MS. FINKLESTEIN ARRIVED a short time later with the Lawsons, an attractive couple in their mid-to late-thirties, by Sam’s estimation. Monique, who was tall and blonde, resembled her late sister. Her eyes were red and swollen from days of crying. Her dark-haired husband, Robert, had a no-nonsense way about him that immediately put Sam on alert. The last thing Aubrey and Alden needed was a stern guardian.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Robert said, clearly dazzled to be in the home of the vice president and to be shaking his hand. “I’m a big fan and supporter.”
“Thank you,” Nick said.
Sam could tell Nick was unimpressed with a guy whose first thought wasn’t for his grief-stricken niece and nephew.
“Aubrey and Alden,” Elijah said, “you remember Aunt Monique and Uncle Robert, right?”
The children huddled into their brother’s embrace.
“You guys have gotten so big!” Monique said as she sat next to the three of them on the sofa. “Your mom sent me pictures, but they didn’t do you justice.”
Sam wondered if five-year-olds knew what that meant.
“They’re a little overwhelmed,” Elijah said as he rubbed their backs.
“Totally understandable,” Monique said. “Shall we head to the hotel?”
Alden whimpered and clung to Elijah, while Aubrey began to cry.
Sam’s eyes filled with tears, but after the advice she had given Elijah, she decided she needed to help him, not make everything worse than it already was. “Hey, guys,” she said. “Your aunt and uncle have come so far to see you. They want to help you. We packed up all your toys and new clothes and Alden’s blanket.”
“I don’t want to go,” Aubrey said between pitiful sobs that broke Sam’s heart.
The little girl threw herself into Sam’s arms, holding on to her for dear life. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” Sam said, hating herself for lying to the child. Nothing would ever be okay for her again. “Your aunt and uncle want to help you and your brother.”
“I want to stay with you,” Aubrey said, choking on sobs. Her little arms were tight around Sam’s neck. “Please don’t make us go.”
Elijah looked stricken as the scene played out.
“Who’s in charge here?” Robert asked, hands on his hips. “The kids or the adults?”
Sam wanted to punch him in the face, but since she couldn’t do that, she rubbed soothing circles on Aubrey’s back and breathed in the fresh, clean scent of her soft hair.
“I’m sorry you came all this way,” Elijah said softly, so softly that no one but Sam heard him over the heartbroken sobs of the children.
“You take Aubrey, Monique,” Robert said. “I’ll take Alden.”
“No,” Elijah said, his roar silencing his weeping siblings. “No.”
“Excuse me?” Robert said, eyebrow raised in annoyance.
“I’m sorry you came all this way, but they’re not going with you.”
Hearing that, Sam wanted to stand up and cheer.
Shock registered on Robert’s face. “Now wait just a minute—”
Sam rocked Aubrey while Elijah tended to Alden.
“It’s okay,” Elijah said. “You don’t have to go with them. We’ll figure out something.”
“I can’t believe this,” Monique said. “We were told they needed a home. We’re willing to take them.”
“No,” Elijah said, his jaw set as he met her furious gaze. In his eyes, Sam saw resolve and determination. “My dad and Cleo made me their legal guardian, and they are not going with you.”
“God, you’re just like your father, aren’t you?” Monique said, her tone shrill. “It was always his way or the highway.”
“If you think you’re insulting me by comparing me to my father, you’d be mistaken,” Elijah said. “He was the finest man I ever knew.”
“That fine man got my sister murdered!”
“Actually,” Sam said, “the reason they were murdered was because of a traffic accident that she was in.”
“You’re actually blaming her?” Monique asked, seeming astounded that Sam would have the audacity.
“Nope,” Sam said. “I blame the people who carried out the crime. But her traffic accident was what put them on the radar of the men who’ve been arrested—not your brother-in-law. And I don’t think we need to be having this conversation in front of the children, do you?”
“Let’s go, Monique. Clearly we aren’t needed here.”
His wife cast desperate eyes on the backs of her niece and nephew. “But—”
“Let’s go!”
