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When Kian was nine, he asked his security detail to come to Show and Tell.When Catherine was twelve, she ran away from home. Kent was a little later home than normal, so she ended up waiting around at the bottom of the driveway until he arrived home. So, he could tell Selina that Catherine had run away from home.When Kian was twelve, his mother decided it was time to have The Talk. He listened politely while she talked in a vague way about love, commitment, and The One. Then he asked her how she knew his father was The One when she had sex with him on their first date.When Catherine was fifteen, she spent two days in bed crying because Chad Lowell fingered her behind the ladies’ restroom at Six Flags, and then told everyone she put out on the Teacup ride. When Kian was eighteen, he had the other Talk with his father. The Talk about respect, empathy, and dignity. The Talk, in fact, about How to Be A Man. Not the talk about how to behave towards women. Seventeen was far too late to have a conversation about that, as if a conversation would ever be enough. It was something that had to be shown, not told.When Catherine was eighteen, her mother ran for her party’s nomination for president. Catherine begged… no, Catherine thought about begging her not to run, but in the end she didn’t. When Kent quietly asked her how she felt about it, she shrugged and mumbled. When Kian was nineteen, his mother became president.When Catherine was twenty-two, her mother became president.‘This is the thing that gives my miserable childhood some meaning,’ Catherine said.‘Is there some kind of privilege thing with the Secret Service?’ Kian asked. ‘Like with attorneys and clients?’‘What the fuck did he mean by that?’ Selina asked, poking her salad with a fork.‘He’s twenty. He thinks nobody else ever smoked pot,’ Kent said.Selina sat back. ‘Tell him Catherine does, if her completely dweebiness doesn’t make pot desperately unfashionable then nothing will.’Kent looked at her silently.‘What?’ she asked guiltily.‘You know what.’Selina pulled her face. ‘Just because you’re her stepfather doesn’t mean you have to take her side.’Kent shrugged. ‘It kind of does.’***Andrew cheated. It was almost patho-fucking-logical. It had taken her a long time to realise, a longer time to come to terms with it, and way too fucking long to stop caring. By that time that they were married, and she was stuck with the philandering asshole. At least, being stuck with him was how it was supposed to go. The advice from her advisors was that the best she could hope for was discreet affairs for both of them. Like Andrew even knew the meaning of “discreet.”She tried. She feigned interest in or enthusiasm for the young men that were found for her. Too young, mostly, because her advisors were more used to accommodating male politicians. They rarely preferred maturity.But there were times when she couldn’t avoid spending time with Andrew: events, functions, and family occasions. Most of the time they barely tolerated each other. The rest of the time they either argued furiously or banged furiously, or both.Mostly both.*** She met Kent at an MIT dinner. Andrew was supposed to be there but had fucked off to fuck over some investor, that was worse than the cheating. Adultery could be spun to make her sympathetic. Being married to a fraudster was unforgiveable.So here she was sat next to this math professor, better dressed and better looking than the rest. Instead of leering or trying to flirt he asked about her economic policy and her voting record. Grilled her, might be more accurate. It was bracing. More like a debate than a dispute. It was good to give her mind a workout.Later on, he gave body a workout.Afterwards, she took a shower and came out to find him working on his huge desktop computer.‘You’re the kind of guy who screws married women, huh?’ she teased.He took a gulp of his coffee. ‘Does it count when your husband is shacked up with a surfing instructor?’‘Probably not,’ she said. ‘Where’d you hear that?’He waved a hand. ‘Your assistant was yelling about it down the telephone.’She rolled her eyes. ‘Great.’She sat on the desk beside his computer and watched him notice her thighs. The trim legs that flexed as she crossed them at the knee.