by Haley Cass
And she needed to see her wife before that happened.
She smoothed her hands over the sides of her dress and drew in a deep breath as she reached the door, gathering herself before she strode back into the fray.
The second the office door was opened, she was pulled back into the energy of the night. The people who she trusted more than anything – her friends, her family – and the employees she’d trusted with her life’s work, with her campaign, milled about in nervous but excited anticipation that permeated the air, silent amongst the chatter and background music.
Some sat at desks, others stood near the refreshments that had been restocked after the big dinner had been delivered hours ago. But most everyone stood across the office in a large group, where the nervous energy seemed to make everyone restless as they all stared at the same thing. The large television screens mounted to the far wall that were all broadcasting as the votes were counted, her picture and Becker’s both on opposite corners
of each screen, with a panel of anchors volleying back and forth as the climbing tallies were projected.
The sight of it, of those votes continuing to trickle in for these final moments, clinched up the urgent feeling inside of her. The race was going to be close and would mean more to the country than she could let herself focus on at this moment.
At this moment when she knew she’d put all of her strategy and energy and effort already into this election and could no longer do anything but wait with everyone else to see what the final vote would be.
She’d spent much of the evening pacing in front of those screens with everyone else, until she’d had to take a minute to gather her thoughts by herself. Well, she thought wryly, she’d been pacing there, her shoulders –
and entire body coiled and tense – until Sutton had murmured in her ear that she should take a minute.
And her wife, unsurprisingly, had been right.
But now that Charlotte had taken that minute, she felt like she was in her own race against the clock. She needed a minute with Sutton before their lives changed forever. A moment alone.
Her eyes fell on Sutton, zeroing in on her, on the waterfall of red hair that fell over her shoulders, revealed by the sleeveless cut of her dress. Her wife might have suggested Charlotte take a moment but there she stood herself. Her hands wringing in front of her as her eyes were glued to the screen that would announce in moments whether or not Charlotte won.
She slipped through the crowd, working through the people until she made it to Sutton. Who was positively vibrating in front of her, a bright smile taking over her features as soon as she realized it was Charlotte at her side.
Before she could say anything over the din of the crowd, though, Charlotte got on her tiptoes to murmur into her ear, “Come with me, darling.”
Her hand curled around Sutton’s naturally, not needing to look to see where exactly her wife’s hand would be as she pulled back. Her skin was soft and warm under Charlotte’s palm and the energy that took up the office seemed to sizzle around them, as she tugged slightly, leading Sutton out of the room.
She drew her away from the screens, away from the people and into the hallway. It was only there that she managed to take a deep breath, when
the heavy wooden doors closed behind them.
And, of course, there was this niggling part of her – a demanding part really – that would probably never go away.
A part of her that she wasn’t sure if she’d been born with or if it had been simply embedded into her when she was so young that she couldn’t imagine who she would be without it. That was yelling at her that her life was on the line tonight, and that line was getting shorter. That she should be with everyone else inside, staring at the numbers until it was clear whether or not she’d achieved everything she’d worked to accomplish for so long.
It was that determined, motivated part of her that would not be tempered by anything, not even herself at times, that sounded like an amalgamation of both her grandmother and herself. The part of her that thirsted and burned and didn’t want to sleep at night because there was more to do in a day.
It was the part of her she’d thought would be what determined who she was for the longest time.
But an even bigger part of her demanded that she stay right here, where she was, shut away from the world she so actively fought to carve a place into. A part of her that she couldn’t have imagined even existed when she’d been younger.
A part of her that had seemed to only bloom and grow when Sutton had entered her life, a part of her that had felt like the most terrifying, life changing leap to take, but imagining her life without this part of her now made her feel bereft.
The woman in front of her was the one she’d met twenty-two years ago with an errant message on a dating app, who had tangled her up in that incredibly appealing combination of boldness and unassumingness.
She could still picture the way Sutton looked on the first day they’d met at Topped Off, the flush on her cheeks and the exact timbre of her voice.
The one who’d made her fall in love somewhere between drinking coffee and stroking her hair back when she was sick and making her laugh over late movie nights.
She didn’t think she would ever be able to get over the ease with which Sutton situated herself into her life, without Charlotte even realizing it had happened.
The one who’d confessed her love for her tearfully in a café.
The one who had packed a picnic the day after her brother’s wedding and had brought Charlotte to an alcove in the woods behind her parents’
house, looking adorably pleased with herself.
“I figured, um, this could be our first official date,” she’d said, a blush adorning her cheeks, charming Charlotte utterly and completely. “Because, you know, we’re together now and you said you haven’t had an official date, because of – well. Everything.”
