Page 108 of See You Next Tuesday

“Okay.” She hated how empty she sounded, but she didn’t know how to feel anything without feeling everything. “So, have you already decided?”

“Anya, please.” He sounded so pained. “If you need me in Chicago, I’ll be in Chicago.”

“I mean…” Anya took a deep breath. “Gabe, I don’t really know what to say here.”

“You know what it’s like,” he said quietly.

“Yeah, I do know.” Anya’s voice cracked. “You think it’s easy for me to leave the trail right now, with the week we’re having?”

“The week you’re having is affecting the week I’m having.”

“Of course,” Anya said curtly. “I understand.”

“Come on, don’t do that. I’m happy for you, you know I’m happy for you.”

“You just need to be in DC on Sunday.”

“I do.”

It usually brought Anya so much comfort to listen to Gabe breathing, but right now she just wanted to get off the phone.

“The senator’s almost done with the rope line. I need to go,” she said quickly.

“Anya—” Gabe started, but she didn’t hear what he said next, because she hung up.

“Hey.” Hugo put his hand on Anya’s arm, startling her. “Are you okay?”

“Mm-hmm!” Anya nodded, but her eyes were welling with tears.

“We ready to get this show on the road?” Jo came over to them, smiling brightly, but her expression changed completely when she saw Anya’s face. “Anya? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I’m so sorry, ma’am.” Anya wiped her eyes. “Let’s get you on the bus.”

Jo nodded, but she looked concerned. The second the bus was moving, she turned back to Anya.

“Okay, now you can tell me what’s happening.”

“Senator, really, I need to brief you. Kira’s waiting on our call—”

“Then you’d better tell me quick so we can get to the briefing.” Jo gave Anya a look that said she meant business. It always made Anya smile, the way Jo’s teacher face was so similar to Judy’s.

“It’s just Gabe,” Anya said quickly. “He was supposed to come to Chicago for my mother’s yahrzeit this weekend, but he can’t, because we rose eight points in the polls, so he has to do the Sunday shows.”

“I didn’t realize the yahrzeit was this weekend—that’s the first anniversary of her death?” Jo asked, and Anya nodded. “I see. And what are we calling Kira about?”

“She wants to expand our map—set rallies in some cities where we’ve seen spikes in donor activity, build out our national volunteer base.”

“What cities?”

“We discussed Madison, Minneapolis, and Detroit to start.”

Jo sat up a little straighter. “She wants to make a viability argument?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Anya’s heartbeat quickened. “Quinnipiac is polling general election matchups.”

“Got it,” Jo said. “Let’s get her on the phone.”

Anya dialed, and within a few seconds they had Kira and Simone on speaker.