Robert’s eyelids clung together as he groggily awoke. He felt pressure and warmth against his chest begin to stir. His wife, Meghan, readjusted herself and cuddled closer to him while still half-asleep. He had a few minutes before his alarm would go off so he elected to embrace her in return.

  Sunlight filtered in through the bedroom windows, draping golden light across the bed, inching ever closer to his face. His sleepy stupor was beginning to wane as his thoughts drifted from his wife to the impending day which he tried to resist for just a little while longer.

  After way too few blissful moments, the 9 a.m. alarm finally blared. His wife began to stir again. She turned around to face Robert and pulled him in for a long kiss. “You ready?”

  “I was born ready,” he said with a dramatized confidence.

  “Just don’t let the power go to your head.” The two of them chuckled and kissed once more before separating to get dressed.

  He exited the bedroom first, black suit, white shirt, blue tie. On his lapel stuck a small red, white, and blue flag pin. He quietly opened the door to his kid’s room. His 8-year-old’s body looked like it had been consumed by the massive bed she was unconscious on. One of her legs was outside the twisted duvet. If not for the disheveled bedding, she’d look like a right and proper princess in this room, he thought.

  As Robert approached the side of her bed, he walked his fingers along her exposed leg, tickling her awake.

  She groaned in response, “Five more minutes.” She turned her head away from him and pulled her leg back under the covers.

  “Sorry, Helly, it’s movin’ day. C’mon, your mom’s makin’ pancakes.” He bumped her leg with his arm and waited for a reaction.

  Another groan, then the mass of blankets finally began to part. He got up off the bed and left her room so she could change.

  The Blair House was one of the fanciest places he had ever stayed at. The white wooden molding rose from the ornate flooring until it gave way to colorful splashes of paint that had to have been hand painted, he thought. He navigated through what he presumed was a tearoom into the kitchen where Meghan was preparing breakfast.

  “She coming soon? We gotta get going in a little bit here.” She said, flipping a series of pancakes onto plates.

  He plucked a piece of bacon from the island and shook it above the paper towel. He took a bite out of it as he sat at the counter, “Hmmhm.” His wife was wearing a dark-navy blue gown and was wearing it well, he admitted. He appreciated her beauty for a few more moments before turning his attention to his phone.

  She finished the quick breakfast and served out the plates to the island countertop as Helly showed up in a light-purple frilly dress and plopped herself into a chair next to her father.

  Meghan leaned forward and grabbed one of each of their hands. The three of them closed their eyes as she began the prayer. “Lord, we come before you today to thank you, not only for this food, but for the incredible opportunity that you have given us. We lift you high today and ask for your grace, your wisdom, and your protection. Amen” The three of them lifted their eyes and immediately devoured their food before cleaning up and heading for the door.

  Robert helped Helly put her coat on, then his wife. She stopped him just before he opened the door, “You have your notecards? What if the teleprompters glitches?”

  “I’ve already got the whole thing memorized, love.”

  “But sti-” she began to protest before he slipped a hand into his breast pocket and showed a corner of the cards to her while smiling warmly.

  “I’m good, Meggie-baby, I’ve got this.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s alright to be nervous,” he said as he gave her a peck on the cheek and opened the door.

  They left through the front door and were immediately faced with the stiff January air, and a black government vehicle several paces away. As they approached the vehicle, Robert looked across to his left and could see the backside of the west wing of the White House. He was sad that he couldn’t see the Oval Office from this side, but he was a patient man and knew his time would come soon. He got in last, and a member of the Secret Service closed the door behind him. Helly was squished between her parents.

  “I can’t believe we’re finally going to move into the White House!”

  “What can I say, Kiddo,” Robert stuck out his chest, “stick with me and I’ll show you the world.” He smiled as he threw his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug.

  It was a short jaunt, basically across the street. He insisted they could walk but the Secret Service director really insisted they drive.

  As exciting as this day was, Robert was not particularly excited about the next part. As per the itinerary he had been briefed on the day prior, he was to meet with outgoing president Richard Price. More like Richard Prick, his VP-elect often joked.

  The vehicle came to a stop and the family exited together. They were ushered inside and escorted through the West Wing. The whole family was oohing and aahing at the decor and splendor of the structure. It held a certain sacred affectation that made Robert feel he was unworthy of merely walking its halls.

  They were brought to a large antechamber and sat at a circular table that looked it could seat about 12 people. The furniture looked more exquisite than the Blair House, which he had a hard time accepting.

  Robert was getting increasingly nervous as the minutes ticked by while they waited for the President to greet them. He always seemed like a cold and calculated man during his presidency, but as the polls began to slip toward Robert’s favor, he became more and more desperate. Pictures from his election night watch party made him look as though he was going to snap. He left the party long before the race was called. Apparently, all the money and power in the world still couldn’t keep the man from falling under his own hubris.

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  While his nerves climbed, his excitement did too. He beat the fucking bastard with 276 electoral votes. Despite all his scheming, Robert was just too good. A slight shit-eating grin rose on his face as he looked away so his wife wouldn’t catch him basking in his ego. He was excited to stick it to the man; even prepared a comedic jab in his speech.

  After a few minutes, his vice president-elect and his family entered the room. “Today’s the day, Rob!” Dylan grabbed Robert’s outstretched hand as they shook and pulled each other in for a mutual one-handed slap on the back. The two of them served together on the Senate Ethics committee for a half-decade before Robert announced his candidacy for presidency three years ago and asked for him to be his running mate. Dylan gratefully accepted since they both shared the same vision of reuniting the country after a divisive time.

  “Can you believe we’ve actually made it?” Robert let out a relieved sigh, wiping his brow.

