Part 1 of 3: The Politician
From the moment Patricia awoke, she knew it was a bad day.
The scandal had been brewing for a while. At first it was just silly rumors. Something she could easily dismiss if she needed to. But that may no longer be the case anymore.
It was all strategic. Her political enemies wanted to ruin her chance of becoming the first female President of the United States. That was her life's goal. Everything from law school, various political offices, and becoming a US Senator, was all geared towards eventually becoming President.
The media and political establishment had expected Patricia to announce her candidacy already. People were mystified as to why she hadn't run yet, especially since everything was ready to go. The support was overwhelming. In her heart, she was ready to run, but there was a dark cloud hanging over her head.
After she washed herself, she went to the backyard of her spacious property and spoke to political advisers on her phone. It was a candid and frank conversation about her future.
Then she went back inside her home and made breakfast.
Sam came down the stairs for breakfast at the same time. He was a handsome young college student, and he was everything Patricia had hoped for in a son.
They made their usual small talk and banter. Their conversations were usually never serious. That's what Patricia enjoyed most about her mornings. She felt young again when she was around Sam, instead of spending so much time around boring bureaucrats and political advisers.
After they got settled with their food, she finally dropped the big news.
"I'm going to spend this weekend in a private retreat," she said.
"Where?"
"Our winter home in Tahoe. I've asked my staff to be there so we can discuss things."
He smiled, "So you're
finally
going to run."
"Maybe not."
Sam's good mood suddenly changed directions.
"Why?"
"It's a long story," she replied. "But you might hear some things about me in the media. It's not guaranteed to happen, but there's a strong possibility."
"God, are you going to be in any trouble?"
This time, it was Patricia's turn to smile. It was a faint smile. She was glad that at least someone genuinely cared about her well-being.
"I won't be in any trouble," she reassured him. "But it could put a damper on my political future. And maybe I won't run for President after all."
Sam was awestruck by the news. His face looked like he was hit by a cold tidal wave. Then he regained his composure.
"I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing to say," she replied. "I'll be meeting with my political advisers and we'll assess my future."
"Why is this happening?"
Patricia suddenly became tense. "We shouldn't talk about that right now."
"Why?"
"It's just not appropriate."
"But I'll find out eventually, won't I?" Sam insisted.
"You're right. But I don't want to talk about this now. I hope you understand. It's something personal."
He gave a sympathetic nod. "I'm sorry this is happening. Whatever's going on, I still think you could win the election. You're the best candidate in the field."
"Thanks."
"Really. I mean it."
Patricia gave a hard thought. "Why don't you come with me this weekend? We'll go to the winter home and prepare for when my staff arrives."
"Are you sure you want me there?"
She nodded. "You might hear about this eventually. So you might as well hear it from me directly. Plus I want your advice. You're the most honest person that I can rely on."
It was an easy answer for Sam.
"Okay. Whatever I can do to help."
Patricia got up and gave Sam a kiss on the forehead.
"Thank you."
***
The next few days was emotionally difficult for both of them.
Sam was shocked by his mother's revelation. He didn't want to ask what it was about anymore. He knew his mother was deeply embarrassed by whatever it was.
Patricia was devastated that her political career might come to an end. It was a very real possibility. And she was even more embarrassed that she would have to explain everything to her family, friends, supporters, and the national media. It would surely have worldwide media coverage. And that thought terrified her to the core.
Or maybe, if she was willing to endure the controversy, she would fight for her political career. It was still undecided.
All the while, the media continued to speculate why Patricia hadn't announced her candidacy yet. Time was of the essence. The November filing deadline was fast approaching, and she quickly needed to assemble a political organization if she wanted to mount a strong campaign for the presidency.
The media had already gotten the news that Patricia had arranged a private meeting with her top political staff. They had all speculated that Patricia would announce her candidacy soon after.
If they only knew...
***
Days later. The trip to Lake Tahoe wasn't very far away. They arrived there a day before the political advisers were expected to arrive.
Snow was falling and the scenery was beautiful. Owning that vacation home was a culmination of all of Patricia's hard work. Hard work which may soon be undone by things in her past.
She made a fire in the fireplace. They sat in the living room of the luxury home. After getting comfortable, Patricia mustered her courage. The talk would happen eventually, and it might as well happen at that moment.
"What I'm about to tell you is deeply embarrassing for me," Patricia stated firmly, trying to be as brave as possible. "And I don't want you to think any less of me. I'm still your mother."
A serious look came over Sam.
"Of course. You can tell me anything."
She took a deep breath. "My private emails had been hacked. We suspect that it was done by political rivals. And I'm being told
not
to enter the race, or else my personal information may be leaked."
"God..."
"It's being investigated. But realistically, the people behind this won't be caught any time soon. And I have to decide whether to run or not. The filing deadline is mid-November, which is only days away."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm meeting with my advisers. And I wanted to come out here to clear my head. I need the seclusion."
Sam leaned back on the couch with a devastated look on his face.
"God, I don't know what to say," he sighed, then paused. "Whatever information these hackers have, people will still vote for you. You're the best candidate in the field. Don't be intimidated by these scumbag rivals of yours. You can beat them. You always do."
Patricia forced a smile. "That's very sweet."
"I mean it. I'm absolutely sure you can still win."
"But don't you want to know why these hackers are blackmailing me?"
"Only if you want to talk about it," he cautiously replied.
"There's a strong possibility that you're going to find out anyway. So you might as well hear this from me."
"Okay," he cautiously nodded.
Patricia took another deep breath. "When I was in college, I was a virgin. Times were different back then. As you know, I come from a very religious background. And I was raised with purity."
It wasn't the conversation Sam expected. He expected details of government corruption, maybe bribes, or anything you'd expect from politicians. But sex? That was the last thing he expected from his proper mother.
She continued, "I was on the swim team. Swimming was my outlet. It was my relief from stress and it made me feel amazing. Your father was also on the swim team. That's how we met."
It was an interesting turn of events and Sam was captivated by every word. It was the first time he had learned about how his parents met.
She continued, "Your father and I were both very religious, that means, you know...We had our desires, but we couldn't fully act upon them because of our faith. So we found other ways..."
An uncomfortable vibe was in the air. They both felt it. There was a subtle tension, but nevertheless, Patricia felt the need to explain herself.
She continued, "Your father loved that I had a 'swimmer's body.' He loved my toned legs especially. I don't mean to be graphic, but there's a reason I'm telling you this. During that time in college, we fell in love. We explored. We tried new things and pushed new boundaries. I kept a journal of everything. That's what I always did. And your father took polaroid pictures of me."
Things were starting to make sense to Sam. He knew where this was headed. There was only one way things were going.
She continued, "Those are memories that I will always cherish. Always. And I wanted to preserve those memories. So I scanned many of those diary entries and pictures and kept them online. Everything was in a private email account."
There was a sense of romance in Patricia's voice. She reminisced about her past love, but there was also a sense of regret over what had recently happened to her emails.
"So that's what they hacked?" Sam asked, knowing the answer. "They have your diaries and pictures?"
"Yes."
"How graphic is it? I mean, you don't have to answer that."
"The content is fairly explicit," she admitted.
Sam gave a hard sigh. "I don't know what to say."
"Can you hold me? I could really use a hug right now."
He moved over to Patricia's side of the couch and they held each other. Patricia leaned her head on Sam's chest and they shared a moment of silence.
***
Deep down, Patricia felt the burden being lifted. She had an inevitable feeling that her secrets would soon be revealed, and she was glad that someone understood her.