Enough

by Cassidy Hutchinson

was consumed with fear that my past had infiltrated the life I was building. I felt that I had betrayed the world that had made me, and I began to grapple with the question of who I truly was amidst this sea of power and privilege.

The door to the dining room was propped open slightly, and I saw the valet rushing to tidy up the space. I stepped into the room and immediately saw a shattered plate to my right, and Heinz ketchup smeared on the fireplace mantel. I grabbed a tea towel from the pantry drawer and started wiping away the condiment.

To prove he hadn’t stopped trying to keep the president in office, Mark stepped up his efforts. “I’ll be the best chief of staff if I can keep him in office,” he explained to me. “If that’s what he wants, that’s what I want.”

As we walked across the East Plaza, I stared up at the Capitol dome, and for the first time since January 6, I felt its magnetism and power. And next to my new counsel, I felt empowered. Together we would honor the place that symbolizes, more than any other monument, a free people’s faith in self-government.

Dan George escorted us to Liz’s hideaway office in the basement of the Capitol. As I entered, Liz embraced me. Her gesture and warmth conveyed a sense of understanding and purpose.