Allies: Home Front

Chapter 6

"Happy birthday dear Bobby, happy birthday to you!"

Everyone cheered as Bobby blew out the single white candle stuck into his homemade chocolate cake. It was covered in colored icing and sprinkles that Mannon and Ben had carefully used to decorate. P kissed her husband on the cheek as a chef came out to cut the cake.

Bobby's birthday lunch was taking place in the private dining room of his favorite restaurant, Obelisk. P had planned the get together with Bobby's parents, his brother Charlie (who served on his cabinet) and Jan and her children. It was like a glimpse of the old days, kids squealing, adults laughing, and a warm sense of family in the air. Of course things had changed since Michael was assassinated, but the world must move on.

"Bobby, time to open presents!" P called in a sing song voice. A handful of aides carried out carefully wrapped packages. P's gift was in her signature black wrapping paper with a silver bow amongst the others. However, a special gift remained at home, something she had worked very hard to pull together.

"Who could this be from?" Bobby asked with a grin, shaking the small rectangular gift. Mannon and Ben squealed excitedly, their faces reddening with anticipation. P smiled at them, knowing how much the present meant to them.

Bobby tore back the black paper, his face a bit confused as he held up the piece of fabric. Soon, what the gift was dawned on him.

"A flag!"

The kids had come up with the idea to make their father a flag. P decided not to utilize the White House seamstress, but to stitch together the flag herself. On the blue fabric (Bobby's favorite color), there was a cut out of a lion (Bobby's favorite animal). White and red stars scattered the flag, and above the lion P had hand stitched each letter to spell out 'Daddy is the Best'

The kids jumped up to hug Bobby as he admired the flag. "Did you do this, P?"

P nodded and smiled.

"Thank you so much."

Bobby kissed P on the cheek and went back to opening the rest of the unique gifts his family had gotten him. Jan's sense of humor reflected in her gift- a collector's plate with Bobby's face on it, a Bobby Conoroy thimble, and 3 Bobby Conoroy masks.

"Please try them on!" Jan urged, looking to P and the kids.

P took a mask from Bobby and put it over her face, laughing the whole time. Mannon and Ben thought it was hilarious. The whole family posed in a row with one hand on their cheek for a photo. P even kissed Bobby with her mask still on, and the pair admired the picture together.

But when P looked up at Bobby, past the happy smile on his face, she could still see the deep despair that hadn't left his eyes.

---

"Come on, Jan! I think it's starting." P shimmied under the covers in Jan's bed, prying off the lid of her pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Her sister in law came running into the master bedroom, quietly closing the door behind her, as to not wake the houseful of children.

P had decided to bring the kids to Jan's house for the night so she didn't have to be alone. Bobby was in New York City for his birthday bash at Madison Square Garden. The event was being broadcast to Jan's TV only, but clips were going to be available for the public to see the next morning.

"Did you give him his present yet?" Jan asked.

P shook her head and swallowed her mouthful of ice cream. "No. He left right after lunch. I'll give it to him in the morning."

The two women turned their attention to the TV. The event was started right off the bat, performances from Bobby's favorite bands and singers. A few of his friends spoke on the huge stage, squinting their eyes to see the president in the audience. The camera showed the profile of Bobby's face, hard to make out in the dim light.