November arrived. José Antonio had been working hard on the campaign. María and Alice also did their work, going to rallies and promoting the name John F. Kennedy everywhere they went. María was in the "Women for Kennedy" front, while Alice was in the "Youth for Kennedy" front, despite not being able to vote. A downside of living in Washington D.C, the home of presidents. How ironic it was. But that wouldn't stop Alice from going outside to Virginia or Maryland to promote, and encourage the people who could vote. She didn't go out of the house without her campaign pin and sash. Sometimes, she proudly wore the hat. It was indeed an exciting time. But Alice had barely seen her father at all, who accompanied Senator Kennedy almost everywhere. Even Albert was touring the states. She hadn't had any chance to speak to the senator since the party either. The man was too busy, understandably so.

But at last, the day was upon them. The eighth of November, 1960. The whole nation sat in front of their TVs, waiting to hear which name would receive the title of President-elect. Nixon or Kennedy?

Alice felt like biting her pretty nails. All this waiting was unbearable. She was currently in Boston. The Senator had invited them and a few other members of the campaign to watch the results along with his family in their Hyannis Port compound, where she had met his family. The patriarch; Joseph Kennedy and the matriarch; Rose. As well as his brothers and sisters; Robert, Edward, Jean, Eunice, and Patricia. The Senator was currently taking a long-deserved nap, the poor man wanted to be well-rested to handle the results, whether they would indicate victory or not.

Alice drank perhaps about six Coca-Cola's that day, her sugar levels making her even more anxious. Had they done enough to achieve victory?

"Rosita, stop panicking. There's no point in stressing out, we'll know soon enough." José told her, squeezing her shoulder tenderly in reassurance.

"I know, but I just wonder how the Senator would react if he lost? What if he got tremendously upset? I wonder if he's being able to get any sleep at all." She sighed, taking another sip from the flavorful refreshment.

"Why don't we take a walk along the beachside, huh? It's breezy, but it'll refresh your mind."

José gathered his black trench coat and Alice's blue overcoat. It was true that there was a cold marine breeze outside, as soon as they opened the door they felt it. They wrapped themselves up and started walking towards the beach.

Hyannis was so beautiful. Alice was very grateful to the Senator for inviting them to watch the results. Especially since she thought he would have preferred to share a moment like that with only his family.

"Dad, do you think he'll make you Chief of Staff if he wins?" Alice suddenly spoke.

"I don't know. I don't expect him to do so. He would have asked by now anyway." José seemed to shrug but perhaps it was the trembling of his body, as the cold crept even through the thick coat.

"I think he will. Or at least he'll give you an important job. You'd be excellent in the White House. He will not pass you up." She beamed a smile at him. Her nose and cheeks red due to the frigid wind.

José looked at the horizon over the ocean. The waves gleaming faintly, some dark clouds threatening to come near them.

"You know? When your mother and I came to America, we did not know what to expect. We only knew that all we wanted was to get married, have a family, and good enough jobs to maintain that simple way of life. I remember her father screaming at me, telling me that I could not take his daughter away from the country, with or without being married." He shook his head, chuckling faintly. "That night we packed our stuff and sailed away with your other abuelos the next day. To think about working in the White House is overwhelming. Just working in this campaign has exceeded what we asked for. I'm not sure if getting involved in the place where the fate of the world is often decided is the best thing to do."

"That's exactly why you need to be there!" She stopped on her tracks to look at him. "Imagine that instead of you, a nut job gets the position. The country needs compassionate but strong and conscious men like you, dad, and like Senator Kennedy."

"I see your point, Rosita. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have tonight to get over with first."

Back inside, the senator had already woken up and lit the fireplace for José and Alice to warm up. They thanked him for the gesture and gathered to have dinner.

The wait seemed endless as they watched Walter Cronkite count the precincts. But it came to a point where the winner was obvious. From then on, the whole atmosphere became relaxed. Alice stopped her sugar intake and her impulse to bite her nails. Robert finally sat down after pacing around all night. Joseph Kennedy looked serious but confident. From the few hours Alice had known him she could already tell that he believed in his family more than anything. Nothing could stop the Kennedy's. Nothing would stop them. Definitely not some boring, pale-looking Republican.

Alice yawned, her eyelids closing involuntarily. María asked the Kennedy family if Alice could use one of the bedrooms upstairs to take a nap. It was almost three A.M. The young girl slept, probably about two hours before she was woken up to watch the rest of the election.

Every one of them was minding their own business around the house. That was until they saw that the precincts had already been counted to eighty-eight percent.

