The Kennedys

Chapter Thirty-Four: Hope

To preface, I've been incredibly neglectful of this story, and I apologize. I know that I have many loyal readers who have supported me since I started this story in March of 2017 and I hope I haven't let you down. The truth is I simply wasn't interested in writing this story anymore. I felt like I had lost a considerable portion of my readers, and I nearly gave up. But lying in bed, I began to think back on this story, of how hard I've worked to keep it up for a year, and I realized I couldn't quit. Not yet. I had to give writing this a second chance, and keep going. Even if I end up with only five readers. Thank you for your patience, love, and support. I appreciate it so much.

New York, 1962

Jackie had wanted to get away from it all. She was exhausted, having their humiliations displayed in front of the entire country would do that to a person.

Maybe, in some recess of her mind, Jackie had known that Jack could never really be faithful, not in the long term.

Yes, there would be stretches of bliss where he would see no one, where she could perhaps satisfy him sexually enough to keep his gaze off of other women.

But he always found a way back to the other woman.

Her identity would change. Sometimes a secretary, other times a blonde actress who played the dumb card for the world, all the while stealing other people's husbands behind the scenes.

Jackie supposed that some gentleman prefer blondes.

So she had left for New York, to spend time with herself, and the children. Jack could manage on his own, and it was about time he experienced similar humiliation to hers. He deserved a taste of his own medicine.

She had expected blowback, but when she had solemnly told Jack she had packed a suitcase and was taking Air Force One to New York, he had been silent, and watched her walk out of the door with little to no objection.

It was refreshing, honestly. The past six months had become one long, never ending fight that often ended in either Jack running off to the first woman he could find or the two of them lying in bed, backs turned to one another.

So now Jackie was in New York, riding a horse. She was enjoying her time spent in her home state, doing what she loved most. Her lifelong passion of horseback riding had ceased to fade as the years passed, and she was glad there was at least one constant in her life.

For the first time in weeks, make that months, she felt happy. She didn't have a care in the world and, quite frankly, she liked it that way.

Which is why her heart sank down to the ground when she saw Ethel's all too familiar silhouette awaiting her as she trotted back to the house.

"What are you doing here Ethel?"

Jackie hadn't bothered to greet her. She didn't want to greet her. She had come here to get away from the Kennedys.

"Nice to see you too." Ethel was cocky as ever. "And if you must know, I wanted to check up."

"Don't act like Bobby didn't send you here." Jackie was building up her walls. She wasn't going to let herself be swayed.

"Okay, yes, Bobby sent me here. But not to persuade you back. He just wanted to make sure you were okay, and he couldn't get away just now."

Jackie signed. Bobby had always been kind to her. She often thought he could have had a very happy life. If only he hadn't been a Kennedy.

"Well that was nice of Bobby, but I'm fine, thank you."

"Really? Because I don't think you are."

Jackie gave a sharp look to her sister-in-law. "What makes you say something like that?"

"Jackie, you're the most envied woman in the world. You must know that. Every woman in America tries to copy your style, your haircut, your accent. Yet you've come here to New York and thrown it all away. I just don't understand what came over you."

"No, of course you don't understand." Jackie said. "Because sometimes the most envied women are the most miserable in private. You don't understand because Bobby is a good man. You never have to worry about who he's with, or what he's doing. He's given you a brood of children, all of which he's blindly devoted to."

Jackie had tears in her eyes. "And Bobby hasn't spent the past year Jack's been in office humiliating you ever chance he gets."

"Jack doesn't mean to." Ethel wasn't sure why she was standing up for her brother-in-law. Maybe because Bobby would.

"But he does. And he does it again and again without regard to my feelings." Jackie wiped her tears away. She wasn't going to cry in front of Ethel. She wouldn't. "Just go, Ethel. You're not helping."

Ethel bit her lip and walked away. But she stopped. "Jack needs you, Jackie. You don't have to forgive him, but you should be at his side now."

"And why is that?" Jackie was cold, calculating.

"The country's in danger, Jackie. Cuba has missiles pointed right at Washington. If Jack isn't careful, he could start World War III."

Jackie froze. She had had no idea.

"No matter what other women there may be, Jackie, you are Jack's wife. You know him better than anyone, and he wants you now. Not a mistress."

Jackie could feel her exterior walls, the ones she had been so desperate to keep up, fall away. Jack needed her. Jack was in trouble.

Suddenly, the affairs didn't seem so big anymore.

Washington, D.C.

Jack was exhausted. He hadn't slept for two days, despite Bobby's constant nagging. He was pretty sure exhaustion was slowly eating away at him, because now he was sitting at a piano, simply hitting the keys like a child who didn't know what he was doing.

He felt incompetent, lackluster. What kind of leader was he? To let the presidency fall into this kind of disarray?

How would history remember him?

"Are you going to play anything?"

Jack knew who it was without looking. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Jackie."

He turned around, and sure enough, there was his wife, smiling back at him. Her time in New York had freshened her up, and she looked prettier than ever.

"Ethel told me about what's happening." She sat down next to him at the piano. "Why didn't you call, Jack?"

"You needed your space." Jack replied. "And I wasn't sure what good it would do."

"I'm here now. And that doesn't mean that everything is alright between us. We still have a few more things to hash out, a few more arguments to have. But right now, I'm just here for you. For anything you may need."

"Jackie, I missed you so much."

Jackie smiled. "I know."

She rested her head on his shoulder, and for the first time in a long time, she felt at home in his arms again.

Funny how in a time of near tragedy, you can feel as happy as Jackie felt in this moment.