Denise walks into Aimee’s office.
Denise: Can you believe how fast the year goes by? It feels like it just started and it’s already Valentine’s Day.
Aimee: And yet, the office Christmas tree is still up.
Denise: I told Delilah to take care of it, but you know, she’s been out for a bit.
Aimee: For a whole month?
Denise: Well, she did have appendicitis.
Aimee: So… it’s February 10th. How long is a person out after an appendectomy?
Denise: Why are we doing math?
Aimee: I’m trying to figure out when you started telling her to take the tree down. And why you haven’t just done it yourself.
Denise: Hey, what is this, “Pick on Denise Day?”
Aimee: No, you’re right, I’m sorry. I think I’m just stressed.
Denise: What about?
Aimee: I mean… take your pick.
Denise: You’re part of a superminority in the US Senate, seems a pretty easy job to me. You just go in, say yes or no on whatever the Democrats want to do, and that’s it. Not like your opinion is ever taken too seriously.
Aimee: It’s not as easy as it sounds. These people are nuts!
Denise: I’d be more sympathetic if it didn’t seem like you actively sought out the craziest of the bunch and made them all your closest friends.
Aimee: That’s not true.
Denise: You think Gwen’s sane?
Aimee: She sought me out.
Denise: Got it. Friend by force.
Aimee: The job’s not the only reason I’m stressed.
Denise: I’d hope not.
Aimee: I also completely forgot that it’s Valentine’s Day I haven’t bought anything for Dave.
Denise: Have you considered… buying him something?
Aimee: You’re sassy today! Not a fan of it!
Denise: Sorry, I’m tired. I was working so hard!
Aimee: On what, we don’t even do anything around here.
Denise: Touche.
Aimee: On that note, I’m gonna head out and try and find him something. Can you hold down the fort?
Denise: I don’t know, you’ve got tons of people stopping by to ask about your incredibly important work. I might need backup!
Aimee: I’ll be back.
Denise: Don’t be too long!
Twenty minutes later…
Denise: Back so soon?
Aimee: I just realized, I don’t have any clue where to even go to buy anything, or especially what to get!
Denise: Do you never buy gifts for him? It was just Christmas.
Aimee: I usually forget and buy chocolate on the day of.
Denise: Like a man?
Aimee: You don’t have to put it that way, but yeah.
Denise: I’ve never been married, Aimee. It’s hard for me to say.
Aimee: You’ve dated!
Denise: I’m unlucky in love. Valentine’s Day has never been for me.
Aimee: But do you buy gifts for anyone?
Denise: Do you?
Aimee: I went all-out for Christmas, now I’m all out of ideas.
Denise: I’m not much of a gift-giver. How about a watch?
Aimee: How romantic.
Denise: Hey, I’m not the married one here!
Aimee: I know. I just feel like such a bad wife, I can’t even think of anything genuinely thoughtful to get my own husband. I could go out to Kohl’s and buy him some dress pants or a watch like you said, or I could go to Target and get him a TV, but that’s not thoughtful or creative.
Denise: You know who could be a huge help!
Aimee: Who? I’m open to any and all suggestions, except for Lynette.
Denise: God, not Lynette. She’d tell you to buy him her dad’s book. Or she’d pay for you two to fly to Wyoming for the day.
Aimee: That would really ruin my day, I do not like Wyoming.
Denise: Does anyone? No, I mean Gerry and Greg. You guys are Republican leadership now, you should rely on each other. You go to them for some advice, that can build up your rapport. Plus, they’ve both been married forever, they can help.
Aimee: That’s the most help you’ve given me all day!
Denise: I know!
Aimee: I’ll be back!
Denise: I’ll be here!
Aimee heads to Greg’s office.
Greg: Hey, Aimee, what’s our conference chair up to today?
Aimee: I need advice.
Geraldine: Well, you’re in the wrong place!
Greg: Gerry! We give great advice.
Geraldine: Certainly not about winning elections. Republican conference meetings are just us, three old guys who are asleep the whole time, the VP’s annoying daughter, and a Democrat.
Aimee: Who’s the Democrat?
Geraldine: Do you need to ask?
Aimee: I am not a Democrat!
Geraldine: That’s not what the base says!
Greg: Enough picking on her. Aimee, what advice do you need?
Aimee: Thankfully, not electoral. I need romantic advice.
Geraldine: Lord, that’s even worse!
