Page 56 of Campaign Season
“Sorry, Dad.”
“Don’t be,” he wheezed, catching his breath. “Gerry was always pissed that I landed your mother while he got stuck with Barbara Bergin.”
Candace snorted.
“Who’s Barbara Bergin?” Jonah asked.
“Oh,” Candace said, her eyes bright with amusement, “she was your uncle’s fiancée for two years before she joined the convent.”
“You are making that up,” Michelle said. “Mom?”
“Nope. True story. I’ll never forget the night of our engagement party. Everyone was drinking and dancing, and there was Barbara, sitting in the corner with her Bible.”
Jonathan chuckled. “It was priceless.”
“Poor Gerry,” Candace said theatrically.
“Poor Gerry?” Jonathan shook his head. “I think he’s the reason she went into the convent. You know”—his lips curved mischievously—“Barbara would have been a good match for your mother.”
Candace stared at him, stunned, before bursting into laughter.
Marianne shook her head. “I don’t think Grandma was a lesbian.”
“No?” Jonathan asked. “You should’ve had a few beers with your grandfather.”
“Stop,” Candace said, still laughing so hard tears pricked her eyes.
Jameson appeared in the doorway, arching an eyebrow. “Did we just win the House, or are you all drunk?”
“Dad thinks Grandma Stratton was a lesbian,” Jonah explained.
Jonathan shrugged, perfectly unbothered.
“I don’t think so,” Jameson said evenly.
Candace tilted her head. “No? Why not?”
“No. The last time she was here, before she died, she told me I didn’t look good in my toolbelt.”
For one beat, the room went still—then erupted into laughter so loud that even Jonathan’s coughing couldn’t drown it out.
Candace put a hand on Jonathan’s back, rubbing lightly as his cough eased.
“I’m all right,” he wheezed, though his voice betrayed the effort.
Candace turned her attention back to the television.
“Mom, things look better than we expected,” Michelle said.
“Let’s hope they hold.”
“How many seats do you think you might lose?” Laura asked.
Candace sighed. “I can’t tell you the number of projections and scenarios people have given me.”
“What doyouthink?” Jonah pressed.
“I’ve learned elections are unpredictable,” Candace replied. “I hope for the best outcome, and I prepare for the worst. I expect to land somewhere between the two.”