The one who’d been there with her, squeezing her hand, during her first congressional election.
She’d knocked down all of Charlotte’s walls and restored them so that they’d fit the both of them. She was the one who had been there with her through everything. She was the one who made her laugh so hard she cried, who held her when she truly needed to cry. They’d brought life into this world, they’d lost family members, and it was – it was Sutton who was there at the beginning and end of everything.
The same woman and yet completely different after so many years, and Charlotte never thought she’d grow with someone like this, but here they were.
It wasn’t the first time that the magnitude of all she felt for Sutton took her breath away and made her knees feel weak, but something about this moment made her feel so reverent as she tracked her eyes over Sutton’s face.
Twenty-two years, and her wife was more beautiful than the first time she’d seen her, she thought, as she felt her heart pound in her chest.
Sutton’s blue eyes were bright, running over Charlotte’s face in confusion, as she asked, “Where are we going, love? We’re just about to see that you won!”
“I’d spent so much of my life with this election, with tonight, meaning so much,” the words felt so heavy with truth as they left her. “With this election, this night, being this make or break moment for my entire life. ”
This was in her blood, this was her life’s work, and nothing was ever going to change that.
But…
Sutton’s forehead furrowed with concern evident all over her features as her eyes searched Charlotte’s, even as a gentle, comforting grin tugged softly at those soft lips. “I know. Tonight is everything.” She nodded with her words, even as she reached out to take Charlotte’s other hand in hers.
She gripped her wife’s hands, squeezing them with this urgency she felt inside. “No,” she breathed out on a surprised laugh. “It’s actually not.”
That had been the realization, the one that felt like a stark slap in the face, the one that had stolen her breath right from her chest.
“Charlotte, what are you saying? Because we have hundreds of people on the other side of that door. Our girls, our friends and family, the top team who worked on your campaign, and the news is almost here.” Sutton shook her head slightly, amused exasperation coloring her tone.
She leaned a bit closer, the smell of her subtle perfume that Charlotte knew anywhere enveloping them as she carefully searched over Charlotte’s features. “Are you all right?” It was like the same buzz Charlotte had felt all night was also wound tightly around Sutton, and she loved her so much for it.
For all of it.
“I know you haven’t gotten much sleep lately, maybe –” The worry in Sutton’s voice grew bit by bit as she used her hold on Charlotte’s hands to pull her closer, then traced her hand up to tilt Charlotte up by the chin.
She let her, moving easily with her wife’s touch, even as she shook her head to cut her off. “No, I mean, it is important, of course. This election is so important, darling, for me. And you, and our family, and the future of our country. And I want it so badly I can taste it.” She wanted it so badly, her stomach hadn’t settled for days as they’d drawn closer to the election.
But that was just it.
She could lose this election. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility, despite how much everything inside of her revolted against the idea. She took everything that her grandmother had taught her, all of the lessons she’d learned herself, all of the wisdom and strength and support from her wife, and had turned it into a campaign that was so strong, it had been commended by many experts in the field.
But there was no guarantee.
There was so much riding on this and if she lost she would be devastated, it was true. If she lost this, she would shed actual tears. She would need to be consoled by her wife, have to take considerable time to reframe her plans and her future. That was a truth that was ingrained into her bones.
Sutton simply nodded softly, her thumb gentle as she stroked at Charlotte’s cheek, and she easily turned into the feeling, appreciating
Sutton’s patience as she waited for Charlotte to continue.
“I just need you to know, darling, that I have spent my entire life believing that if there is such a thing as destiny, that this is mine. To become the President, to change the world. And being with you strengthened that, in a way, because you make me stronger.” She bit at her lip, able to see the way her words brought that warm, loving flush to Sutton’s cheeks.
“But I…” She took in a deep, shaking breath, feeling like the world around her was shifting. “I need you to know that more than anything, you are what made this possible.” She searched Sutton’s eyes. “Maybe I would have been President no matter what, but if I didn’t have you here to do it with me, my life wouldn’t be full.”
She swallowed hard, pressing closer to Sutton, wanting to feel her as she whispered, “I don’t know if there’s a destiny, but I know that if there is, you’re mine.”
She knew it in her bones. If she lost this election, her life would be altered but it would not be over. There would be a new election, one day, there would be another chance in the future to regroup for.
If she lost Sutton somehow, it would not be so simple as to say there would be another day. A life without winning this election was still full of possibility, of more to come. A life without Sutton would be nothing.
Sutton’s hands slid to her waist, and she sighed into her mouth, her hands curling over Sutton’s shoulders instinctively as she moved onto her tiptoes to be even closer.
