Page 109 of See You Next Tuesday

“Simone, how do our donor numbers look in Chicago?” Jo asked. Anya looked up in surprise—what was she talking about?

“Um, good, Senator. Excellent,” Simone said through the phone. “We’re at more than thirty thousand individual donors.”

“Great. I want to kick off our Midwest tour with a rally in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Is that possible?”

“Absolutely, ma’am.” Kira sounded excited.

“Illinois isn’t a swing state,” Anya protested, but Jo held up her hand.

“If we launch in Chicago, the media will filter to all the neighboring states and drive up turnout,” Jo said. “It’ll spike new donors and volunteers. And it’ll make news in Iowa.”

“That’s a great point,” Preethi chimed in. “I can probably even get some Iowa press to come up and cover it.”

“Good. Anya, when’s the service for your mother?” Jo asked.

Anya’s throat felt tight. “They’re saying a kaddish for her at the synagogue Saturday morning, and then we’re doing a family service at the house on Sunday.”

“I think we should be there for at least one of those,” Hugo said quietly.

“I agree.” Jo nodded. “I don’t want to intrude on your family event, so our team will go to the synagogue to support Anya. Nicole, I don’t want that on the public calendar—no press, understood?”

Nicole nodded. “Got it.”

“Senator, no. You have so much to do, you can’t leave the trail for the service,” Anya pled.

“When you’re on a campaign, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters,” Jo said kindly. “Your mother gave countless hours helping my Senate campaign—and that’s a fraction of the time you’ve given me. Honoring her memory and supporting you are more important to me than whatever campaign breakfast we’d schedule otherwise. Okay?”

Anya nodded; she was beyond grateful to have a boss like Jo.

She only wished Gabe felt the same way Jo did.

Chapter 17

Text message transcript: Anya Katz and Gabe Hunt

October 30

Gabe [8:14pm]: Hey, I’ve tried calling a few times, but it’s going to voicemail, not sure if you’re in the air

Gabe [8:14pm]: Or busy, obviously

Gabe [8:15pm]: I really hate how that conversation went

Gabe [8:15pm]: (Not nearly as much as I hate this situation)

Gabe [8:15pm]: You are the most important person in my life, ok?

Gabe [8:16pm]: Kira is a close second, and Andrew Wheeler is somewhere very far down the list

Gabe [8:16pm]: If me not coming to Chicago is going to break something with us, I will be there even if it means quitting this job

Gabe [8:17pm]: I am so sorry this is happening, and I hate asking you to understand

Gabe [8:17pm]: Please call me when you can

Anya [11:21pm]: Just landed in Cedar Rapids

Anya [11:21pm]: Thank you for saying all that. I needed to hear it