Epilogue

To: Professor Vixen Noble, Georgetown University

From: Zoey Bartlet, Third First Daughter

Addendum to Experiment – July 25

I woke up this morning, feeling better than usual. I stayed in bed though, because I was threatened with bodily harm if I so much as thought of doing otherwise. I had a light breakfast because I had a mild stomachache and wasn’t up to eating much. Melanie was particularly active. I snuck out of bed and took a walk around the Residence, running and hiding from my family often. I learned that they’d known I was out all along and were just making me jump through hoops for their amusement. They’re sweet people, they are.

Around noon, I started feeling sharp pains in my stomach. I thought they were just Braxton-Hicks. I’d been having them since before graduation so I didn’t think much of them. Yes, I knew it was my due date, but I’ll tell you I never thought it was labor.

That is until I was in the middle of the kitchen and I had the biggest accident of all my twenty-three years. I didn’t think the female body could retain that much fluid. I must’ve squeaked or something because the entire present family stepped toward me and right into the puddle. To say I was embarrassed is being grammatically economic. Charlie almost slipped on the wooden floor but caught himself against dad, who caught himself against the fridge.

Mom braved the way to me and held me up when a contraction hit. That was no Braxton-Hicks. It hurt so much I thought I’d pass out. The Secret Service was right there to lend their assistance and carried me to the couch until they could get an ambulance to me. That whole breathing thing my Lamaze coach taught me only made me want to hit people. I didn’t need people in my face going hoo-hoo hee-hee. This crap was not funny. They told me not to cry, that it hindered my pushing. I basically told them where they could take that piece of advice and what they could do with it once they got there. I was gonna cry if I damn well wanted to cry. And I wanted to cry.

The damned ambulance got stuck in traffic and it turns out that I was too far into labor for them to move me. I was shouting curse words I’d never dreamed of shouting in front of my parents before. They were forgiving about. They ignored my poorly veiled threats in favor of encouraging words that helps inch me along. I was so exhausted and I wanted to get to a hospital so that I could get an epidural. However, mom was nice enough to inform me that I was too far along for that anyway. That didn’t lift my spirits any.

Anyway, after a long hour of pushing, she crowned.

“Zoey, she’s coming. Are you ready to see your baby?” I nodded. They’d just let me touch her head and I was ready to hold her. “One more big push now.” So, I gave it all I had, which by then wasn’t much. But I felt her slide from by body and into the world. I didn’t breathe until I heard her first shrill, guttural cry.

“Charlie, you want to cut the cord?” His eyes were so large. I’d forgotten he was even with me and he’d been holding my hand the entire time. He nodded and went to where she was. He alarmed expression faded into one of rapture. He watched them take her off the side to clear out her airway and wrap her up.

Mom came back with Admiral Hackett in tow and was about to lay her into my arms when I felt another bout of contractions begin. I squeezed my eyes shut and let my baby go. They handed her off to Daddy and went back to see what was up. I finally saw my mother’s expression and it threw me.

“Zoey, you didn’t tell us you were having twins.” I must’ve been a sight when she said that.

“Twins.” There was not supposed to be twins.

“Yes. This is another head. Charlie, hold Zoey’s hand. It’s just one more, baby. Push.” I pushed with what little strength I had left. It was hardly enough. “Charlie, help her. Get behind her if you have to. Push, Zoey.” Didn’t she understand that I was trying to?

With his help, I bore down and screamed, waking up the sleeping newborn in Dad’s arms. He stepped back as if he’d been hit. His agony at seeing me so hurt was obvious. This time, it was harder and I nearly did faint, but I stayed awake long enough to hear another deep cry. My God, another one. I had twins.