Aubrey startled at the angry tone of his voice.
“Shhh,” Sam said, softly. “It’s okay. He’s leaving.”
“We’ll be at the W if you change your mind,” Monique said to Elijah.
“Thank you, but I won’t.”
“You’re not in any way equipped to raise these children,” she said with a nasty snarl.
“I’m certainly better equipped than you are. Now please go. You’re not needed here, and you’re making everything worse.”
Monique grabbed the purse she’d placed on the coffee table and followed her husband out the door.
For a good two minutes after the door closed behind them, no one said anything.
Aubrey finally broke the silence. “Thank you for making them go away, Lijah. I don’t like them.”
“I don’t either, honey. Don’t worry. You won’t have to see them again.” He had just made the first of what would be countless decisions on their behalf, but when his gaze met Sam’s, all she saw was despair.
* * *
HOURS LATER, after the kids were in bed, Sam and Nick sat with Elijah in the kitchen.
“I’ll leave school and buy a house for the three of us. I’ll have Milagros come back to help me take care of the kids. She loves them as much as I do. I can make this work. My dad left us with the funds to do whatever needs to be done. I can’t leave them. They need me too much.”
“You could transfer to a school in DC,” Nick said. “Maybe Georgetown? I could make some calls and see what I can do.”
“Maybe. I’ll think about that.”
“I’d like to toss out one more option,” Sam said tentatively.
“What’s that?” Elijah asked.
Sam’s heart beat so hard and so fast she felt breathless, but she knew if she didn’t make the suggestion, she would always regret it. “Leave them here with us while you finish school. You could come here for every long weekend, vacation, holiday. We would take care of them for you until you finish school. At that point, we can reevaluate and decide next steps.”
“That’s too much to ask of you guys.”
“You’re not asking.” Sam glanced at Nick, who nodded in support. “We’re offering. Our lives are crazy and unpredictable, but we’re surrounded by an incredible support system, and the children would have a large and loving family around them every day—and they could remain in their school, which would bring some normalcy back to their lives.”
“If we were to have legal custody of the children,” Nick added, “they would receive Secret Service protection as well. We could set it up so you make all the big decisions, but we handle the day-to-day for you until you’re able to do it yourself.”
“Why would you want do this for three people you didn’t even know a few days ago?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Sam said, smiling, “but everyone associated with this household has fallen in love with them.”
Elijah offered a weak smile. “They’re easy to love.”
“Indeed,” Sam said. “One thing that needs to happen sooner rather than later is counseling for both of them. If you’d like, I can get you some names of people who specialize in grief and trauma for children.”
“That’d be very helpful.”
“You don’t need to decide anything right now,” Nick said. “We have Sam’s partner’s wedding on Saturday, and on Sunday, we’re due to leave for a week in Europe. You and the children are welcome to stay here while we’re gone, and Shelby would be happy to help you with the kids. Take the time you need to make the best possible decision for all of you. We’ll respect whatever you decide, and you’ll have our support no matter what you do.”
“I wish my dad was here to tell me what to do. He always knew what to do.”
“He and Cleo put tremendous faith in you by making you the children’s guardian,” Sam said. “You’ll do the right thing, Elijah.”
“I hope you’re right.”
* * *
THE NEXT DAY passed in a blur of details, paperwork and press briefings as the full story of the murders made the national news, thrusting Sam and her team into the spotlight she detested. She went through the motions, dotting the is and crossing the ts to make sure there was no way Klein and Baker wouldn’t be convicted and sent away for life. All the while, she tried not to think about what might happen next with the kids.
For now, Elijah was following their advice to take his time to make the best possible decisions for the kids. The three of them attended the memorial service for Jameson and Cleo Armstrong, going out of their way to avoid the aunt and uncle who had upset them.
On Friday night, Sam was awake for hours after she went to bed, which didn’t bode well for the pictures at Freddie’s wedding the next afternoon.
“What’re you thinking about?” Nick asked.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Not going to happen tonight. Too much on my mind. I can’t stop thinking about that horrible couple who had no idea how to deal with traumatized kids. Not that we know much better, but anything would be better than them.”