‘It’s not that unusual is it?’ He sounded distracted. ‘To live separate lives seems the norm for politicians.’‘Doesn’t mean I enjoy it.’He looked up at her. ‘If this were a movie, this would be the part where you convince me to kill your husband.’She snorted. ‘I met you a few hours ago. I wouldn’t co-sign a loan with you. I sure as hell don’t know you well enough to plot a murder.’‘That’s fortunate,’ he said, leaning back. ‘I don’t need a loan.’* * *She heard Amy tap her foot. Selina sat back on the toilet.‘Guess my shy bladder is screwing up your schedule,’ Selina called through the door.‘Of course not, Ma’am.’Selina cleaned up, opened the door, and handed the test to Bert. He stared at it in disgust.‘Go away and tell us when there’s an answer,’ Amy said, as if talking to an imbecile.‘Gotta replace him,’ Selina said as Bert scrambled away.‘Seriously,’ Amy agreed. She looked up from her cell. ‘I thought we agreed you were gonna disentangle yourself from Andrew?’Selina straightened her dress. ‘Uh-huh.’Amy drew her brows together. ‘Is it the math nerd’s kid?’Selina nodded too many times. ‘Maybe.’‘Maybe?’‘Probably not,’ Selina admitted. ‘Dates don’t add up.’‘A math guy would notice that.’‘Ya think?’ Selina rolled her eyes.Amy rubbed her forehead. ‘Only kid in history where being the lover’s kid would be preferable.’Selina headed to the staircase. ‘Fucking Andrew.’‘That’s your problem,’ Amy agreed.Selina shot her a look. ‘I haven’t slept with Andrew since I’ve been seeing Kent.’Amy held up her hands. ‘I didn’t ask.’‘I don’t know what I’m going to tell him.’ Selina sighed quietly. ‘It’s only been a couple months. I can’t ask him to deal with all this shit.’Amy’s shoulders hunched. That wasn’t anything new. Her shoulders spent a lot of time by her ears. This time it was more than just her regular neurosis. She was always uncomfortable as hell with any kind of emotional discussion. ‘You have to keep the baby,’ she said.‘Yeah, I know that.’Amy pushed her hair out of her face. ‘Divorce Andrew. Dump the math nerd. The single mom thing... that’s gonna be tricky to start off. You’ll need to get married again in like... a year. Eighteen months.’‘To who? You just had me divorce one guy and break up with another.’***Look, Selina wasn’t good with confrontations. If she had to do it for work then okay, that’s what she’d do. In her personal life though... she avoided it as much as possible. Bert was refusing to do it now, useless fuckwit, so she was stuck with it.She couldn’t stand still, instead walking back and forth as Kent made coffee. His place was much smaller than she was used to, but cosy in its way.Archimedes stretched out; all four legs stretching out, back arching, and mouth opening in a wide yawn.‘It can’t be hygienic having that animal in the kitchen,’ Selina said. Nonetheless she scratched under the cat’s chin.‘He’s a good deal more hygienic than much of your staff.’ Kent turned and gave her a coffee. ‘You’re looking a little peaky. I heard you throwing up this morning.’Fuck, fuck, fuck.‘I’m four months pregnant,’ Selina said.His fingers tightened around the cup. ‘Four.’‘It’s Andrew’s,’ she said. ‘I have to keep it. The polls would just kill me if there was ever even a hint that I’d had an abortion.’He pursed his lips. ‘Not the best reason to bring a child into the world.’‘Don’t be so fucking naive.’Kent put down his cup of coffee. ‘Are you and Andrew...’‘Divorce,’ she said.He raised his eyebrows. ‘I suppose that pregnant and divorced will earn you some sympathy.’‘I’ve got two years before re-election,’ Selina said. ‘It’s a long time in politics.’Kent nodded. ‘But your child will be a toddler. That might be difficult for you.’She pulled a face. ‘Small children are gross. They’re wildly overrated.’He smiled slightly. ‘Your poor child.’‘Don’t make out as if you like the grubby little monsters.’ Selina wrapped her hands around the cop of coffee. ‘Stick to your cats. Much less hassle.’‘I do actually like them,’ he said. ‘I’m extremely fond of my sister’s children.’‘Oh.’ She sipped her coffee. ‘Well, that’s that.’He looked at her blankly.Shit.Selina squared her shoulders. ‘The narrative is: poor, pregnant, cheated on wife. Get a divorce, struggle as a single mom for a while, get engaged just before the election, get married just after. Huge congratulations.’ She waved her hand. ‘It’s nothing new for politicians to find willing partners to look pretty, smile, and not be too embarrassing.’He put his cup down. ‘That’s monstrous.’‘It’s politics. I knew what I was signing up for.’‘Your child didn’t sign up for a loveless marriage.’She threw up her arms. ‘Four months is not a child!’Kent narrowed his eyes. ‘That is only relevant if you are getting an abortion. You say you’re not.’‘Whatever. I’m not here to argue ethics with you,’ she retorted.He folded his arms. ‘I assume you’re here because Bert refused.’‘He’s such a pain in the ass. I need to replace him like yesterday.’Kent didn’t say anything. He didn’t look away either. Just stood watching her like she was a bug or something.‘Look, Kent, we... we had some laughs, right? And... and we’ve only been seeing each other a couple months.’ She licked her lips. ‘It’s been pretty much sex. Not even seeing each other properly.’‘That was your choice,’ he said.‘Didn’t hear you arguing.’ She thrust out her hand. ‘So, no hard feelings.’‘I think you should go,’ he said quietly.She dropped her hand. ‘Fine. Be a fucking child about it.’He tightened his jaw. ‘Your definition of immaturity is a failure to meekly acquiesce to your desires irrespective of my own feelings in the matter. I suppose it’s best to know that now.’‘Yeah, we’re both learning shit right now,’ she sneered.***Andrew had “an existing appointment” when Selina gave birth. She told herself that was fine. That she was better off without that useless, selfish fucker. She was better off with Amy holding her hand and slowly turning the colour of flour.She didn’t care when Kent sent a text wishing her well. She didn’t care. Why the fuck would she? That was months ago. Old news.Post-natal depression was hormones, you know? That was all. A drip of chemicals here. A dribble there. It wasn’t real. It didn’t mean anything. She didn’t need someone to hold her hand. She sure as fuck didn’t need him hovering around. Being… male at everything.She’d liked Kent. She’d loved Andrew, sure, but she’d never liked him. She’d liked Kent, and maybe that was more important. She knew love couldn’t become like, but maybe like could become love.Sentimental fucking nonsense. Kent was gone. Andrew was as good as gone. Fucking men. You couldn’t trust them, and you couldn’t rely on them.‘He’s called again,’ Amy said, playing with a lock of her hair.Selina, not looking at the cot, pushed it away. ‘Andrew? Tell him to agree child support and then we can talk.’Amy scowled as poked her cell. ‘Kent Davison,’ he said. ‘The math guy?’Selina hunched her shoulders and pulled the covers around her. ‘Jesus, what does he want? I don’t know any Ivy League assholes to employ him.’Amy pushed her hair out of her face. ‘He’s got tenure at MIT.’Selina blinked. ‘Seriously?’‘Fuck knows what “tenure” means,’ Amy said. ‘But he’s got it, whatever that means.’Selina leaned back against her pillows. ‘It’s the academic holy fucking grail. Means you can’t get fired unless you do something absolutely fucking outrageous.’Amy nodded automatically. ‘Like congress.’Selina snorted. ‘I wish.’ She licked her lips. ‘What did Kent want?’The younger woman looked blank. ‘You want me to ask?’Selina shook her head. ‘It’s not like there’s any point.’ She looked down at her hands. ‘I blew that one. No man wants to deal with another man’s kid. Let alone another man’s baby.’ She looked across at Catherine, lay in her crib, gurgling at her mobile. ‘Thanks for nothing,’ she said.***When Catherine was twenty-three, she wasn’t arrested. Three different police officers and four secret service officers told her that she wasn’t under arrest. She just… had to wait in the cells while the whole situation was sorted out. But she wasn’t under arrest. Definitely not.She swung her feet and didn’t look up as the mattress depressed. She knew it wasn’t her mom. Her mom wouldn’t come inside the gross cell and she sure as fuck wouldn’t sit down on the bed.