in one ear and out the other. She had a very small window between Zach’s next bottle and standing by Marc’s side for the announcement with a quiet baby who was through spitting up. One of those guys, whose name escaped her, came along while she fed Zach.
“We would rather you not take any questions afterward, as you haven’t been thoroughly prepped. Is that OK?”
“That sounds perfect, thanks.”
It was a relief. She was becoming increasingly unsure about how to honestly answer questions about the future of their relationship. With each moment she spent with Marc, her original concept of them being engaged to be engaged felt further and further from the truth. The nameless guy continued explaining the logistics.
“The lieutenant governor will do a brief intro for Marc and then call him up. You will stand to his right with the baby. His campaign manager and some members of his team, plus a few celebrities, will stand with you as well.”
Alison scanned the small group behind the curtain: an interesting mix including the district attorney, the lieutenant governor, a point guard for the New York Knicks, and a famous Broadway diva. The nameless guy went on. “At the end of his speech, when he actually announces his candidacy and the crowd cheers, he will reach for your hand. Together you will lift your clasped hands in the air to signify Marc’s status as a family man. No words will be necessary after that. A photo-op moment is all we need from you today.”
“Got it,” she agreed, while burping Zachary. He looked so cute in his fancy outfit. It was the first time he was wearing it—and the last, she figured from the way she was barely able to snap it closed. She took out her phone to take a picture of him, or more accurately, the tenth picture of him that day. She scrolled around on her phone afterward, checking her emails and deleting spam. She saw Jackie’s last email in her junk folder and opened it. It only said four words:
My aim is true.
If it were her heart he was aiming for, it worked—she actually felt it sink. She wasn’t sure if other people would connect the words to the lyrics from the Elvis Costello song that she shared a name with, but anyone with the name “Alison” certainly would. She sang the eerily accurate verse in her head:
I’m not going to get too sentimental like those other sticky valentines,
Cause I don’t know if you’ve been loving somebody.
I only know it isn’t mine.
Alison, I know this world is killing you.
Oh, Alison, my aim is true.
And somehow she believed him. She believed that he got caught up in something that went against his usual integrity—a single dad doing the best that he could in the face of such loss. She believed that his aim was true. She wasn’t running to give him another chance, but she understood that he was most likely one of the good guys. Marc came over to them and gently placed the back of his hand on Zach’s cheek. He smiled at Alison, said, “Thanks for bringing him,” and headed to his spot next to the stage to await his introduction. She knew, right then, that there was nothing of substance besides Zach between them. Suddenly the whole charade felt wrong.
The lieutenant governor approached the stage and quieted the crowd. He went into great detail about Marc’s education, Supreme Court clerkship, and trajectory at the US attorney’s office, with zero mention of his personal life. It was quite evident that it was up to her and Zach to complete that picture. He concluded with, “It is now more important than ever to have a solid citizen of our great city in Gracie Mansion—and who better than the man who has prosecuted more crime and corruption than any other prosecutor in our history? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you New York City’s next mayor, Marc Sugarman!”
The crowd began exuberantly shouting, “Sugarman, Sugarman,” with an unusually strong emphasis on the third syllable. His posse, Alison included, took their places around him. Marc waited a few moments to quiet the crowd as he stood, taking it all in from the podium. He certainly had the telegenic appeal of a charming politician. The crowd finally calmed at his request, and he flashed them his JFK smile.
“First of all, thank you. Thank you to the lieutenant governor for that wonderful introduction, and thank you all for being here today. Like millions