“To God.”
Dot typed back a series of crying emojis and heard Harper burst out laughing three rows behind her.
She put her phone away in her backpack and settled into her seat. To her left, she could see the skyscrapers of the city in the bright blue winter sun.
The plane rumbled down the runway, and the nose tipped into the air. As the pilot climbed out of LaGuardia and banked left, Dot rested her forehead against the window and took in the city.
She gently waved and whispered, “Be right back.”
They were off.
Part Two
Chapter 14
Monday morning in early February, Dot looked in the hallway mirror and tied a teal cashmere scarf tight around her neck. She threw on a long navy Patagonia coat—a Christmas gift from her parents. She added a black “I Love NY” bauble hat and light pink fleece-lined mittens. Her outfit didn’t match, but who cared when it was only two degrees outside?
“Negative 12 with the windchill!” she texted her sister, comparing Cedar Falls to Vail.
“You win again—it’s going to get up to 40 here this afternoon,” Anne replied, up early to take a group of winter tourists out on the slopes for the day. Dot always said she wasn’t competitive, she just loved to win. Anne played along.
That morning, Dot was heading into the local Democratic offices in Cedar Falls. The first Democratic presidential primary debate was just two weeks away, and the DNC had chosen the University of Wisconsin-Madison to host—less than a two-hour drive from The Crew’s new digs.
Through its D.C. office, For the Win had offered to handle the candidates’ greenroom needs. Dot was the team’s organizer, and she’d recruited Mary and Harper to help.
“Think we’ll get to meet that handsome governor from California? What’s his name... ?” Mary had asked.
“You mean, Cal Ashby?” Dot reminded her. It was easy for Dot to remember his name. Soon after he’d won the gubernatorial election, he ran national ads on cable and YouTube. He’d looked into the camera and winked. “Governor Cal Ashby. It’s in the name....Cal- ifornia.” He so saw himself as a future president.
“Oh yeah. Cal. He’s pretty hot,” Mary said. She always had her priorities straight.
Before she left for the day, Dot checked on Harper. The night before, she’d fallen asleep on the sofa while they watched a favoriteGrey’s Anatomyrerun. Dot thought Harper might still be afraid to be alone in the big house at night, even though they’d been here for just over a month.
“It’s too quiet,” she’d complained when they first arrived. She missed the sirens, and sidewalk sounds from the Village. She downloaded an app that played city noises, but that made Mary bang on their adjoining wall and yell, “Make it stop!”
Dot pulled the blanket up to her chin and said softly, “Happy writing. See you tonight.” Harper groaned and rolled over into a fetal position. She wasn’t ready to get up yet.
Dot heard Mary moving around upstairs in her room. Mary always woke before dawn to get a jump on her billable hours. So far, no one from her firm had complained about her working remotely, and she was pretty sure no one would since her managing partner had approved.
“Not sure the other lawyers even know I’m gone,” Mary had said after they’d been in Wisconsin for a couple of weeks.
“Just keep making them money—that’ll keep them off your back.” Harper wore disdain for corporations on her sleeve.
And yet, Harper was the first to gush about their plush living arrangements that Kitty had set up for them.
Their house on Maple Avenue was filled with well-kept Craftsman- style houses that were built at the beginning of the twentieth century. The town had strict historic preservation rules, so many of the homes had old-world charm but modern conveniences, like built-in microwaves and central air.
The owners of The Crew’s house had kept the stained-glass windows and refinished the oak floors. That family of five had relocated to Nashville for the dad’s job in medical devices, and they decided to rent it out instead of selling. For the Win had snapped up the lease immediately.
Upstairs they had four small bedrooms with spacious closets that The Crew just couldn’t believe.
“I can do cartwheels in here.” Harper had never had a walk-in closet.
The finished basement had a small guest room and bathroom, plus a workout area with a treadmill and free weights.
“Dot, you can have this entire spot,” Mary had said when they arrived. “I don’t plan ever to come down here again.”
The kitchen had light gray granite countertops, white cupboards, and brass fittings. Its best feature was an island with room for three stools where they could eat a meal or work on their laptops.