“You’ve got a good memory. You may have a voter there, Dot.”
“She looks like she’s by herself. I’ll be right back. I’m going to chat with her.”
“I’ll stay put. I don’t want to give up my spot.” Rose had made sure to stake a location offstage where they could see both the candidate and the crowd’s reaction.
Dot approached the young woman. “Hi. We met before. You’re the one with the cute baby.”
“Wow, you remember that? I’m impressed,” she said.
“I’m Dot Clark, by the way.”
“Emery Brewer.” They shook hands.
“Where’s your son today?” Dot asked.
“My mom has him. I told her I wanted to come check this out. You were right—I really like Senator Lopez. She seems very real.”
“She is.”
“I like what she has to say about the economy. It’s not easy being a single mom—the cost of everything is so high, especially day care. I have my mom to help, but she’s still working, too. She cleans rooms at one of the hotels near Milwaukee.”
“Well, you’re not alone. The cost of living is high on everyone’s minds—all of our polls show that. You’ll hear her talk about that today,” Dot said. “And she has a proposal to keep day cares safe but to let up on some of the regulations that have pushed providers out of the business. She wants that done within her first one hundred days. If she wins.”
“I hope she wins,” Emery said. “I feel like the only way I can make my life work is if there are two of me.”
Dot felt her phone buzz. She reached into her back pocket for it. There was a text from Sen. Lopez.
“Hi. Pulling up soon. Meet me for a chat right before I go on? I’d love a briefing on the crowd.”
Dot shot back, “Will be there.” Then to Emery, she said, “Can I give you my number in case you need anything?”
“Sure. And could I get a picture with you?” Emery asked.
“With me?” Dot was surprised.
“Yes, with you.” Emery took a selfie of them. “I’ll send it to you.”
“Thanks!”
“And Dot? Please let Senator Lopez know we’re counting on her.”
“You bet. I will.” Dot waved goodbye and felt a swell of pride and of nerves. The stakes were so high in this election, and now she had to pull herself together to brief the candidate.
SENATOR LOPEZ HADthe crowd on their feet for forty minutes. She nailed her stump speech, and had the crowd laughing, crying, and then laughing again.
“Laugh, cry, laugh—the perfect formula,” Dot said to Fletcher on the sidelines with Rose where they cheered along with the rally-goers.
At the end of her speech, Lopez worked the rope line, and Dot asked a volunteer to bring Emery to the end of it. She watched Emery’s surprise at being spoken to at all, and then she made eye contact with Dot and understood what was happening. Dot met her in the line.
“Senator Lopez, this is Emery. She’s a single mom, and this is her first-ever rally. You’ve really inspired her.”
“Emery, what a beautiful name,” Lopez said, fully focusing on the young woman as if she didn’t have one thousand other things on her mind. “Thanks for coming. Can I count on your vote?”
“Yes, ma’am. And my mom’s, too.”
Lopez reached for Emery’s hands and lifted them high. “Let’s do this!” She was the kind of candidate that got more energized with a rally, rather than fatigued from the effort. Her energy was contagious.
Turning to Dot, Lopez said, “Great job. Thank you. Are you happy with the turnout?”