I was out like a light in Charlie’s arms and that seemed to scare the hell out of him. At least, that’s what Mom told me later. Dad fared a little better, only because he had the baby in his arms. It turned out the reason that Charlie looked so surprised was that the first baby to be born wasn’t a girl, but a boy. Melanie was born second, but she came out strong, obviously not liking the fact that her brother had stolen her thunder. Somehow the sonograms had missed him in favor of her throughout the pregnancy and then, there he was, healthy and hollering.

I had nothing for a boy, but that was remedied quickly enough when my sisters disappeared for few hours and came back with huge credit card bills and enormous grins. They’re both happiest when they’re shopping.

I told Charlie the name I’d chosen for our daughter and he was amenable to it, mostly for lack of a better suggestion. Our son, on the other hand, was a loose end. We had no idea what to call him. So, for an hour we sat together on the bed with the two them in our arms. Both were stunning and shared many family features. They shared a smooth even coloring that’s best described as brown autumn leaves after rain. They have Charlie’s nose and my lips. Melanie had my chin, but he had Charlie’s. What was most striking about them were their eyes. She had most notably inherited her grandmother’s green eyes and they shined intelligently while she was awake. He had been granted his mother’s, mine. He also had dad’s forehead. I grinned when I saw that. Some traits transcend the generations.

“We’ve got Noah and Melanie. What else do we need?” I traced the bridge of his small nose. “What else?”

“Noah, Melanie, and…” He went over the names in his head. None of them really fit. “Nothing really fits.”

“How about Oliver?” A stroke of genius from me.

“Oliver and Melanie.” He touched both of them. “Oliver and Melanie. You are Oliver and you are Melanie.” They cooed and kicked up a storm. It’s unanimous. We like the names.

My parents peered in and the family spilt in behind them. Hugging and loving ensued. I was sure there was a rule against all these people in one room, but we let it go. The baby’s were passed around and I had to reign in my nerves. I knew there were enough mothers in the room that they were safe. Eventually, they made it to my parents’ arms where they stayed for the remainder of the visit. They acquired a fan club tonight. Even Noah seemed rather attached if not a little jealous. He’s still a baby himself. He was Ellie’s baby tonight.

“What are their names?”

“Oliver and Melanie.” They cooed again and smiled at their grandparents.

“Good, strong names.” He secured his embrace of his new grandson. “Hello, Oliver. I’m your grandpa. You and I are gonna have lots of fun together.”

Mom leaned over his shoulder and noticed what I noticed. “He has your eyes.” His brows furrowed as he realized that.

“Hey! He does. Well, isn’t that something?” He leaned down and kissed my son’s forehead. “Welcome to the family, precious boy. We didn’t expect you, but we’re glad you came.” He takes the little hand in his and Oliver instinctively grasps at his fingers. “Oh, yes, we’re gonna get very close.”

“Dad, you’re not gonna steal these grandkids away too, are you?” He grinned and we knew that they were as good as gone.

Mom was no better. “Finally, someone has my eyes.” Of all the features she’d passed, those had remained with her. “I thought I’d be the last of green-eyed gals.”

“That means she’ll be just like you.”

“Why?”

“Because the eyes are the windows to the soul and that means that the eyes are looking onto the same soul. She’s gonna be just like you.”

“It’s about time I got a kindred spirit.”

The grinning went on for another hour before everyone had to leave. Then, it was time for the feeding and it was just Charlie, the babies, and me. I had made it a point to give Noah a kiss good night. It would be a while before we’d be together again and nothing would be the same. I didn’t want him to think that he was being forgotten.

It was a mesmerizing scene as I nursed them. Charlie was fixated and I was in awe of myself. Not only had I just given my children life, but I was sustaining those lives. They were so peaceful. I knew they’d gotten that from their father. There was no tumult; threats were for outside, but we were inside and it was safe inside. It wasn’t long before the Hoovers fell to sleep again. The nurses came to take them to the nursery, leaving us both slightly nervous despite the four Secret Service Agents that would escort them and guard them once they reached their destination. That’s just one more reminder that we aren’t just anybody.