Aimee: Come on, you’ve both been married a long time, you’re very happy.
Geraldine: We have certainly been married a long time. That part is true.
Greg: Don’t speak about my marriage. Andrea and I are very happy!
Geraldine: Sure ya are!
Aimee: It’s Valentine’s Day, obviously.
Greg: Crap!
Geraldine: See what I’m saying?
Aimee: I don’t know what to get my husband.
Geraldine: Are you asking us what to get him? Asking Greg? That’s funny!
Aimee: I’m all out of ideas, I need any help I can get.
Greg: I have an idea!
Geraldine: Don’t listen to it.
Greg: Aimee, men have a reputation for not being too sentimental, for not being that thoughtful.
Aimee: You don’t say?
Greg: It’s not true! We love thoughtful gifts that you put care into. It doesn’t have to be expensive.
Aimee: Thank god! I used to be so poor that I had to sleep on a couch in my office.
Geraldine: We don’t need to talk about what you do on your own time. I don’t wish to know where you sleep.
Greg: A scrapbook. Take pictures from when you started dating all the way up until the present day, orange them in a book. It’s a look back on your love story. He’d love it. My wife did something similar for our anniversary. Here, take a look.
Aimee: Aww, this is beautiful.
Greg: Ain’t it?
Geraldine: Oh my god, Greg had a good idea about romance! Hell may have frozen over!
Meanwhile, in Washington…
Ernesto: She’s been on the phone for an hour. Can we not just eat without her?
Cherie: No, the family eats together.
Ernesto: Who is she even taking to for so long?
Manuela: Are you dense?
Ernesto: I like to think I’m not.
Manuela: She’s talking to a boy!
Ernesto: The chicken pot pie is getting cold because she’s talking to a boy? I thought she was talking to Aimee!
Cherie: Does she lock herself in her room for an hour to talk to Aimee? Come on, Nesto. Let’s use logic here.
Ernesto: But she’s my little girl!
Cherie: She’s twenty-three years old.
Ernesto: A child!
Cherie: An alcohol-drinking, voting, driving adult woman.
Ernesto: She doesn’t drink!
Manuela: Boy, you are delusional!
Ernesto: You’re going to the home!
Manuela: I apologize, you are not delusional, your daughter is more pure than the Virgin Mary.
Cherie: I will say, she knew dinner was about ready, so this is quite rude.
Manuela: I’m starving. Doesn’t she know we’re all old?
Cherie: Some of us more than others.
Manuela: I’ll still outlive you, though. The doctors say I’m in the physical condition of a forty year-old.
Ernesto: Who’s delusional now?
Cherie: I wonder who this boy is. She never talks so long, kids don’t have the attention span to talk that long these days. It’s why everyone on The View is a thousand years old.
Manuela: Don’t talk about this, you’ll make Nesto cry.
Ernesto: She’s had boyfriends, we’ve met some. I haven’t had problems with them.
Manuela: So what’s all this whining been about?
Ernesto: I don’t know. I just fear her leaving the nest, too.
Cherie: We are… nearing seventy.
Manuela: Nearing?
Cherie: We’re past seventy. I think the nest emptying at this point is a reasonable thing to expect.
Manuela: Don’t worry about an empty nest, you’ll always have me.
Ernesto: Why are you crying, Cherie?
Cherie: Because she’s right! We’re stuck with her forever!
Kimmy: What are you guys all talking about? I thought you’d all be done eating by now.
Cherie: We were want for you.
Kimmy: Why? That’s weird.
Cherie: We eat as a family.
Kimmy: Well, we won’t be eating as a family on Valentine’s Day! I’ve got a date!
Ernesto: A date?
Kimmy: Yes, with a man. I really like him.
Ernesto: How’d you meet this “man.”
Kimmy: you said that weird.
Manuela: Is he a serial killer? You can never be certain he’s not, you better be careful!
Cherie: Ignore her, she has dementia.
Kimmy: No she doesn’t! She has a sharper mind than any of us!
Cherie: Yeah, you’re right.
Kimmy: And no, he’s definitely no serial killer. I met him volunteering for the local Democratic committee.
Manuela: I approve!
Cherie: Did he vote for your sister?
Kimmy: I think so. I don’t know, he doesn’t seem like he’d vote for an attempted murderer. Aimee doesn’t come up much. At all. He doesn’t know she’s my sister.
Cherie: Are you ashamed of being related to a Republican senator?