  “It’s incredible,” Dylan began as he looked around the room, “had things gone sideways with Arizona, I don’t know that we would have made it out of this.”

  “Tell me about it. Starlet going down for sexual abuse was a godsend. Crippled the state’s GOP.”

  Dylan let out a satisfied sigh as he unbuttoned his suitcoat and sat in one of the ornate chairs next to Robert, “So, think President Prick is gonna show?”

  Dylan’s wife smacked the side of his arm, “Show some decorum! Do you even know where you are right now?” Her voice lowered into a hush, “there’s mics and cameras everywhere.”

  He shrugged in response. She scoffed at him then sat in a chair toward the far end of the table next to Meghan.

  Minutes passed. Then more minutes. Robert checked his smartwatch: 10:47 a.m. They were supposed to head for the capitol soon, but Price was still nowhere to be seen. Eventually, a member of the staff politely entered and informed them that the President will be meeting them at the capitol.

  “Well,” Dylan slapped his knees, “that answers that. Lead the way, Mr. President-elect.” He got up from his chair and stretched out an arm while bowing toward the door. Robert did as he was told and followed the staffer to the garage and into his motorcade.

  Robert silently recited his speech while his wife and Helly gazed out the windows and watched as the authoritative architecture of D.C. passed by them by. They were dropped off at the East Front of the Capitol building and quickly ushered inside by members of the JCCIC.

  “Speaker Johansson, It’s a pleasure to see you again.” An older woman in a grey pantsuit and glasses shook Robert’s hand as they continued toward the West Front.

  “Likewise, President-elect. The House is ready and willing to cooperate. We’ve already a number of bipartisan bills in the works on many of the items on your agenda.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. It’s about time we right the ship.” He smiled politely at her until she dropped her pace and fell back behind the family. The other lawmakers began to give him a wide berth, too. Robert looked out at the end of the hall and blocking the heavy double doors leading to the Inauguration stage was none other than the President.

  “Mr. Pope,” he said with a low, calm tone. A wave of apprehension and hesitation washed over Robert as he stared the man down. He willed himself to keep his pace regardless, “a pleasure to finally meet you face to face again after so long.”

  Robert finally approached and began studying his face, “Mr. Price,” he returned a forced smile while he kept his eyes locked on the muscles around Richard’s eyes, “I certainly missed our time on stage together, too.” His right brow twitched ever so subtly. Had Robert not been intentionally watching, he’d have missed it. He knew what he saw. It was Richard trying his hardest to hold himself together. Bingo.

  Dylan approached next, as he was next up in line, mouthing his speech as he waited for his cue. He stood next to Robert but didn’t bother looking at Richard. He quickly sized him up. Richard was short and stubby. A balloon of a man and just barely shorter than Dylan, who was a few inches shorter than Robert. Dylan issued out a dismissive puff as he looked back to the door.

  Clatch, the doors sounded, signaling they would be opened soon. The emcee outside was beginning to announce the lineup of people who were about to walk through the doors and take their seats on stage.

  Robert, still clutching Richard’s hand, pulled him in close and whispered in his ear, “Have fun watching me fix your mess from the inside of a jail cell, Dick.” He released, giving him the biggest shit-eating grin he could. Richard’s face turned into a tomato.

  Fuck! That felt great!

  The doors swung open. Richard and his wife walked down the carpet toward their seats first.

  “Look, you can see the steam rising off his angry little head.” Dylan leaned forward and whispered to Robert, prompting a chuckle from him.

  Dylan and his wife were next. They sauntered down the carpet toward their seats on the opposite side of the podium from the Prices.

  Robert and his family were last. As they passed the threshold of the doors and strode into the cool winter air, the screaming cheers and applause filled the National Mall with a thunderous noise that couldn’t help but warm Robert’s heart. They were cheering for him, he relished. And democracy too, of course.

  So many people were smiling and waving at him. The lawmakers and judges in close proximity to the path on stage were all pining to shake his hand and talk to him. It was a magnificent feeling, albeit a tad overwhelming. Him and his family took their seats closest to the podium.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen,” the emcee began, “the Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the Honorable Georgia Delworth.”

  A woman approached the podium, “Mr. President and Vice President, Mr. President-elect and Vice President-elect, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the inauguration of the 50th President of the United States of America.” Applause and cheers roared to life at the pronouncement. “The world is watching today as democracy engages in this peaceful transition of power.” Robert shot a look over at Richard who was staring straight ahead toward the crowds.

  Delworth continued on for another three minutes before handing it over to a priest to say a prayer over the nation. A woman came out and sang a beautiful version of My Country, Tis’ of Thee. Shortly after the applause died down, the chiefjustice of the Supreme Court of the United States was called to administer the oath of office to the vice president-elect.

  Everyone stood to their feet as Dylan and his wife approached the podium and the chief justice. Dylan put his hand on the Bible and said his lines before backing away toward their seats. It was Robert’s turn next.

  He approached and placed his hand on the Bible and lifted his right arm. “I, Robert Thomas Pope, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Unite-”

  BANG!

  Robert hit the ground, pulling Helly in and doing his best to cover her with his body. The crowd screamed and panicked as secret service members jumped on top of them. Robert thought he could hear more shots but the pressure of his heartbeat in his ears prevented him from really hearing much. He felt the weight of the several men basically on top of him, but he also felt a stinging pain in his chest begin to well up.

  He irked and groaned as the pain began to feel unbearable. His vision was becoming a blur.

  “Robert!” He heard his wife call for him as he lost the ability to hold himself over his child. He fell down onto his back despite the secret service members trying to pull him inside. He looked down to see his wife and daughter crawling toward him. Helly's dress has been stained dark purple with blood. He then looked further down toward his chest and saw that his clothes had been stained red. As had his fingers.

  Everything went black.