Alien in the House

Washington Wife class would have recommended, especially because there were reporters and cameramen in the room and Nathalie had said this was a historic moment, and I knew she was right.
    But if that’s what Lockwood would have suggested, then I was going to do the exact opposite. And historic events could turn into historic disasters if allowed. Besides, I had two Amazonian Princesses in the audience somewhere to continue to impress. Time to cowgirl up and channel Mom.
    Stood up straight and stepped up next to Jeff. “Excuse me, I can’t help but note that we’re fretting about what book Jeff swears on?”
    “Ah, yes, Missus Martini,” the Speaker said, seeming shocked that I was speaking. Well, no time like the present for him to learn.
    “That’s Ambassador Martini, Mister Speaker. I’ll thank you to remember that in the future, we’re a little touchy about titles. However, we’re not nearly as touchy about religious texts. I happen to be a Jewish-Catholic mix and since Representative Martini is my husband, and also since our Supreme Pontifex, the religious leader of every A-C on Earth, has said the Bible is just fine by us, use the Bible. Now. Or you can explain to the President why you’ve given me another reason to get touchy about how the U.S. government is treating my husband and people.”
    The Speaker stared at me. Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. “Well put, Ambassador, thank you.”
    I nodded and stepped back into my Good Wifely Place. The Speaker went on with his explanations to Jeff of what was going to happen.
    “I love watching you work,” Reader said out of the side of his mouth.
    “Dude, stay quiet,” I replied in the same way. “If I release the Inner Hyena I think it’ll ruin the effect.”
    The Speaker nodded to Jeff and held the Bible in his hand. Jeff put his left hand on the Bible and raised his right. Gower stood between them, a little back, giving his blessing by overseeing this event, as was the A-C requirement for this kind of thing. He looked solemn, but also proud.
    Jeff looked over at Gower, who smiled and nodded. I’d seen White do the same when he was Pontifex. Jeff nodded and when he turned back to the Speaker, he looked confident, resolved, and also proud.
    And all of a sudden this went from being something that we were worried about and an inconvenience to a moment in time I knew I would always remember because my husband was about to take a position of very public importance.
    Jeff looked the part, too. He was a natural leader, of course, and he radiated the same confidence he had when he was the Head of Field. The way the lights hit him made him almost glow.
    Slid my arm through Reader’s. He patted my hand. Found myself wishing that we hadn’t sent Christopher and White and all the others elsewhere—this was a moment they wouldn’t have with us, with Jeff. I suddenly realized why everyone’s families came to a swearing-in like this in full force.
    The cameras snapped like crazy. Jeff was going to make the front page of every paper in the world that had anyone who wasn’t totally blind in charge. Because he looked almost breathtakingly beautiful, solemn, and inspiring—like you want your elected officials to look but they so rarely did.
    The Speaker cleared his throat. “Do you, Jeffrey Stuart Martini, accept this position representing the great state of New Mexico’s Second District and do you understand that which you are accepting?”
    Jeff nodded. “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
    Jeff lowered his hand and the Speaker shook it, while they both smiled and Jeff got a standing ovation. I clapped too—it helped me focus on something besides blinking back tears.



CHAPTER 68
    N OTHING MUCH OF importance happened once the ceremony was over. We were all taken to the Speaker’s office and a tonnage of pictures were taken.
    Oliver joined us here, of course. “You look a little, oh, disappointed,” he said to me while Jeff took yet another couple hundred pictures with various politicians.
    “Long story, but some of Jeff’s closest family weren’t here. I hadn’t realized