"I thought you were going to wait for me to decide...." trailing off when he cut in.

"I was. But I've seen you and Brianna together, and you just assuaged my last real concern - Adam obviously idolizes her and she's already been so good for you. I don't want you to miss an opportunity because we're still legally together."

"Is there someone new in your life, Kent?"

"Maybe," he replied honestly. "But we've done nothing more than share a cup of coffee once or twice. I won't embarrass you, Charisma - I promised that. But I would not be averse to pursuing something more once I am unattached."

"I appreciate your candor," Charisma said, rising from her spot and moving to her desk. She flipped through the paperwork, glad she understood legalese. "Are you sure about this, Kent? That's a very generous settlement for Adam. I don't need...."

"I know, but he's my son and I want to do my part in supporting him. Start another college fund for him - who knows... maybe he'll find someone to travel the world with after school and he'll be able to travel in style."

Charisma snorted, but couldn't stop the tears that welled in her eyes. "Only if he's really lucky," she murmured. "Are you sure every other weekend is enough?"

"I thought we could be flexible - if I can spend more time and you're willing to let me have it...."

"He's your son too, Kent - whenever you want to spend time with him is a good thing... as long as it doesn't interfere with his school schedule."

"Of course. And if you need someone to look after him when it's not my turn to have him, you only have to ask. I'll be on the next flight down. I would like him for at least one whole month in the summer."

Charisma nodded. "How would you feel about taking him for the whole summer this year... or at least most of it?" signing her name to the documents with a flourish.

"Are you campaigning?" rising to take his copy of the papers and tucking them back into his pocket.

"I don't think so," Charisma said, shaking her head slowly. "Laura is more than a little put out with me about this whole business, and she was furious that I refused to remove Brianna from my life."

"Okaaaay," Kent drawled in obvious confusion. "So why...?"

Charisma sighed. "Twenty years ago, Brianna and I made our epic trip to Europe - it was the last time we spent together until she came to Washington last summer." Kent nodded and waited for her to continue. "On that trip, we agreed to do it again in twenty years... unless I was already the President. I was so far in denial about her having walked out of my life for good then, I even had Mama arrange things. We haven't really talked about it yet, but if she's willing...."

Kent smiled. "Good for you, Charisma. Consider Adam taken care of for the summer."

"She hasn't said yes, yet."

"Maybe," Kent shrugged. "But she hasn't said no either. Have a little faith."

"I still don't get why you're being so cool about all of this."

"Because I want you to be happy, and Brianna does that for you just being in the same room. And I'd like to find that for myself."

"Keep reminding me," Charisma said as they exited the study and she pulled the door shut behind them. "One day it might sink in."

Kent snorted. "We'll all be in the nursing home by then," ducking her swat with a laugh, "but I'll do my part. Make sure you pay attention, okay?" Charisma just gave him a dirty look, and his laughter preceded them into the kitchen. Adam looked up from the matching game he'd been playing with Brianna.

"PA!" standing on his chair and jumping into Kent's arms. Kent caught him and swung him around, making his giggles echo throughout the kitchen.

"Hey, Boy!" Kent exclaimed when they stopped spinning.

"Pa, we go see 'saurs?"

Kent looked at Charisma, who just shrugged and nodded. He looked back at his son with a grin. "I think that sounds like a fine idea, Son." He set Adam down on the floor, keeping a hand on his shoulder so Adam wouldn't run off. "Why don't you tell Mama and Brianna goodbye, and then you and me'll go see some dinosaurs - ROAR!"

Adam laughed again. "Funny Daddy," he snickered, but turned dutifully to the two women in the room. He ran to Charisma first, wrapping his arms around her legs and waiting for her to pick him up with a groan.

"You're getting so big, Son. You're going to have to start picking Mama up instead." He laughed and threw his arms around her neck, leaning forward to plant a big kiss on her cheek.

"Love Mama," he exclaimed. Charisma grinned.

"I love you too, Adam. Be a good boy for your daddy, all right?"

