Louis Collins: A Post-American Odyssey

The convoy route into the airport had already been cleared. The car moved through a side gate and onto the executive apron without stopping. His family’s plane waited with its stairs down and its engines idling low. Judith was already at the foot of the steps, one hand on the rail while an aide finished speaking beside her. Serana stood one step above, tablet tucked under her arm, her hair shifting in the wind. Both of them turned when Louis got off.

Judith’s eyes went first to his face, then to the car, then briefly to the two men who had brought him in. She stepped forward. Her mouth curved. She touched his cheek, then straightened the edge of his collar.

“There you are,” she said softly. “We were starting to think you might miss the plane.”

Louis smiled back. “Traffic was terrible.”

“In Sacramento?” Serana rolled her eyes. “How tragic.”

Judith ignored her. “You left a very public lunch behind you.”

“Only because I was hungry.” He moved past her toward the steps. “The rest is not my fault.”

Judith laughed. “It never is.” She followed him up the stairs. Serana stepped aside to let them in. Louis caught her eye and winked. She stuck her tongue, then turned to follow them into the cabin. Inside, the plane was cool and quiet. A flight attendant closed the door behind them and began the pre-takeoff routine. Louis took the seat opposite his mother and leaned back. Serana settled next to him, already opening her tablet.

“Did you at least enjoy the University of Sacramento?” Serana asked.

Louis glanced at her. “Yes.”

“Good. You look like you could use some education.”

He rolled his eyes. She returned it with an arched eyebrow and bent back to her reading. Judith watched them both with a faint smile. The engines rose. The plane began to move. Across from him, Judith had opened a book. Her hands rested on the cover, but her eyes were not on the page. She was watching him.

“Tell me about Angelique,” she said, her voice quiet.

Louis shifted in his seat. “What about her?”

Judith tilted her head. “Did you have fun?”

He kept his face neutral. “We had lunch.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes,” he said. Then he frowned. “Why?”

She smiled, closing the book on her lap. “Because you are my son. And you have been looking at that girl like she might be interesting to you.”

Serana glanced up from her tablet.

Louis leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “It was one lunch. And a dance. That’s not exactly a scandal.”

“I didn’t say it was a scandal.” Judith’s voice remained light. “I said I was interested.”

“Interested in what?” He leaned back again. “It’s not like I can date someone without the whole world turning it into a diplomatic incident. Which I assume you know, since you’ve been watching the news all day.”

Judith tilted her head. “You’ve never cared much for what the world thinks before.”

“That’s because the world usually doesn’t care about me unless I break something.” He let out a breath. “Now they care about everything.”

“Only when you do something they can turn into a story.” She paused. “Like lunch with Angelique Bourbon.”

Serana turned a page on the screen. Louis stared at it.

“Okay, so what are you saying?” he asked. “That I shouldn’t have gone?”

“I’m saying,” Judith looked at his eyes, “that I noticed. And I’m glad you noticed her too. She is a good girl. And because she is Philip’s daughter, liking her will never be a private hobby.”

Louis opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked out the window at the ground falling away beneath them.

“Is that all?” he said after a moment.

“Isn’t that enough?”

He looked back at her. Her face was calm, her eyes warm. Serana had gone back to reading, her posture relaxed. Louis leaned his head against the seat and exhaled.

“I think I liked you better when you used to pretend you didn’t notice things.”

Judith smiled. “You’ll get over it.” She picked up her book again and opened it to the page she had marked. “We are going to Texas in five days. You should decide what you’re going to do about it before then.”

Louis scratched his face. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” she said, not looking up, “that your father is taking the entire family, including the Bourbons, to Austin for a state visit. And if you want to spend more time with Angelique, you will have plenty of opportunities to do so under very official circumstances.” She turned the page. “Of course, that will only make the press more excited.”

Louis let out a short laugh. “Great.”

Serana closed her tablet and looked at him. “It’s not the worst thing in the world, Louis.”

“I didn’t say it was.”

“You look like you think it is.”

“I just think it’s ridiculous.” He shook his head. “Everyone acting like we’re some kind of royal alliance because we went dancing.”

“You followed her to lunch after one dance. They’re not inventing everything,” Serana said. “Besides, people like symbols.”

“People are stupid.” He glanced outside the window.

Judith let out a snort of laughter. “You sound like your father when you say that.”

Louis lowered his seat and closed his eyes for a moment. The plane cruised smoothly above the cloud. Then he opened his eyes, reached into his pocket and took out his phone. There was a new message from Angelique.

I saw the photos. I didn’t realize we were that interesting.

He smiled to himself and typed back.

You have no idea.

Her reply came almost at once.

I think I’m starting to.

He stared at the screen for a moment. Then he typed, See you in Texas.

The response was a single word. Yes.

He put the phone away and leaned his head back, eyes closed again. His mother and sister were quiet. For a moment, he could almost believe the world was just the inside of this cabin, and the only thing that mattered was the next message he would receive.