by Harper Bliss
“I thought I was persona non grata at the Elysée.”
A hint of smile on Solange’s face again. “How about I call you tomorrow morning and let you know if I’m free tomorrow evening?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Aurore knew how to read signals. She couldn’t be a hundred percent certain, not with someone as complicated as Solange, but she would bet a lot on getting a phone call from Solange first thing tomorrow to set up their rendez-vous.
Steph
Solange had said her goodbyes. She had even pecked Steph on the cheek, just as she had done with the others, and Steph wondered what her next move should be. She’d missed Dominique tonight. She glanced at her watch. It was past ten. Was she still working? When Steph contemplated going home, for a fraction of a second, the thought of her bed at the Elysée popped into her head. But she would be staying in Nadia and Juliette’s guest room tonight.
“Should I give the chief of staff the benefit of the doubt after tonight?” she asked her friends.
“I think she means well,” Nadia said, “but I can’t see the two of you ever becoming friends. Not like you’re friends with us. She’s just too…. square for you.”
“What? I can’t take her for a relaxed drink at L’Univers to chat about this and that?” Steph joked.
“I think she’s someone who has worked hard in her life and therefore has a bit of a difficult time relaxing,” Margot offered.
“We’ve all worked hard,” Juliette said.
“But none of us in a cut-throat business like politics. It’s so easy to criticise politicians and those who work for them, but someone has to do it,” Margot said. “Let’s not forget this woman is directly responsible for Dominique’s victory. As much as you would like Barbier & Cyr to take credit for that, and you definitely deserve some, you haven’t fought in the trenches for the past twenty years, preparing for this moment. I admire Solange. She must have made a lot of sacrifices.”
“She’s a bit reserved, but I don’t mind her at all. She showed a lot of goodwill. That must count for something, Steph?” Claire said.
“It does. But, um, what about the woman who failed to show tonight?” She glanced at her friends. “I hereby lift the ban on the D-word.”
“I’m with Claire,” Juliette said. “Solange has shown that she’s willing to do what it takes to bring you and Dominique back together. It’s only a small, first step, but that’s how everything begins. The ball is definitely in your court now.”
“I was surprised she showed up,” Steph said. “When Dominique cancelled, I took it as a given that Solange wouldn’t show up. Props to her for going against my expectations. But the fact remains that Dominique didn’t make it.”
“And it’s always going to be that way as long as she’s president,” Camille said. “The real question is whether you can live with that.”
“Or, to rephrase it in more dramatic language: is my love for her strong enough to stand by her through thick and thin?”
“Only you can answer that question,” Nadia said. “No one else.”
“I just… never thought I’d be in this position. I never thought I would have to ask myself this question. Isn’t the very fact that I’m having to ask it, proof that, perhaps, my love is not strong enough?”
“Of course not,” Zoya said. “Sometimes life is hard. Loving someone always includes making some sort of sacrifice. Weighing your options doesn’t say anything about the depth of your love. It’s just you being a thinking, responsible human being who is having very human emotions. Love is not the fairy tale that most media would have us believe. It’s hard work sometimes. As long as you believe the hard work is worth it, that you know very clearly that you’re fighting for something that will make you the best version of you, no matter the sacrifices, then it can and will prevail.” Zoya turned to face Camille, then looked at Steph again. “I was in a long-term relationship that didn’t work out, even though I believed for a long time that Rebecca and I would grow old together. Because the reality is that sometimes it doesn’t work out. But looking at you, a married and about-to-be-married couple, gives me hope for my new relationship.”
“Aw,” Steph said.
“Trust me,” Nadia said. “Juliette and I are very happily married now, but there have been times when we almost didn’t make it.”
“Same here,” Claire said. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. We’ve all had to forgive. We’ve all had to compromise and fight for what we have. Sometimes it becomes very unclear whether you and the person you love are meant to be together, but time will always tell.” She leaned into Margot. “I wouldn’t know what I would do without this one.”
“You would spend a fortune on our wedding and obsess over the table setting for an entire week straight,” Margot said matter-of-factly.
This made everyone burst into a welcome bout of laughter.
“Which is why we aren’t having a traditional dinner with everyone stiffly sat at tables for hours on end,” Claire said, after the chuckles died down. “We are going non-traditional.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Steph said. “Because I’m not sure yet about my plus-one.”
“You should come, Aurore,” Margot said.
Steph witnessed the quick arching up of Claire’s eyebrows. Maybe their invitation policy wasn’t that non-traditional.
“It has been a thrill to meet you,” Margot continued. “Some of our guests would be equally thrilled.” She elbowed Claire in the biceps. “Your brother is going to be over the moon.” She turned to Aurore again. “He’s a big fan.”
“You would be very welcome. Camille and Zoya, you too, of course,” Claire had already regrouped. The nearer she got to the actual date of the wedding, Steph thought, the more go-with-the-flow she seemed to become. Perhaps she would even be able to enjoy the day.
“I would love to come,” Aurore said. “When is it?”
Then Steph’s phone started ringing. She dug it out of her back pocket. The name on the screen said Dominique.
