.
