Chapter Twenty-Three
It felt good to be sitting at her own desk again. She'd missed her corner office, the one at the campaign headquarters wasn't even half the size and the furniture wasn't her taste either. But that was just temporary, while she'd owned this office for several years, and it still felt like home. She leaned back in her comfortable armchair, rested her head against the leather fabric and turned towards the window. Whenever she looked out to the city, she felt like she was on top of the world. While the campaign meant working for something that seemed more and more out of reach by the day. She wasn't even sure anymore if it was worth it.
The sound of a woman's laughter echoed through the silence and she heard steps nearing and a woman and a man talking. She thought she was alone. She had sneaked in there to enjoy her office in secret, now she felt like she got caught doing something she shouldn't have. She hoped they would leave, but the sounds came from closer and closer. Diane didn't move. She was still facing the window, hiding in her chair. If she stayed like that they wouldn't notice her.
But soon the voices were right behind her and she recognized the voice of her husband. She didn't expect to find him there either. Especially not with another woman. At such a late hour. She had no idea what to do now.
She considered sneaking out through the side door, so Will wouldn't see her. She didn't want him to think she was spying on him. Was she though? Why else would she have been sitting there in the dark? She didn't believe the gossip Emma had mentioned, but the thought hadn't left her head ever since. She had to know who was the woman with Will.
She wanted to see them without being seen, but the glass walls made that almost impossible. At least it was dark though. She kicked off her shoes to avoid making noise and slowly turned around. Just in time to see her husband on the other end of the corridor kissing a blonde woman.
o-o-o
Diane had never been more glad to wake up than after the dream she just had. It was one of the scariest nightmares she had ever had and it didn't even include someone chasing her with a deadly weapon. It only included her husband making out with another woman and it was enough for Diane to want to wake up right away.
She had no doubt that the woman with Will in her dream was Gillian, which could have only meant one thing, that no matter how hard she wanted to push that thought to the back of her mind, she couldn't fool her subconscious. Emma's words were bells that could not be unrung.
At least it was just a dream, she sighed and checked the time. It was only ten pm. She used to stay up until late at home, but now that they were on the road it was more tiring and she usually didn't have much to do after dinner, so the exhaustion got the better of her and she had fallen asleep.
She knew that after the dream she had, there was only one person who had the power to calm her, so she immediately dialed his number.
"Hi," Will answered on the first ring, his voice already soothing her.
"Hey, hope you're at home already," she said, remembering only now that he'd promised to call her when he'd get home. Maybe that's why her mind had played such a trick on her, because he hadn't kept his word.
"Not yet, but I'm almost out the door," he informed her.
"It's late," she noted with a hint of sadness. She hated that work kept him there so late.
"I know, believe me I'm exhausted." He did sound really tired, and Diane wished she could have been with him at that moment, to share his burden. They should be in this together, but she had left him he was alone at all. She didn't dare to ask.
"Hurry home," she urged him.
"I'm sorry if I kept you up, it's been a busy day. Just go to sleep, okay?" he suggested thoughtfully.
"I already slept actually," she revealed, withholding the information about her dream. She wasn't ready to bring up the topic yet. And it would be better face to face anyway.
"Then go back to sleep, we will talk tomorrow," he promised, but she didn't want to let him go just yet.
"I miss you," she breathed into the phone.
"I miss you too," he said, and after a short pause he added, "but I'm not sure we'll be able to visit you tomorrow after all. We weren't able to prep everything for Monday, so I have to come in tomorrow too, I'm sorry."
"That's okay, I'll be back on Tuesday," she tried not to sound too disappointed, but she was almost screaming on the inside.
She shouldn't have taken his visit for granted, but she pretty much had. It had been his idea after all. And even though Will didn't mention her name, she was pretty sure the 'we' meant Gillian and him. The thought that he would be spending the weekend with her instead of his wife was simply too much to handle.
"I can't wait," he reassured her. "I love you," he added, causing her lips to curl up. She really needed to hear that right now.
"I love you, too," she repeated his words before they both hung up.
And as Diane turned off the lights and closed her eyes she realized she had never felt more alone than at that moment. And even though she wasn't someone to cry easily, some disobedient tears started forming in her eyes. This wasn't quite how she'd imagined this campaign. And she could only hope all the sacrifice she had to pay to achieve her goal would pay off in the end.
o-o-o
Diane was in the worst mood all Saturday. After having given countless speeches and shaking hundreds of hands, all she wanted was to disappear into their hotel suite and hide in her bed. She didn't want to offend her son though, who was still enthusiastic, and full of memories from the last days and also wanted to hear everything about Diane's day. So she entered his room with her best poker face and patiently told him all about it.
She was still undecided whether it had been a good decision to bring Nat with her on the road, simply because he was definitely a bit young for this. On the other hand, at least she had someone to come home to and she was grateful for that. It didn't change the fact that she would have loved to come home to her husband, who wasn't able to make it.
Nat's cheerful mood managed to help her state of mind though and by the time they both shared the events of their day with the other she felt less tired than before. At least their official program was over for the day and they could spend their evening the way they wished.
"How about we go out for dinner, just you and me?" she suggested.
"Is there a McDonald's nearby?" His face lit up even more and Diane began to chuckle.
"Chumhum it and if it's far we'll call a cab" she suggested and observed how the boy was already typing on his iPad.
"It's only a ten minutes walk," Nat shared the results with her.
"Then I'll put on more comfortable shoes and we can leave right away," she proposed and rushed to her room to find her flats.
"Mom, someone's at the door," Nat appeared there a minute later.
"I really hope it's not Eli," Diane rolled her eyes and wished they had already left so no one could find them there.
"Who is it?" she asked when she approached the door.
"Surprise." She heard her husband's and daughter's voice at the same time and she opened the door to land right in Will's arms.
This was the best surprise she could have wished for.
"I'm sorry we didn't call ahead, but this is exactly why," Will explained and if she hadn't been so happy to see him she would have scolded him for playing with her like that. But it didn't matter anymore, because he was there.
"It's so good to see you both," she hugged her daughter too, "Come in, we were just about to go to McDonald's to get some dinner. You almost missed us."
"Now we can go together," Nat suggested enthusiastically.
"How about I take you to McDonald's and give mom and dad some privacy," Emma suggested and Diane couldn't have been more grateful to her. But she didn't want to disappoint her son either.
"Would that be okay?" Diane turned to Nat, who looked from one parent to the other before he replied.
"Sure, we will bring you dinner," he promised and Diane shared a smile with Will. They had two great kids.
"Can't believe you're really here." Diane hugged Will tightly after the kids left them alone and they shared a kiss she'd been craving ever since they had been apart.
"When I told Gill I was supposed to visit you, she insisted that she'd finish without me," Will revealed.
"I need to thank her too." She made a mental note, not that she actually planned to thank her. She didn't particularly like that it was Gillian's idea, but it didn't change how happy she was to be able to hold her husband in her arms.
"How far away is that McDonald's?" Will inquired with a meaningful grin on his face Diane couldn't misinterpret. They were probably thinking the same thing.
"Far enough," she responded and pulled him with her towards the bedroom."