“Stéphanie.” Dominique’s voice was high-pitched and breathy. “I’m on my way to the hospital. Lisa’s been in an accident. She’s in the ER.”
“What? Which hospital?” Steph pushed her chair back. “I’m leaving now.”
“Nadia’s,” Dominique said, “Saint-Vincent. Will you come, please?”
“I’ll be there,” Steph repeated.
They hung up and, for a split second, Steph didn’t know what to do first. She took a deep breath. She had to call a taxi.
“What’s going on?” Margot was already on her feet.
“Lisa has been in accident. She’s been taken to Saint-Vincent. I need to get over there,” Steph said.
“I’ll drive you. I haven’t been drinking,” Margot said.
“I’ll go with you,” Nadia said. “To make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.”
Steph had had too much to drink. She had trouble processing what was happening. Only one question kept flashing through her mind: would Lisa be all right? Dominique hadn’t given any details. Maybe she didn’t have any. And now she was on her way to the hospital, where her child was going through god knows what, on her own.
“Come on,” Margot said. “Let’s go.”
Nadia put an arm around her shoulders and guided Steph to the door. “Just come with me, Steph. Whatever happened, Lisa’s in good hands at Saint-Vincent. Let’s find out what’s going on.”
Dominique
Dominique paced the length of the private room she’d been given while Lisa was being examined in another part of the hospital with her father by her side. Philippe’s partner Angelique sat on the bed. As the daughter of the president, Lisa should have been brought to the Val-de-Grâce automatically. But Lisa and Didier lived with her ex-husband. They lived most of their lives not being the children of the president, a fact that was both a source of relief and sadness for Dominique.
They both stiffened at a knock on the door. It didn’t ope
n immediately, making Dominique suspect it wasn’t a doctor waiting on the other side—unless said doctor was bringing them bad news he wasn’t keen on delivering.
Dominique pulled the door open. Stéphanie stood in front of her, flanked by Nadia and Margot.
“I’ll go see what I can find out,” Nadia said. “I’ll come back as soon as I know more.”
Dominique reached for Steph’s hand and pulled her close. “Come here.”
They fell into a tight hug that Dominique never wanted to leave. “What happened?” Steph asked.
“She somehow got her hand caught in the handrail of an escalator. At the cinema. She got dragged along until someone pushed the emergency button. Right now, they’re assessing the extent of the damage. She could lose her hand. She’s only eleven years old and she could lose her hand.”
Dominique had held back her tears in Angelique’s company, but now that Steph was here it seemed impossible.
“Oh shit,” Steph said. “Where’s Didier?”
“Sleepover at a friend’s,” Angelique said. “He doesn’t know yet. We don’t want to call him before we know more.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Dominique said and didn’t let go of Steph’s hand. She looked at Margot. “Why is it taking so long?”
“I know this is difficult, Madam President,” Margot said.
Dominique sighed. “Please, just call me by my name. In here, tonight, I’m not the president. I’m a mother who’s sick with worry for her daughter.”
“Do you know if Doctor Lamy has been paged? She’s the head of paediatric surgery.” Margot asked.
“I think I heard someone say her name earlier,” Angelique said. “But I can’t be sure. We’re being kept in the dark.”
“Just hang in there a little longer,” Margot said. Her calm demeanour infuriated Dominique. She didn’t have children. Even if she didn’t know Margot via Steph, it would be obvious by the way she stood there, oozing serenity and not saying anything of the things Dominique so desperately wanted to hear. “Nadia will be back soon.” She shuffled her weight around. “In fact, I’ll go find her.”
After Margot left the room, Steph, who was still holding Dominique’s hand, said in soft voice, “She got her hand stuck underneath the handrail? How did that happen?”
“I don’t know,” Dominique snapped. “I wasn’t there. I’m never there.”
“I was there.” Angelique had risen from the bed. “It was an accident. She must have been fiddling with it. Something must have been wrong with the escalator or her sleeve must have got caught. I didn’t see and neither did Philippe. It all went so fast.”
“I’m going to have an investigation launched into that cinema,” Dominique hissed. “I’ll have them shut down, if I must.”
“Hey.” Steph let go of her hand and stroked Dominique’s back. “Can we talk somewhere in private?”
“I’ll go into the hallway.” Angelique stood up. The tension in the room was probably starting to get to her. “I’m not recognisable the way you are.”
Dominique waited until the door had shut behind her. “This is Philippe’s fault. He should have watched her better. Why didn’t he hold her hand on the escalator?”
“She’s eleven. She’s not a toddler anymore.”
Dominique sighed. “Anyway, if it’s his fault, it’s my fault as well. We both failed her.”
“It was an accident.” Steph stood in front of her and put her hands on Dominique’s shoulders. “Let’s wait until we know more before we start casting blame.”
“This is doing my head in.” Dominique stared into Steph’s eyes. They looked a bit glazed over. “Thanks for coming. I—I know it’s not a given and…”
“Of course it’s a given. I’m your partner. For lack of a better word, I’m Lisa’s stepmother.”
Dominique brought the back of her hand to Steph’s cheek and stroked it. “God, I’ve missed you. Sorry I couldn’t meet you tonight. I really wanted to.”
