Truth to Power

Not an immediate no, so that’s a good sign. Wes smiled at his fiancé.

“Well, I don’t have much in the way of blood relatives, so I’d be inviting a handful of friends and some coworkers, and if it’s going to be a small gathering, we can always have a party later.”

Wes shrugged. “I really just want to be married, and the courthouse is there, so…”

His romantic life had been nothing like he’d thought it’d be. As a child, he figured he’d be married pretty quickly after college, like his parents had been, but life had had different plans for him. And quite frankly, Maddie had been worth the wait, but why wait any more?

“If you’ve got a work assignment this weekend, we can always pick another one, but unless you really want a traditional wedding, I’m ready.”

Just want to be married.

A small part of Maddie felt bad hearing his sincerity. Not that she loved him any less or that she didn’t want to go through with it, but... It was the fact that she didn’t care that much about it. She and Wes were basically married already anyway, so the piece of paper didn’t hold that much significance to her.

But it obviously meant something to him, and that’s all that really mattered.

Another Question | @Maddie

Wes was fiddling around on his laptop while Maddie was on her own in the living room. They often had quiet time like this, each doing their own thing, her on the couch and him in the arm chair. He kept glancing over at her. It was an unspoken rule that they didn’t talk much, but he’d been dying to ask her yet another question as the months had passed since their engagement.

There was no telling when the pandemic would end, and they hadn’t really done much wedding planning because of it — not to mention their jobs still kept them busy, especially with Wes having to take part of Morgan’s caseload once she quit. It only made Wes want to take advantage of the present moment even more, so he broke their silence and asked.

“Do you want to get married this weekend?”

Maddie had a terrible case of tunnel vision when it came to her work. The engagement had been months ago, but it may as well have happened yesterday or ten years in the past for her. She wasn’t an insincere or detached person, but she very much lived in the present. In the now. So in the moment, she was exhilarated by Wes’ proposal. But as soon as it became clear that the virus was going to keep a wedding at bay, it was quickly shoved to a back burner in the back of her mind.

Wes was a good man, and more than she believed she deserved. She’d done shady things in the name of revealing “the truth”, and he was so pure. So noble. She admired his integrity and respected his ethics.

But Maddie just couldn’t seem to keep up her end of the emotional load that a couple was meant to share. So when he asked her about the weekend, she blinked rapidly behind her bottle-lens glasses.

There was a brief in the local section of the Times when I first announced, and a local paper did a profile of me too. Then I was also mentioned when my opponent announced, but aside from that, not much. A quote or two in some city council coverage too. I try to go to all the council meetings, sometimes speaking up during the public comment section.

Who’s your campaign manager? Do you have a social editorial calendar? Everyone gets their updates online nowadays. I can’t give you specific advice, but I can recommend that any political candidate should get a bit more coverage. I don’t necessarily mean spend ten hours in front of a camera, I hate networks, but there’s a lot to be gained from a decent social presence. Get in front of people, Eric. Yeah, people go to the council meetings and such, but only a small percentage of your ward is going to be there. Everyone has a phone in their hand, though.

Thanks, Maddie.

And it’s ok. I gotta be able to answer the tough questions, right?

Exactly. ‘Cause there will be plenty more if you get in office.

A lot of people think about a career in politics, and they want to go national, and, yes, that work has an impact, but the local level has a much more immediate impact. And I think to a certain extent, it’s on us to take care of each other and take care of our home.

If I do lose my way, I guess I’ll have to rely on journalists like you to call me out for it.

I like you, Eric. You’re a real catch. Sorry I came at you kinda strong.

I’ve seen firsthand what worked, what didn’t, and what people have been asking for. This ward is my home and I care about it and its people.

Off the record, politics, and especially campaigning, takes too much for you not to care about what you’re fighting for.

Off the record, I’ve seen firsthand myself what politics can do to an entire nation. To be perfectly honest, I believe most institutions are corrupt and inefficient, ours included. But I get why they’re necessary. I spent several weeks in Sudan. Politics kill people. Politics strip people.

Well, of course I have a few ideas of my own. I believe the last council gave way too much to developers, so affordable housing is a high priority for me, as are green initiatives. But I think it’s important to stay in touch with the ward residents. I’ve already held a town hall this summer and I plan to make that a regular occurrence to ensure resident needs are being met, and voters are adequately represented.

So you can call that the plan: targeted community engagement. I want residents of this ward to feel like they’re being heard and someone’s actually speaking up for them — and for members of other wards who may feel similarly. Crumbling infrastructure, lack of affordable housing, and food desserts are certainly not just found in the ward I hope to one day represent.

Sure, and…..sure.

Nice to meet you Maddison. I’d say campaigning has been going well. I’ve worked with my predecessor, who is choosing to run for the statehouse, for years, so I know the ward well and most of its key players.

Good, good. That must be nice to have a red carpet rolled out for you. What exactly are you planning on doing to fix your “predecessor’s” mistakes? They left quite a few gaps. We know your general campaign droll, but what's your actual plan?

Still in the lead, though honestly…..not by as much as I’d hoped. But it’s not as bad as I’d feared either. I have a feeling November will be a good month.

Sure. Mind if I get your name first?

Well, congratulations, Eric. Mind if I call you Eric? And mind if I smoke?

These polls are…..something.

How’s it looking?

Woah, woah, woah, no one’s asking you to choose.

Yet. But it eventually always happens.

I could….meet you at the airport?

Though I guess if I’m in court there’d be none of that. Fine, I concede on this one.

Look, Wes... You’re one of my favorite people in the world, but my job is ridiculously important to me. This might make me a shitty person, and I don’t think this would ever happen, but if you ever ask me to choose you over my job... I don’t ever want to hurt you, babe. So if my lifestyle is too much for you, maybe we should resort to being friends while things are still good. ‘Cause I’ve been down that road and, trust me, I came out the other side in a lot better shape than the other person.