Kimmy: Not that Republican senator. If I were related to any other one, yeah.
Ernesto: Back up. When were you campaigning for the Democrats?
Kimmy: November, right before the election.
Ernesto: You met him in November? Now it makes sense how serious this is, you’ve been dating him behind our backs for three months!
Kimmy: Well, you all act like this when I tell you things, so sometimes you need to keep secrets. You’re maniacs!
Cherie: It must be fairly serious to spend Valentine’s Day with him.
Kimmy: I wouldn’t say it’s that serious. It’s just the day for romance, you spend it with who you’re dating. How else am I gonna spend it, watching Drag Race with grandma?
Manuela: Don’t forget basketball!
Cherie: Since when do you like basketball?
Kimmy: Grandma got me into it!
Manuela: I only like it when the women play. Men are annoying showboats.
Cherie: There she goes again.
Kimmy: So am I allowed to go?
Ernesto: No!
Cherie: Of course you are, dear. You’re an adult.
Ernesto: Can you ever be on my side?
Cherie: When you act sane, I’ll be on your side.
A few days later, in Alec’s office…
Lynette: How are you settling into your new digs, Alec?
Alec: Well, I finally got unpacked again. Sabrina’s back in town. In fact, she’s stopping by later today, she’s got something to tell me!
Lynette: That’s nice! I’m glad you’re getting set up. You’re gonna be here a while!
Alec: Not too long. I’m not going to get too comfortable.
Lynette: Speaking of comfortable, what do you think your wife wants to talk to you about? You worried about that?
Alec: You have such a way with words.
Lynette: I don’t mean to be blunt, I just know there are very few things that a spouse means when they say then “need to talk.”
Alec: Sabrina and I are incredibly happy and in love and whatever it is, it’ll be good news. She’s just out and about and wanted to see me, I think. She didn’t sound concerned or panicked or anything when I spoke to her.
Lynette: I’m going to take your word for it.
Alec: Besides, if she were dumping me, would she be doing it a day before Valentine’s Day?
Lynette: Oh, crap! I forgot that’s today! I have a meeting with the girls!
Alec: The girls?
Lynette: Carolyn, Victoria and Gwen. We’re all going to be alone on Valentine’s Day, either because our husbands are away or because we don’t have one. So we’re doing a “Galentine’s Day” brunch together. I’m late!
Alec: Can’t say I’m surprised.
Lynette: Thankfully, they won’t be either.
Lynette rushes out of Alec’s office.
Lynette: Oh, hey Sabrina!
Alec: Sabrina! Sweetheart! You got here fast! Did you rush?
Sabrina: Oh, no. I just, uh… I finished my shopping faster than I expected.
Alec: You’re shaking. You okay?
Sabrina: Can we close the door?
Alec: Hanky-panky could’ve waited for tonight, we didn’t have to do this at my new job.
Sabrina: Alec.
Alec: What is going on? Was Lynette right to be worried?
Sabrina: Not worried. There is nothing to be worried about.
Alec: Thank God.
Sabrina: Well, I’m a little worried about it.
Alec: Okay, I’m confused.
Sabrina: I love you very much.
Alec: Same here! You’re my world!
Sabrina: And you’re mine! You mean everything to be. However…
Alec: You need to stop with that.
Sabrina: You’re going to have to start sharing my heart, because I am pregnant.
Alec: Oh my god! This is incredible! Oh, I love you!
Sabrina: I love you, too.
Alec: And here I was thinking all we’d get each other for Valentine’s Day was a nice seafood dinner. This is the greatest gift I could ever receive.
Sabrina: Well, you did have a part in it.
Alec: Yeah, but we can all agree you’re taking on the brunt of it.
Sabrina: I think it’s going to get a lot worse, so far the good heavily outweighs the queasiness.
Alec: Wait until I tell Aimee, she thought her gift for Dave was so good, this blows that away!
Sabrina: So we’re telling Aimee already?
Alec: Of course! She’s going to be the godmother.
Sabrina: We can discuss that later. I’m guess I should just be glad you don’t want it to be Lynette.
Alec: Good to see pregnancy hasn’t messed with your sense of humor!
Meanwhile, across town…
Gwen: Where in the hell is Lynette? They’re making us wait for our table until then, we’re look like idiots just standing around here.
Victoria: You’d think they’d let a senator and her friends sit down at a table even when their entire party isn’t there.
Gwen: Not at this place. Bunch of Nazis.
