“Mr. Branson insisted that I be on standby in case you needed to leave the hotel to run any errands.”
“I’d actually prefer a day to myself. Thanks,” I said, wheeling the cart into my bedroom and shutting the door behind me without another word. I didn’t have much time to think about the unsettling look on his face when my phone notified me of a FaceTime request from my beloved sister.
“You look—”
“Like shit,” Nori finished for Daisy. They’d been finishing each other’s sentences since kindergarten, and at one point, Daisy gave up talking for a little while and let Nori speak for her.
Not much has changed twenty-five years later.
“I was going to say tired,” Daisy piped up, accepting a cup of coffee from Nori. She kissed her as thanks before focusing her attention on me.
“Well, you’re both right. I feel like shit because I’m tired.”
“I’d be tired too if I were traveling the country non-stop with my new family,” Nori added. I rolled my eyes and made my plate of cantaloupe, yogurt, bacon, and a bagel before climbing back into bed.
“I don’t have a new family.”
“That’s not what the news reports are saying,” Daisy said under her breath.
News reports? What news reports?
“I’m sorry, but I’m not following.” Daisy and Nori exchanged careful glances before Daisy asked if I’d been keeping up with the news. “Not really. Everything has been so hectic, and if the TV is on, then it’s on a child’s program.”
“Please hold,” Nori said. “I’m sending you a link.”
I squished the bagel in my hand as I read the article. I didn’t know what pissed me off more: the title, the ill-timed photo, or Todd’s statement to the press.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I murmured.
The title read:Governor Hopeful Thaddeus Branson Jr., May Have a Hopeful First Lady.
“You do look very first ladyish if you ask me,” Nori commented.
“Mhm. I thought I was the only woman in the family who could rock a pantsuit. Tuh! That pantsuit was giving me a run for my money!”
“The mauve looked absolutely stunning on you. I bought one for Daisy. Who styled you because I know you didn’t pick that suit out yourself,” Nori said accusingly.
“Todd’s stylist.”
Daisy snorted. “I never heard of a nanny being styled.”
“Todd said it was necessary because of the high-profile events I would attend with him and Pete.”
“If that’s what you choose to believe, First Lady,” Daisy teased.
“It was necessary to purchase you a $2,400 suit? That’s not even touching the accessories and heels,” Nori mentioned. “I wish I could live on your level of delusion. It must be so freeing.”
“Right? Kiyah fell down the nanny-to-wife pipeline,” my sister added. I ignored them and read the article. The first half questioned the new initiatives he was considering for Texas public schools and what he thought of rumors from his opponent that he was paying his endorsers with favors he planned to fulfill during his term. Todd answered professionally while throwing a little subtle shade at his opponent—the usual, but then the interview turned to how he was navigating the grieving process.
“I’ll be honest, I think about Anna every day. I can’t open my eyes without thinking about how her life was taken away prematurely, but with each day, I find the strength to move on little by little.”
“And by move on, do you mean with your child’s nanny?”
“Ms. Baker is a very lovely woman who has brought nothing but nurturing kindness and support while my son grieves the loss of his mother. My immediate focus is on my son and the citizens of Texas, but no one ever knows what the future has in store for them.”
“No one knows what the future has in store for them?” I read aloud, my voice coming out shrill.
“I don’t like him,” Nori mentioned with a casual shrug.