“Anyway, that’s what’s on my plate. How are things going on your end?”

“Good enough,” I reply. I slip into a pair of black pants and a Kelly green blouse. “Work has been busy. Adam was over this weekend. He had some pretty big news for me.”

I see sparks of light in the periphery of my vision. I find an orange bottle in my bag and throw back two white tablets with a swig of water. I don’t have time for a migraine today.

“Oh, really? What kind of big news?”

Mom likes Adam, but certainly doesn’t fawn over him. I think she’s waiting for me to declare that I will love him forever before she vows to do the same, but I worry sometimes that without Mom’s explicit approval, I might never take that step.

“He wants to run for a seat in the General Assembly. By the end of next week, it should be official.”

“Well, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise,” Mom says.

“What do you mean?” I put Mom on speakerphone and tie my hair up in a bun, taming the strays with a touch of hairspray.

“Because he can knock off every box on the politician checklist. Legal background, family connections, friends with money. Not to mention the way he parts his hair. He’s got candidate hair.”

It’s easy to picture Adam shaking hands and kissing babies, standing before a podium and flashing a winning smile to a crowd. If I’d let myself, I would have seen this coming too.

“Candidate hair? Mom, you’re terrible. Any other premonitions you care to share with me?”

“I’ll check my crystal ball later and get back to you. But tell me, Aryana, how do you feel about this?”

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s his decision and his career.”

I slip into a pair of black patent leather shoes with a low heel. I check my bag for my ID badge.

“Aryana,” Mom says. “This is more than just his decision. If he’s running for office, that means you’ll be involved too. People will want to know everything about him first, but then they’ll want to meet his very lovely and accomplished significant other. Did he talk to you about that at all?”

I am silent, which answers Mom’s question. I didn’t think Adam’s run would affect me beyond cutting into our time together.

“Just think about it. Figure out where you stand and discuss it with him,” Mom advises. “And if this isn’t a good time for me to come down and stay with you, let me know. I can make other arrangements.”