‘How much trouble am I in?’‘Hmm, about a six,’ Kent said.‘Out of five?’It wasn’t a good joke. It wasn’t very clever or witty. Nonetheless Kent gave a quiet chuckle.‘Out of ten,’ he said. ‘I’m not suggesting that you consider it insignificant, but in the grand scheme of things… It’s quite unlikely to bring down your mother’s presidency.’Catherine gave him a sideways glance. ‘I’m just an embarrassment.’He wasn’t supposed to think about it. He wasn’t supposed to look at her as if he was deciding how much of her bluff to call.‘What were you hoping to achieve?’ he asked.‘Um, to get high.’ Catherine chewed her lower lip. ‘Does mom know?’‘Was that the point?’ he asked. ‘To get her attention?’She pulled a face. ‘I’m not a little kid having a temper tantrum.’ She glanced at him. ‘It’s not a big deal. Kids smoke weed. It’s no big deal. Even my mom did when she was in college.’Kent nodded. ‘She wasn’t arrested. You’re resourceful enough to obtain intoxicants without being arrested. You have the intelligence and capacity to deal with the situation before it reached this point.’‘Obviously not,’ she sulked.Kent nudged her with his shoulder. ‘I was going to take you home but perhaps you’d prefer it if I left you here overnight. You could really perfect your martyrdom.’‘Shut up,’ she groaned. Then she returned the nudge. Bumping her shoulder against his as she had done a hundred times before.Kent nodded. ‘Okay. Are you ready to go?’Catherine stood up. ‘Thanks for… you know. Coming to pick me up.’‘I did consider making you walk home,’ he said. ‘But then the secret service would complain at having to walk all that distance with you.’Catherine took his arm as they walked out of the cell. ‘They don’t complain, do they?’‘Oh sure. Just not where they can be heard by their charges. They have quite a strict code of professional behaviour.’Catherine thought about it. ‘They must get frustrated a lot. Nobody who works for mom is professional at all.’***Amy was chewing her hair. It was a gross habit and one that always meant something had gone completely to the crapper. Selina set her shoulders as Amy scurried over.‘Okay, the good news is that the fundraiser is ready for tonight,’ she said.Selina thought longingly of cigarettes. ‘What’s the bad news?’Amy straightened up. ‘You remember that guy you dated a while before you got pregnant? Nerdy math guy.’‘Kent Davison,’ Selina said.Gary sniffed. ‘That man. He called after Catherine was born.’Amy nodded. ‘Yeah. Him.’Selina waited two beats. ‘Well? What about him?’Amy pushed back her hair. ‘He’s out there. At the fundraiser.’Selina turned to the door. ‘What the fuck for?’‘He’s working as a consultant for PharmaTec,’ Gary said. He shrank back at their glares. ‘You haven’t mentioned him in months,’ he said weakly.‘He knows some shit,’ Amy said. ‘Shit that could be damaging.’Selina nodded. ‘Right. That’s why it’s bothering me. That.’***They screwed in the store room. She serviced him on the stairs. He bent her over in the bedroom.Catherine began crying a little after six. Selina felt Kent turn over in the bed.‘The nanny’ll get it,’ she mumbled.‘So early?’‘Night nanny,’ Selina said, eyes closed.‘Didn’t she go out for something to eat a little while ago?’‘Where are you going?’ she asked, as she felt the bed move.‘Won’t be a moment,’ he said.Selina sat up and watched him pull on his boxers before walking into the other room. She got up, pulled on a robe, and padded to the door. She chewed her lip and peeped through the little gap.Kent was over by Catherine’s cot. The nearness of a man she didn’t know did nothing to stop Catherine’s wails.Then Kent scooped her up with the overly careful, uneasy grasp of someone well-meaning but inexperienced.‘You’re gonna drop her,’ Selina said, hurrying over to him.‘I’ve got her,’ he said, tentatively holding her against his shoulder. His hand spanned Catherine’s back.After a few moments the wailing dropped to a lot grizzle.‘Where the fuck is the nanny?’ Selina demanded.‘You want to hold her?’ Kent asked.Selina snorted and walked back towards the connecting door. ‘Uh, no. That’s what I have nannies for.’