The Reluctant First Lady Read Free

expressions on Ed’s and Jack’s faces. They looked as if Ashley were a cobra ready to strike. It wasn’t funny. Nothing about this situation was funny, but for some reason, their facial expressions reminded her of the words from a nursery rhyme she used to read to her kids. “Run, run, as fast as you can; you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man, I am, I am.” Michael had run and had won; there would be no more running.
    Ashley was aware that Jeremy and Juliette had flanked her sides. They were determined to weigh in on anything their mother had to say. Good grief, you teach them to talk when they’re little, and when they grow up, they argue and become opinionated and never shut up.
    “Mom,” Juliette said, “please, think about what you’re doing. Won’t you change your mind? How often does your husband get elected president? Can’t you give up your career just for a little while?”
    “Do you know what you’re asking, Juliette?” Ashley said. “Would you expect your dad to give up his political career for my job? Probably not. I hope if I’ve taught you anything, it’s that as a woman you have the right to choose your own path. You don’t have to follow in a man’s footsteps. Just because I’m a woman, the first thing people assume is I should give up my career. That’s completely unfair to me. I’ve worked every bit as hard to get where I am today as your dad has worked in his career.”
    Juliette tried again, “But, Mom . . .”
    “No, Sis, Mom’s right.” Jeremy jumped into the fray. “Mom’s never lied. The reason this is all so convoluted is because she’s the first one to take this position. I agree with her. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong, or good or bad; it’s just that no one’s ever challenged the status quo before.”
    Ed leveled a less-than-pleased look at Ashley. “You realize that your husband was just elected president, and before he’s even sworn into office, you want the people who voted for him to deal with your news. Ashley, please reconsider. You’re not being fair to Michael.”
    “I know that’s what you believe, Ed. It’s in the mind-set you grew up with. I understand where you’re coming from. I don’t want to hurt him or his administration, but this should have been dealt with from the start. Then maybe it wouldn’t be such a huge elephant in the room. Will it really be so shocking for America to hear that even the president and his wife are a two-career family? I don’t think you’re giving the American people enough credit. Unfortunately now it’s bound to become a bigger story than it needs to be. Did you all think I was going to change my mind?
    “I just walked out on stage in front of most of America and acted as if we were all one big happy family; here we are, folks, the next First Family. When the news breaks regarding my decision, it’s going to make me look like a liar and a traitor to my husband. Neither of those scenarios sits well with me. We should have been up-front from the beginning.
    “I don’t want to ruin this night for Michael. But, please, start trying to figure out how to deal with this. I’ll be heading back to New York in a day or two, and people are going to want to know what’s going on. I feel like we’re already behind the eight ball.”
    Applause and pandemonium broke out on the other side of the curtain, indicating Michael had reached the end of his speech.
    A stage manager nodded and, with Ashley and the twins leading the way, followed by the vice president-elect, his wife, and family, she stepped onto the stage and into the bright lights. The noise from the crowd grew in intensity as each of them came into view. They all walked forward to stand beside Michael, Ashley and the twins to his left; Robert Hughes, Catherine, and their children to his right.
    The chaos and elation vibrating through the crowd was intoxicating. Cheers from a wildly