Invisible String

C.2: one single thread of gold tied me to you

Her mother sat at on one of the large couches, glancing ever so slightly over the book that she had been pretending to read since Madison walked into the room.

Constance sighed before placing the bookmark into her book, as she closed over the book, setting it down next to her.

"Madison Sybil Montgomery – Rogers," Constance spoke, her eldest daughter winced at the use of her incorrect full name, "You can't afford to replace the carpet if you wear it out so stop it." Constance spoke for the first time that afternoon.

Madison stopped dead in her tracts, looking at her mother.

"Why'd you have to tell him?" Madison whined.

"Because he's your Godfather and he's been asking about you." Constance replied, not giving much more of an explanation. Not that Constance needed to explain, every single decision she made in terms of her family's public life was highly calculated.

"But Mom," Madison half whined once again, "I want this job fair and square," she replied, throwing herself down onto one of the leather seats, gaining another glare from her mother.

"I have a final job interview there tomorrow and I don't want the Deputy Chief of Staff or whoever is doing the hiring process, feeling as if they have to hire me because the President is my Godfather." She continued speaking, not letting her mother get a word in edgewise, "I want to get this job on my own abilities. Not because a senior staff member wants to kiss ass."

Constance looked over at her daughter who had completely sunken into the leather chair. Shaking her head at the insecurities that she was presenting.

"Madison, no one will think that you're a pity hire. You'll be the smartest person in the room at any given time. Just look at everything you've managed to achieve. Everything you've ever managed to write. Every piece of legislation that you've ever wrote."

Madison smiled to herself as her mother recounted this.

"But Mom, I don't want to be a nepotism hire." She reiterated, shifting forwards in the chair, leaning on her legs as she watched her mother.

Constance paused for a moment, thinking about what she was going to say, not wanting to further send her eldest daughter further into the tailspin that she was currently, trying to hide, unsuccessfully.

"That I can't help with, it's not your fault that I grew up with him," Constance spoke, as Madison threw herself back in the chair, earning another warning glare from her mother. As the chair shifted across the tiles.

"But, might I remind you most of the jobs throughout the capital are filled through nepotism. In your field all that matters is who you know and not how good you are as a candidate." Constance continued speaking.

"I just don't want people thinking the only reason I got this job because of who I know and not because of my qualifications and abilities." Madison repeated her previous sentiment, almost word for word. Half ignoring what her mother was saying.

"You won't be, you're more than qualified and you'll run rings around everyone." Constance reiterated. "If you were a man would any dare say that you're a nepotism hire?"

"No," Madison whispered.

Having made her point, Constance picked up her book, finally returning to the spot that she'd started reading over an hour ago.

Madison nodded, before standing up and heading back up to the bedroom that she had been staying in.

Trying to figure out what she should wear because the plaid pajamas that she was currently donning as they were no longer considered appropriate to meet her Godfather and hadn't been considered appropriate since she was at least five years old.