‘I heard your tone,’ Kent said quietly. ‘When you thought I might drop her. You didn’t sound nearly as uncaring and uninvolved as you pretend.’‘Oh Jesus, I’m a woman so I gotta be maternal?’ she sneered.Kent put Catherine back in her cot. ‘No, not at all. I’m not speaking to some idiotic assumption of female behaviour.’ He put his hands on his hips. ‘There is no shortage of parents who resent their children.’Selina waved her hand. ‘If I want therapy then I’ll get a shrink. It’s not what I’m looking for from you.’He cocked his head. ‘She’s going to be looking for things.’‘Yeah, well, right now she’s looking for food, sleep, and someone to clean up her mess,’ Selina said. ‘Anything else, I’ll deal with as it comes up.’***When Catherine was twenty-three, she regretted borrowing Kian’s laptop.‘You’re disgusting,’ she said, slamming the lid shut. ‘This is disgusting! How can you have so little respect for women?’Kian considered the question. ‘How is it disrespectful to support female entrepreneurs making their way in the world with their unique talents?’Catherine pulled a face. ‘Cam girls are not entrepreneurs!’‘I don’t see why not.’‘I’m gonna tell mom.’He shrugged. ‘Can I watch?’She screwed up her face. ‘Watch me tell mom that her only son spends money on prostitutes?’Kian pulled the equivocation expression that she’d seen on Kent’s face all too often.‘Sex workers,’ he said.‘Same thing!’‘Not exactly, and anyway you can’t say “cam girl” or “prostitute” without going bright red so I would love to see you tell mom.’ He shrugged. ‘Not that she’d care.’Catherine pursed her lips. ‘Because you can do no fucking wrong?’‘Um, because they watch porn,’ Kian said. ‘Remember when you had a nightmare and you ran into the bedroom and they were watching something with whips?’Catherine pushed the laptop away. ‘Oh yeah. And now she’s into all that Fifty Shades of Grey shit.’‘Dad says it’s really badly written,’ Kian said.Catherine shuddered. ‘I didn’t need to think about Kent reading it.’‘It gets worse,’ Kian said. ‘He was talking to Marjorie.’‘You liar.’ Catherine fought a giggle. ‘They don’t talk about that stuff.’‘Wouldn’t it be hilarious if they did?’***When Catherine was two years old, her mother remarried. Catherine had a new dress and her hair was braided with flowers. It looked very pretty. Everyone said so.When Catherine was three years old, her mother gave birth. Kent took into her mother’s room, sat her on his knee, and read her a story while they waited for Selina to wake up.‘I don’t like the baby,’ Catherine said.‘You don’t know him yet,’ Kent said.The little girl leaned forward to peer into the crib. ‘He’s looking at me funny.’Kent joggled her on his knee. ‘It’s extremely unlikely that he can focus on you. At birth a baby is only really able to accurately see approximately eight to ten inches.’She looked up at her stepfather. ‘How far is that?’He held out his hands. ‘This far. You’re sat further away than that.’‘Can we give him back?’‘No,’ Kent said.Catherine waggled her feet. ‘Mommy is going to like him better than me.’Kent shook his head. ‘No, she won’t. But you’re going to be incredibly important to him. You’re a big sister now, Catherine. That’s a significant responsibility. I know that it’s not one that you asked for, but I know that you’re going to be wonderful at it.’Baby Kian started to cry. Catherine wrinkled up her nose.‘He made a poo.’‘It would seem so,’ Kent said.Selina stirred and sat up. ‘Christ, do I have to do everything myself?’Kent winked at Catherine. ‘Do you want to help me change Kian’s diaper?’‘Eww, no,’ she squealed.She scrambled down off Kent’s lap and walked over to Selina. She looked at Kent, picking up Kian, and then back at Selina.‘Mommy, can I sit with you?’ she asked nervously.Selina slumped back against the pillows. She gave Catherine a weary smile. ‘Climb up on the chair, sweetie, and give me a hug.’Catherine clambered up onto the other chair and leaned against Selina. She sighed as Selina put an arm around her.‘Catherine is worried that she won’t like the baby,’ Kent said mildly.Selina ruffled Catherine’s hair. ‘Sure, you will,’ she promised. ‘We’re a family.’The End.