Sam shuddered. “They were horrible.”
“I’m glad Elijah spoke up, and I didn’t have to beg him not to give the kids to them.”
“I know. Me too.”
Sam turned over and curled up to him. “We have no business offering to take them in.”
He put his arm around her. “Maybe not, but if they need us, we’ll make it work. Somehow. I just want you to remember—our family was perfect before them, and we’ll be perfect after them, no matter what Elijah decides.”
“I know, but we’d be much more perfect with them.”
“Samantha.”
“Don’t worry. I’m keeping it real.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah.” She said what he needed to hear but didn’t want to think about Aubrey and Alden—or even Elijah—exiting their lives.
Though she hadn’t expected to sleep, she awoke from a deep, dreamless sleep at nine o’clock. She looked over to find Nick’s side of the bed empty and forced herself to relax while she could. Hair and makeup people were due at two to beautify her for the four o’clock ceremony. She sent a text to Freddie.
How you holding up?
Fine.
You need me over there?
Absolutely not.
Sam chuckled at his reply.
I’m hurt.
No, you’re not. You want to be home with your family today.
You’re right. But I’m here if you need me.
I need you at three thirty at the observatory.
I’ll be there with bells on. The midget strippers are coming too.
Before his bachelor party, she’d tortured him with hints of what she had planned, which was in fact an elegant dinner party for him and Elin.
Shut up, Sam.
Make me.
I’m getting married today. Leave me alone.
She laughed at the predictable reply and responded with one of her own.
Why should today be different from any other day?
Her beloved Freddie was getting married. The thought brought tears to her eyes, probably the first of many on what promised to be another emotional day.
Sam heard whispers outside the door and wondered what was going on. A soft knock on the door had her sitting up in bed and pushing her hair back from her face.
Nick poked his head in the door. “We made breakfast. Are you interested, and more important, are you decent?”
“As decent as I ever am.” She’d slept in one of his T-shirts, but she pulled the covers up around her waist anyway.
“Go ahead,” Nick said.
Scotty carried the tray while Aubrey and Alden “helped” him.
“What’d you guys make?” Sam asked.
“Pancakes, bacon and eggs,” Aubrey said.
Alden was, as always, quieter than his sister, but he took in the goings-on with interest. “This looks yummy,” Sam said, smiling up at Scotty when he placed the tray on her lap. “Did you cook?”
“I helped,” Scotty said, “but Dad did most of it.”
“We helped too,” Aubrey said.
“I’m sure you did,” Sam said, ruffling her hair. “You want some of my bacon?”
“Scotty and Lijah are going to take us to the park,” Aubrey said. “We just hafta wait until...” She looked to Scotty. “Who has to go with us?”
“My Secret Service detail,” Scotty said.
“Oh yeah,” Aubrey said. “They have to come. What’s Secret Service again, Scotty?”
“My dad is the vice president, so they keep us safe.”
“I wish my dad had been vice president,” Aubrey said solemnly.
Before they could react to that heartbreaking statement, Debra Nixon, the lead agent on Scotty’s detail came to the door. “Pardon the interruption, but we’re set to go, Scotty. If you’re ready.”
“We’re ready,” Scotty said. “Come on, guys. Let’s go.”
Aubrey and Alden bounded off the bed and followed Scotty out the door.
“It’ll be good for them to get outside after being cooped up the last few days,” Nick said as he closed the bedroom door and then stretched out next to Sam on the bed.
“Definitely.” She took a bite of bacon and fed some to him. “Thanks for breakfast in bed.”
“Glad you got to sleep in.”
“Did you sleep at all?”
“A little.”
“It’s going to be a long, emotional day and I’m already emotionally drained.” Waiting for Elijah to decide what to do with the kids had taken a toll on them both over the last few days, but they were giving him space and breathing room to think.
“I know, babe. So am I. But we’ll rally for Freddie and Elin.”
She linked her fingers with his. “Yes, we will.”