“A pleasure, sir. Stand by.” The man went inside the chamber to announce Nick to the joint session of Congress. “Madam Speaker, the president of the United States.”

The announcement received enthusiastic applause, which surprised Nick. He’d expected a tepid reception, at best.

Here goes, he thought as he headed down the aisle, shaking hands with senators and representatives, people he knew well and others he didn’t recognize. He made his way to the front of the vast room. There, he greeted his cabinet secretaries as well as the nine Supreme Court justices before taking the stairs to the dais to shake hands with Vice President Henderson and Speaker Carlin.

While he waited for the applause to die down, he glanced up to the gallery and saw Sam, looking gorgeous in her red dress and beaming as she clapped for him.

He smiled up at her.

She gave him two thumbs-ups.

How many times had he watched this speech on TV, never once imagining he might one day deliver it?

“Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, our first lady. Members of Congress and the cabinet. Justices of the Supreme Court. My fellow Americans. I stand before you humbled and honored to have the opportunity to address you tonight as your forty-seventh president, to introduce myself to you once again and to chart the course for the first year of my administration. It’s important to me that you know I wrote this speech myself. Every word of it comes straight from my heart.

“Behind me, for the first time in State of the Union history, are two women, our first female vice president, Gretchen Henderson, and our new Speaker of the House, Antonia Carlin.”

He applauded the two most powerful women in America and knew a moment of pure satisfaction at having elevated the first woman to the vice presidency.

“Before we look ahead to the future, let us take a moment to remember my predecessor, President David Nelson, who spent his entire adult life in public service, as a senator from South Dakota and then as a president twice elected to serve this great nation. Gloria Nelson is here with us tonight, and I ask you to give her and her daughter Camille a warm welcome home.”

Nick led the round of applause for Gloria, who stood next to Sam to receive it.

“Gloria, Sam and I thank you for your service as first lady as well as your grace and generosity to us during this difficult time for you and your family. We’re proud to consider you a friend.”

Gloria hugged Sam, blew him a kiss and waved to the audience that applauded her again.