Walter Cronkite spoke up from the television and they all paid attention. "It seems certain that John Fitzgerald Kennedy of Massachusetts will be the next President of the United States. This has been Walter Cronkite reporting from the CBS election headquarters."

The families cheered. Alice got up from her seat, exclaiming excitedly "Yeah! I knew it!"

The now President-elect was soon being embraced by every member of his family. His mother and sisters showered him with kisses on the cheek. Robert was almost crying from happiness and relief that his efforts paid off. The same was with José. The patriarch, Joseph, smiled widely. That was the most expressive Alice had seen him until then. When everyone else was done congratulating him, the man looked at Alice. What was she supposed to do? Shake his hand? It didn't seem personal enough, but they weren't really personal. They barely knew each other, he was, essentially, a stranger. Regardless the girl made a bold decision, she went up to him decisively and hugged him rather tightly.

"Oh, congratulations, sir! I am so beyond happy!" Was giving him a hug too much? She felt as if she were touching the forbidden fruit for some reason. As if he was a temptation. A sin waiting to happen. Why was she feeling this way? He was just a man she barely knew.

A man whose sole presence was enough to make the whole world turn upside down.

She could feel his hands on her back, it made her feel as if there was a shield protecting her. But soon those hands were gone, and the embrace began to break. What none of them noticed was that it had lasted longer than the rest of the hugs he had received earlier.

"Couldn't have done it without you." He remarked, tapping the campaign pin on her dress.

"Of course not." She said jokingly, giving him a nice smile.

She was his biggest supporter, he thought to himself.

Later that day, when Nixon finally made his concession speech, the new President-elect made his acceptance speech.

"... May I say in addition to all citizens of this country, Democrats, independents, Republicans, regardless of how they may have voted, that it is a satisfying moment to me and I want to express my appreciation to all of them and to Mr. Nixon personally. I particularly want to thank all of those who worked so long and so hard in this campaign" He looked at the Olivares. "on our behalf and who were generous to me in my visits throughout the country and who were generous enough to support me in the election on yesterday. To all Americans I say that the next four years are going to be difficult and challenging years for all of us. The election may have been a close one, but I think that there is general agreement by all of our citizens that a supreme national effort will be needed in the years ahead to move this country safely through the 1960s. I ask your help in this effort and I can assure you that every degree of mind and spirit that I possess will be devoted to the long-range interests of the United States and to the cause of freedom around the world. So now me, my family, and all of you, the people, prepare for a new administration."

After his acceptance speech, the president-elect returned to the compound. The nap wasn't enough, he really needed a good sleep. The preparations for the new administration could wait a bit longer.

Alice felt for him, this was going to be the start of some very trying times for him. But she knew he would do well.

Ｊａｎｕａｒｙ １９ｔｈ １９６１

It was such a glamorous reception. All the women wore breathtaking dresses. Alice's rose-golden dress sparkled, it was almost blinding. The (pre-) inauguration ball was a tremendous honor for the Olivares family. José, María, Teresa, and Albert looked their best. Alice looked at them with a smile on her face. She was so proud of what they had accomplished. But part of the merit for the family's success belonged to the man currently in Alice's sight, ten feet away from her. She so wished to thank him for it all. But it wasn't as simple. She was intimidated by him, more than before. It became apparent to her how powerful he suddenly was. Talking to him wouldn't be the same anymore. Not that he would have much time for conversation anyway. She shook her head, trying to get him off her thoughts, but it was easier said than done. She had no idea why she was observing him so much. She saw him speaking to the guests, with a glass of champagne in his hand and a big bright smile that illuminated the whole room far more than the actual lights. Breaking from her trance, the girl heard a voice at her side.

"Rosita, look who's here." José tapped her on the shoulder for her to turn around.

She did so. It took a minute for her to believe what -who- she was seeing. Full blue eyes staring back at her.

"Mr. Sinatra!" She almost exclaimed, a hint of surprise in her voice. She knew he would be there, he was the one who organized this pre-inauguration ball, after all. But she never expected to be meeting him.

He held out his hand, she took it, introducing herself. Meeting him was magical, as well as meeting the other artists who attended the ball, such as: Judy Garland, Harry Belafonte, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Kelly, and Nat King Cole. At one point Mr. Sinatra even called the photographer over so she would always have a memory of the evening. Not that she needed a photograph to remember it.

The mood of the ball suddenly changed from formal to casual, when an upbeat tune began to play around the ballroom. It was The Twist.

Albert took Alice's arm, guiding her to dance with him.