Then, we were alone. We supposed that it was time to have a big conversation. I didn’t think it was, but that’s fate for you.

“So, what are we going to do?” he asked me. I shrugged.

“What do you want to do?”

“We should think about getting married.”

“No.”

Seeing his face, I wanted a camera so badly. He’d fully expected me to say yes.

“No? Why not?”

“I don’t want to get married right now. I have three kids, Charlie. I don’t need a husband.”

“But I could be --”

“You are quite enough already. You have two kids. Two, not just one; a daughter and a son. You don’t need a wife.”

“I do want one, though.”

I sighed, exhaustedly. I was so ready to be asleep again. “That’s too bad. I don’t want a husband.” Seeing his crestfallen expression, I amended, “Not now. Not this year. Maybe when you’ve proven that you can handle all of it, but not a moment before.”

“Zoey --” I was quick to cut him off.

“Charlie!” I had to center myself. “I love you, but I don’t trust you. I miss you, but I don’t want you there all the time. I love you, but I love them and if you let them down, I will choose them. I’m doing this for all concerned. For me, so that I don’t lose all faith in you. For them, so that they grow up with a father. And for you, so that you have the chance to really evaluate what you want in life. I’m giving you the chance to leave before you form any bonds; so that you can’t break anymore hearts.”

He took my hand. “I’ve already bonded with you.”

“See how well you tended that.”

He sighed and dropped his eyes from mine. “I’m sorry that I hurt you and I’d give anything to go back and fix that, but I can’t. There’s no more I can say.”

I reached up and stroked his face. He had a five o’clock shadow. “Do me the favor of not suggesting marriage to me again for a while and there won’t be anything else to say. Be a father. And one other thing.” He looked at me hopefully. “Noah comes with us. Love him no less than the others. I won’t.”

“No question.” Accepting that, I took his hand.

“Then, someday. I will be your wife.”

“I can live with that.” He didn’t really have a choice. “Can I hold you, at least until then?”

I considered his proposal, never really thinking of saying no. “Okay.” I let him crawl in bed next to me and wrap me in his arms. The last six months caught up with me. I could hear him breathing beside my ear.

“I love you. I’ll never leave you again, or doubt you. You, Noah, Melanie, and Oliver, are my life now. I will do anything to prove it to you.”

I’ve realized that I smile in my sleep. I was smiling then. “You already have.”

“So --”

“Yeah, I’m still not marrying you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” I yawned wide and stretched languidly, though sorely. I could’ve slept for days. Before I could’ve, but being woken up every three hours for feeding was to become my life for the next few months.

I woke up a few minutes ago and thought you’d want to know. Oliver Charles and Melanie Anna Bartlet-Young are each a healthy 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Charlie has turned out to be an exceptional father. However, this is just the second day. He still has eighteen years to mess it up. Though, I’m confident that he won’t.

Seeing him with the babies keeps making me cry and that’s getting on my nerves, but I’m not unhappy. I’m just emotional. That’s normal. I’m okay being that way. It just makes everything that’s happened deeper. What a year this has been.

I am preparing to embark on the most arduous journey of my life. I won’t be alone, but no one can do it for me. I’m doing this alone. Yes, I have a wonderful family and Charlie, but at the end of the day it’s on my head. I am the primary caregiver. How they turn out is on me. My job starts now. I do consider it as much a gift as a job though.

I take this task gladly and with both hands. If God will only give me the strength to do this, I will give these next years of my life to love these children He has given me. I’ve wondered whether I am this strong. I will be. As I’ve said, I’ll be as strong as I have to be.

Strong, faithful, loving, and kind. I can be all of these things.

But I won’t be them alone. I smile my permanent grin as Charlie brings the twins in. He lays them in my arms and I have just about all I need. I’ve made this life of my own.

I’ve made this life and now I will live it. Thoroughly and hopefully without regret.

I am Daddy’s little girl forever, but somebody’s momma forever more.

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