Obama repeated the Chief Justice’s mishap, putting “faithfully” at the end by saying, “The office of President of the United States faithfully.”

“Did you see that?”  Alice cried.  “That asswipe of a Chief Justice just screwed up Obama’s oath.  Bastard!  How hard could it be to get it right?  I bet he just wanted to make Barack look bad.  What do you think Tash?”

Tasha showed how she felt by clamping a hand over Alice’s mouth. “Alice, do not say another word until Obama’s speech is over.”

Tasha, Bette, and Kit were too filled with emotion to contemplate Alice’s conspiracy theory.

Kit was practically sobbing –  tears were flowing freely down her face.  She never thought she’d live to see the day a black man was elected President of the United States of America.  

In her lifetime, Kit had experienced her fair share of racism. While nothing would negate the times she had been treated poorly, even with her current success as the part owner of a café and night club, she had often been dismissed as just the hired help. Today, seeing Barack Obama elected and take the oath to the highest office in the land soothed part of her soul.

Bette was shedding quiet tears of joy.  As the bi-racial daughter of a white mother and African American father, as an Ivy League educated woman who had defied many expectations in her life she knew what it was like to search for identity and acceptance. Through this background she felt a kinship with Obama on many levels.  She was filled with awe that the United States had accepted this man, recognized his intelligence and quiet strength, and trusted this bi-racial man (who couldn’t pass for white) enough to not only nominate him, but elect him to the Presidency.  

Kit and Tina had been consistently optimistic about Obama’s chances for victory over McCain, but Bette had held on to her skepticism until the end, steeling her heart against disappointment.  Only when Fox news called the election did she finally believe Obama’s victory was real.  

While Bette felt starved for role models growing up her daughter would grow up with the President of United States as a role model, thinking that there was nothing she couldn’t do – including being President herself.  Bette felt chills running up and down her spine.