“I know. It’s not important now,” Steph said.
“I made Solange go.”
This prompted a small smile to appear on Steph’s lips.
“I figured she wouldn’t have come of her own volition.”
“I’m not sure, actually. She didn’t need much persuading.”
“Something’s going on with her, but I’m not sure what.”
Dominique had missed being able to have a simple conversation with Steph. With her gone from the Elysée, her life consisted solely of work. There were no small moments of joy when she walked into the bedroom and found Steph naked under the covers. There were no random chats in the middle of the day when she checked in with her. Dominique might not have a lot of spare time to devote to her relationship, yet it was of massive importance in her life.
“Hey.” Steph’s hands slid down Dominique’s arms. “Lisa’s going to be all right. I know it. She’s a tough kid.”
“She shouldn’t have to go through this.” A tear welled in the corner of Dominique’s eye.
“You can’t protect her forever, babe. That’s not how motherhood works.”
Dominique pulled her lips into a grin. “And you’re the expert now?”
“No, but I learned from the best.”
Dominique scoffed. “I hope you don’t mean me.”
Steph grinned back. “I meant my own mother.”
“Ah yes, the formidable Isabelle Mathis.” Dominique stepped closer. “She did an okay job with you, I guess.” Their faces were so close together, but this was not the right time to kiss Steph for the first time in days. “I need you,” she said, instead of kissing Steph. “I need you more than I can say, Stéphanie. My life is not right without you. It’s grey and cloudy and gloomy. I—”
The door swung open without a knock. Instinctively, they both took a step back.
“Oh, sorry,” Nadia said. “I have an update.”
The four of them sat next to Lisa’s bed. Dominique and Steph on one side. Philippe and Angelique on the other. Instead of thinking how, between the four of them, they could have let this happen, Dominique tried to focus on the good news. Lisa’s hand would not have to be amputated. She would grow up with two hands, one of which would need time to heal and some surgery in the future. But she would heal. She was young and strong and resilient the way children are.
She needed to stay in the hospital for a few days so the doctors could monitor how badly her hand had been crushed, but after that, she was free to go home. To her father’s house.
Lisa had been distraught and in intense pain when she had been wheeled into her room, but she had soon been given heavy painkillers and a sedative. She looked so peaceful now as she lay there sleeping, as if nothing had happened. Her one hand was wrapped in a bandage, but apart from that, you couldn’t tell that she’d gone through such an ordeal today.
“Which movie did you see?” Dominique whispered.
“What?” Philippe locked his gaze on her.
“At the cinema. Which movie did you see with her?”
“Saint Germain,” Philippe said.
“I’ve never heard of it. What is that? A cartoon?”
“It’s a rom com with Romain Gaspard,” Angelique said. “She has a crush on him.”
“A crush?” Dominique struggled to keep her voice at whisper level.
“She’s growing up, Domi,” Philippe said.
Dominique suppressed a sigh. This wasn’t the time or place to start this kind of discussion, but she needed to find a way to be a bigger part of her children’s lives. If her daughter had a crush on a movie star, she shouldn’t have to hear it from her ex-husband’s new partner. Lisa should have told her.
“I’ll stay here tonight,” Dominique said. “I want to be here when she wakes up.”
“Don’t be silly, Dominique,” Philippe said, his voice stern. “I’ll stay. You need your rest. We know she’s going to be okay. You need to get back to the Elysée.”
Philippe had spoken many hurtful word
s to her in the past, but these seemed to pain her so much more. Because they questioned her devotion to her daughter.
“Lisa comes first.” Dominique squeezed the words past the lump in the back of her throat.
“There’s no need for both of us to be here,” Philippe said. Angelique put a hand on his knee.
“There is. She has two parents. I want her to see us both when she opens her eyes.” Dominique was not about to give in.
“How do you feel about a cup of dreadful tea from one of those machines outside, Angelique?” Steph asked.
Angelique took the hint and nodded. She and Steph walked out of the room.
“What’s going on with you and Steph, anyway? They might be children, but they know much more than you want them to,” Philippe said.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Philippe didn’t deserve this kind of snippiness from her. Dominique was well aware of that. But, right then, she envied him his role as full-time parent. Dominique wanted more than a Wednesday afternoon and a sleepover every other weekend. She wanted more time for her children—and for all the people she loved. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s been difficult between Steph and me. They must have picked up on that. They’re smart kids.”
“They miss you.” Philippe’s voice went low.
“I miss them.” Dominique swallowed another lump out of her throat. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” He looked at her with his kind eyes—the intense gaze she had fallen for so many years ago.
“I’ve been considering not running for a second term.”
“What?” Philippe all but shot out of his chair.
Dominique hadn’t uttered these words to anyone. She’d barely admitted to herself that this thought existed somewhere within her. Because it sounded like the utmost sacrilege to a political calling.
“Lisa and Didier matter more to me than any political position. I miss too much. If I run for another term and would be fortunate enough to win, they’ll be going to university by the time I leave office.” She shook her head. “I can’t even fathom that.”
