“It never gets easier, not that I hope it will. It shouldn’t be easy. I’m going to work a few half days to keep things moving there.”

“I understand.”

“Will the kids?”

“They know your work is important.”

“I feel this incredible push-pull inside me all the time. If I’m here, I feel like I should be there. When I’m there, I worry constantly about what I’m missing here.”

“I believe that condition is called working motherhood.”

“Before we had kids, I would’ve said I understood how hard it is for working moms, but I didn’t know squat—and I still don’t. I have tons of help that allows me to do three jobs sorta well. What do people do who haven’t got any help? Single moms are superheroes.”

“They sure are. You know… You’re able to invite guests to the State of the Union. That might be a great opportunity to shine a light on the challenges single moms and working moms face.”

“I’d like that.”

“Do you have people you’d like to invite?”

“I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head, but my sisters and Shelby will. I’ll ask them.”

“Think about who else you’d like to ask.”

“How many can I have?”

“Like maybe five?”

“Oh, cool. All right. Maybe the mom, Cath, I met in Des Moines who lost both her children in the shooting.”

“That’s a good one. I’ll ask Terry and Lilia to invite her.”

“I’ll think about who else.”

“No, you won’t. Terry talked to Lilia, and she’s on it.”

Sam splashed water in his face. “Stop acting like you know me so well.”

Laughing, he used the towel he’d gotten for her to wipe his face. “I do know you so well, and I understand your unique… limitations.”

“Meaning my one-track mind that’s focused ninety percent of the time on my job?”

“You said that, not me.”

Sam released a deep sigh. “I wanted kids so badly, and I’m so, so happy to have our family, but will I always feel that I don’t give them enough time?”

“Probably, but here’s how I see it. You have a special gift, and by using that gift, you help make this a safer town for everyone who lives here and visits. It’d be a crime for you to not use that gift the way you do.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, but I want to be a good mom, too.”

“You are, and the kids love you. Everyone is happy, healthy, settled in this new place we call home for the time being and content to be together this week. The twins are thrilled to have Eli home, and so is Scotty. All they need is to know we’re here and we love them.”

“You make it sound so simple.”