"If you are, you don't need me to stroke your ego, and if you aren't, then me admitting won't change reality," he answered, giving a very political answers. Doug laughed as TJ went on. "Do you mean that you don't want a couch found in the garbage section downstairs? I don't understand why you're so picky. I think it's totally all right to find it there." He nudged TJ's shoulder. "We don't need one if we're already talking about leaving."
Doug turned to look at TJ. "You don't have to be good at politics. The Dome was good. It was, and whether they saw that or not, it doesn't matter. You did it and people could see that." He sighed. "I know that what happened put a shadow on it, but you moved past it and maybe you haven't been as clean as you could have been, but it's still something." He got up and framed TJ's face. "Then show them that it's not us protecting you, that it's not us keep you clean. Then, we do go back and you show them exactly that. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow, but you can show them. I know you can do it, because you are different here. Maybe it's because we're not in DC or not with them, but you aren't all over the places like you were during the campaign. Don't think I didn't know when you were high, before appearances, before interviews. I don't take are of you, but it's my job to know these things, and I didn't pass them on to Mom or Dad. As long as you were able to be in public, they didn't have to know. But, as someone who's always be aware of the way you at, I can tell you that you are doing better, if you don't believe it for yourself."
He let go and stepped back. "Show them. I know it won't be easy. I know they will drive you crazy and you'll want to use, because they have that affect on you, but show them. No matter what we accomplish here, you will never be at peace until you show them."
He still didn't know what to think about this. "He's a good man. It's the straight part that makes me worry, but he's a good man and he supports you. That's what I care about."