She could feel the way Sutton’s heartbeat skipped as Charlotte pulled her even closer and she knew her own mirrored it, as she nibbled at her wife’s bottom lip, reveling in her for a long moment. And even when she released her mouth, she didn’t pull away. Couldn’t pull away, not quite yet.
Sutton shifted, leaning her temple against Charlotte’s while her hands stroked at her hips and even though her dress, she felt herself shiver even as she leaned into her wife’s warmth.
“I think I’ve known you were my destiny since the moment I saw your picture,” Sutton whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Charlotte’s eyes fluttered closed at the way her words washed over her, the way they made everything inside of Charlotte feel better, fuller.
The way Sutton herself made Charlotte’s life feel better and fuller.
And for a few moments, they stayed there in the quiet hallway filled with only them – their voices, their emotions, just to be together for a few
moments before their lives would change forever – when on the other side of the door, their daughters, their family, and their future were waiting for them.
She felt recharged from it, even before Sutton sighed softly into her ear and leaned away, her hands sliding to land on Charlotte’s arms. “I’m happy we are having this moment to ourselves,” she began, before she bit her lip, her eyes glinting in the way that delighted Charlotte down to her toes. “But I did not campaign for years to not be in that room when we finally learn that my wife is the new President of the United States.”
A laugh broke from her lips, echoing in the hallway, even as she thought about the last interview she’d done, where an interviewer had asked if she was looking forward to being the most powerful woman in the world.
And her first response had been to tell him he should be asking that to her wife.
“And I’m going to be right by your side when Dylan Becker has to call and concede to you. I can’t wait to hear that little asshole congratulate you after everything he’s done.” Sutton sighed out an annoyed breath.
Becker’s campaign had done dirty, trying to pull out every stop in the books to try to get voters to sway toward him. It worked for most conservatives but she’d taken the highest road possible.
Still, though, she found herself laughing, affection shooting through her. “So aggressive, darling. Where is my mild-mannered wife?”
Sutton shot her a look before a glint gleamed in those bright blue eyes.
“I guess I’ve been with you long enough for you to rub off on me.”
“Lucky me.” She met her wife’s grin with her own before she nodded to herself.
Slowly, she took a step back, missing the way Sutton felt against her, but feeling readier now. Ready for whatever their future was going to show them. The tension that had coiled earlier was back now, as there was a blast of sound – shouting – from inside.
It was time.
She didn’t let go of Sutton’s hand, though, even as they started walking, wanting the connection with her. “Are you ready? Everything is going to change.”
Sutton’s hand squeezed back, blue eyes searching hers for a long moment, nothing but certainty reflecting back. “I’m ready for anything with you.”
***
Time Magazine || Person of the Year
Charlotte Thompson: The Power of a Legacy
Dec. 30 2044
As Thompson’s first term of presidency comes to an end, it would be impossible to ignore the impact she’s had on this country. With a consistently record-breaking approval rating, regularly holding firm at 85, the country has seen record lows of unemployment as the economy has soared. With a notably deft-hand at managing foreign affairs, the domestic prosperity in terms of prison and healthcare reform has been significant.
In her own right, Sutton Thompson’s very hands-on work in terms of educational support and making strides toward closing the discrepancy in social stratification has been notable. See page 10 for more details on current plans in place.
Seen as a beacon of hope for some and pillars of strength for others, the couple’s legacy and success has already made a mark.
Already hailed by many as a Golden Age for this country, we look forward to what comes next.
Afterword
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About The Author
/> Haley Cass
Haley lives in Massachusetts, where she has a love/hate relationship with the weather extremities but would also hate to live somewhere without fall foliage. She spends most of her time watching too much television with her
friends and thinking about the future.
Her mother likes to talk about the time she wrote her first story while sitting under the kitchen table for privacy. Twenty years later, she still likes to write but is slightly too tall to sit under the kitchen table.
You can follow her on Twitter (@HaleyCass1) for any updates or to pop by for any conversation!
Books In This Series
A Matter of Time
Those Who Wait
Sutton Spencer’s ideas for her life were fairly simple: finish graduate school and fall in love. It would be a lot simpler if she could pinpoint exactly what she should do when she graduates in less than a year. Oh, and if she could figure out how to talk to a woman without feeling like a total mess, that would be great too.
Charlotte Thompson is very much the opposite. She's always had clear steps outlining her path to success with no time or inclination for romance. Her burgeoning career in politics means everything to her and she’s not willing to compromise it for something as insignificant as love. Fleeting, casual, and discreet worked perfectly fine.
When they meet through a dating app, it's immediately clear that they aren't suited for anything more than friendship. Right?
Document Outline
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Afterword
About The Author
Books In This Series