"'Kay!" came his emphatic agreement. Charisma set him on his feet and he ran and crawled into Brianna's lap just as she set the memory cards aside. He put his hands on either side of her face and leaned forward until their noses brushed together. "Love Br'anna."

She hugged him tightly. "Love you too, Little Man. Have a good time with your daddy."

"Yes!" he agreed, before scrambling off her lap and running to Kent to take his hand. "We go see 'saurs now?"

"We go see 'saurs now," Kent said. "Bye ladies," he offered with a wave, then turned and walked out of the kitchen with Adam in tow. Then Charisma turned to Brianna.

"C'mon," she said, extending her hand and pulling Brianna from her seat at the table. "I want to talk to you before the family gets here. Or before Amber or Mr. Prescott call back."

"Sounds serious," Brianna replied.

"It is... a little. But only because it's about us and our future. It's nothing bad, I promise. But if we're going to do this, we have to communicate - we have to be able to talk about everything."

"That sounds eerily familiar," Brianna said with a small smile.

"It should. Now c'mon. It's a beautiful day - will you walk with me?"

"Anytime, anywhere," Brianna answered without hesitation. Charisma just beamed as she led her out the door into the backyard gardens.


Chapter CXI

"So Kent and I just signed our divorce decree," Charisma volunteered without preamble when they were some distance from the house. "He did it for himself as well as us. He indicated there might be someone new in his future soon as well."

"Are you okay with it?"

Charisma squeezed the hand she held and gave Brianna a blinding grin. "I'm more than okay with it. Now he can look for the happiness he so richly deserves. And we can move forward and start making plans for us." She was met with silence and a furrowed brow. "I mean... if you want to," Charisma hastened on. "Brianna, you've been very subdued about everything since offering me another chance - letting me make all the decisions for us. I don't want to do that. I want *us* to make decisions... together. This is *our* life... not just mine."

"Maybe," Brianna agreed with a shrug, "but your future will be the most affected by us... no matter what kind of us we are."

"That's enough!" Charisma roared, though she never raised her voice. "I won't do this on my own, Brianna - I can't! So you need to decide whether you're in or out... because I need you all the way committed to this."

Brianna inclined her head until she could look into Charisma's eyes. They stood perfectly still while green studied blue... searching for any hint of doubt or hesitancy. When she was satisfied with what she found, she nodded her head and smiled.

"All right, so..." Brianna said as she started walking again, pulling Charisma along with her. "I know that your plans called for you to be running for President in the next election," seeing Charisma smile softly and nod her agreement. "Right. Would you be opposed to postponing them just a little while?"

"What are you proposing?"

"If you'd be willing to wait until the next election cycle, it would give us time - time to become an us; time to get our footing; time to formulate a strategy that doesn't strictly focus on your perceived lack of family values... meaning your recent divorce from Kent or our involvement with one another. I know both of those things will be a consideration no matter when you run, but at least we will have been a family for a while by then, and there will be less for your critics and opponents to mock."

"You really have been thinking about this."

"I have. I don't want you to give up your dream, Charisma - I believe you could make one hell of a difference in that seat of power. And I think you'd have a much better chance of winning the election if we weren't so new together. Right now - it will be all they'll want to talk about. You'll never get to talk about the issues or your platform. In a few years, though...."

"Would it surprise you to know I've been thinking along those very same lines?" chuckling when Brianna smirked and shook her head. "Okay, so we've decided what to do about the Presidential election. What do you want to do about our European trip? Kent has already assured me he'd love to have Adam for the summer. I think he wants to get him into the City to show him there is more in the world than dinosaurs."

Brianna laughed. "I remember there being dinosaurs there too."

"I haven't pointed that out to Kent. Adam will figure it out soon enough."

"As far as Europe goes, since I'm not running for re-election, I don't have to get out and campaign and glad hand during the summer break. I'd like to go back and see how different it is with you as a real adult."

"Hey! We were adults when we went. We got drunk on more than one occasion, as I recall."

"Since the legal drinking age in some of the countries we visited starts at sixteen, you're really not making much of a case for yourself, Ri."