"Oh, no, Beto. I'm going to make a fool out of myself." She shook her head at him, reluctant to follow to the dance floor.

"Come on, I've seen you dance the twist, you're not bad at it at all." He said rolling his eyes, trying to take her shyness away.

Alice eased up, maybe if she pretended there was nobody else around she would be able to dance as she did at home.

She began to move her feet from side to side and swaying her waist to the tune. Alice giggled while Beto made some silly moves. But what she least expected was to see the -almost- president dancing as well. He was practically next to her, and while she observed him, the man turned around in her direction. She felt embarrassed that he caught her staring, even more, when he winked at her. Alice tried to smile at him, but she had to turn her head away to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks. She always managed to be embarrassed by the simplest things. Being shy was a curse. But it didn't stop Alice from enjoying that wonderful night.

Ｊａｎｕａｒｙ ２０ｔｈ， １９６１

If it weren't for the enormous coat covering her, Alice felt as if she could have frozen to death. The cold, however, did not seem to bother John F. Kennedy, as he took the Oath of Office with the jacket of his suit as the only shield from the wintry morning.

"... So help me God." He finished the Oath and everyone applauded.

The sun barely wanted to show itself as the President recited his inaugural speech, again with no coat to shield him from the freezing wind. The faintest rays of sunshine shone through the vapor of his cold breath as he spoke. He could certainly feel the responsibility of commanding a nation, of taking the reins to lead everyone through a new decade. But Alice knew John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the perfect man for that. His passion while reciting his speech was contagious. She had never felt such fervor and vigor build up inside her. Until then, nothing had truly sparked those feelings.

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

With those wise, powerful words, Alice could not help but jump from her seat and be the first to reward his speech with an applause. Everyone else soon followed in congratulating him. Alice was able to shake his hand briefly, before the man, well, The President of the United States, had to leave to continue with the inaugural events. As soon as he was gone, Alice felt the magic of the day, all those feelings from before, disappear.

Ｓｅｖｅｎ ｄａｙｓ ｌａｔｅｒ

José had been offered the position of Chief of Staff, much to Alice's satisfaction. He had, of course, accepted... After some debate with María, who encouraged him and dismissed his insecurities.

What Alice didn't anticipate that morning, was for the phone to ring and for Teresa, her abuela, to tell her that the call was for her. Nobody ever called her specifically. Perhaps it could be her friend, Frances, although she rarely saw her since graduation anymore. Frances, unlike Alice, was in college. She didn't have time to meet up. The young girl didn't really know what to expect when she took the phone. The voice she heard was the last thing she expected.

"Hello?" She questioned through the phone.

"Hello, Miss Olivares." The delightful voice greeted her.

"Mr. President?" Alice stuttered. Why did he, of all people, want to talk to her?

"The one and only." He joked. Alice chuckled, but she was still nervous. Her hand was shaking, as well as her voice. "Listen, Miss Olivares, I know you may be wondering why I asked to speak with you."

"Certainly, sir."

"I wanted to invite you tomorrow to the White House. There's something I want to discuss with you, in person. I am pretty busy these days, that's part of the reason I wish to see you, but I made a dent in my schedule for you. I hope eleven o'clock is a convenient time for you." He trailed off with a questioning tone.

Her breathing accelerated. She had obviously been quiet for a while, lost in her thoughts, because the president asked her if she was still there.

"Oh, yes. My apologies, sir. Yes, I will be there at eleven. No problem at all."

"Alright, I will see you then. Goodbye, Miss Olivares."

"Goodbye. Mr. President." She hung up carefully, taking a deep breath, and still not believing what had just happened.

Her grandmother stood there. "¿Bueno?" [Well?] She questioned.

"The president wants to speak to me tomorrow at the White House." She said, her expression one of disbelief. "I don't know what for."

"¡Qué intriga! Y qué emoción visitar la Casa Blanca, ¿no?" [Oh, so intriguing! And what a thrill to visit the White House, right?] Teresa said, with a gleam in her eyes.

"Do you want to come as well?" Alice chuckled, seeing how excited her abuela was.

"Oh, no. Yo no pinto nada ahí, tesoro." [I don't fit in there at all, darling.] She waved her hand, dismissing Alice's suggestion.

That night she could not stop herself from overthinking, any amount of sleep was out of the question. She only hoped dark circles wouldn't appear under her eyes, it would not make a good impression at all, for whatever the president wanted to speak to her about.

edit; for anyone confused, until 1961, people who lived in Washington D.C couldn't vote in the Presidential elections.