Carolyn: Gwen, you think everyone’s a Nazi.
Gwen: Everyone should stop acting like them!
Carolyn: I’m certainly feeling the love this Valentine’s Day.
Victoria: Galentine’s Day!
Carolyn: I don’t know what that is.
Victoria: It’s what we’re doing right now! Taking the day before Valentine’s Day to hang out with your best girlfriends!
Gwen: So why are we together, then?
Victoria: Come on, this is fun! We’re all alone this Valentine’s Day, this helps us feel less lonesome.
Carolyn: Just a quick fact check: my husband is just back in Washington. We’re spending Valentine’s Day on Saturday, once I get home. I’ll be traveling on the actual day, no point in him flying out for that.
Gwen: I, meanwhile, will actually have to see my husband tomorrow, not that either of us is happy about it. We just don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s a Hallmark holiday. Capitalism invented it.
Carolyn: Oh, don’t make this about politics.
Victoria: Okay, so I am alone for Valentine’s Day. Friendship is more important, though, and I’m glad to have friends.
Lynette: I’m so sorry I’m late! I was chatting with Alec, I forgot what time it was or even what I had planned for today.
Gwen: Don’t worry, lots of people eat brunch at… 1:15.
Lynette: I’m not that late!
Carolyn: Let’s just hope they still honor the reservation.
Lynette: They will, they know me here!
Carolyn: We’re screwed.
One hour later…
Carolyn: I can not believe Lynette actually helped us for once!
Lynette: Excuse me?
Carolyn: You have to admit, you’re usually getting us into trouble, not getting us out of it.
Gwen: This sangria's gonna be trouble for me. I ain’t getting any work done today!
Victoria: Didn’t you say you had a committee hearing?
Gwen: Ah, crap! Who nominates a Secretary of Health & Human Services in the February before your term ends, anyway?
Carolyn: Is he supposed to leave the position open for a year?
Gwen: I‘d rather he did than nominate a knucklehead.
Carolyn: Not sure I’m taking Senator Sangria’s advice on who should run HHS.
Victoria: We’re having fun! That’s what matters most.
Lynette: They look like they’re about to wrestle one another.
Carolyn: It’s all in good fun!
Gwen: Exactly. It’s never serious. Hating on each other is how we show our friendship.
Lynette: You’re clearly great friends.
Victoria: Don’t you just love Galentine’s Day? When else do we all get this time to just hang out together in the afternoon and drink and eat brunch?
Carolyn: You will never be able to convince me that this is a thing anyone actually does, but this has been a nice afternoon. It’s good to slow down, unwind and spend time with your friends.
Lynette: Well, it doesn’t have to end today! I bought you all presents!
Gwen: I wasn’t aware we were doing gifts.
Lynette: It’s nothing major! I just bought us all vouchers for a spa day. We’re all going together, us and Aimee. It expires in May, so we need to go before then.
Victoria: Oh, I love a spa day!
Gwen: I feel bad about not buying you girls anything now.
Victoria: I think only Lynette bought a gift.
Carolyn: Well, it really is more of a gift for her than for us, anyway.
The next day…
Dave: This is such a fancy restaurant! Do we fit in here?
Aimee: I’m a senator, Dave! I’ve met the president. We don’t like each other, but I’ve met him. I’m somewhat of a big deal around here.
Dave: I know, I’m just not really used to eating at these fancy restaurants. I think we went to Olive Garden last year for Valentine’s Day.
Aimee: To me, Olive Garden is fancy.
Dave: Yeah, that’s part of why I’m not used to this.
Aimee: Well, we’re here now!
Dave: I’m glad to be anywhere with you alone. I love your aunt, but she’s a lot.
Aimee: Oh, she’s unbearable sometimes. She makes me want to drink. A lot.
Dave: But now we’re alone, we have a romantic evening ahead of us! And as part of my Valentine’s gift to you, I sent Victoria back to Washington early!
Aimee: You did what?
Dave: I didn’t tell her we were flying out tomorrow morning instead, so she flew out this evening like we usually would. She took the kids with her, too. The house is all ours for tonight.
Aimee: Oh my god, my gift for you is so lame in comparison to your thoughtful gift of tricking my aunt so we can get privacy.
Dave: Is it just chocolate again? Because that’s all I need.
Aimee: It’s not chocolate! I actually did bring it, though. You wanna see it now?
Dave: Better hurry before the appetizers get here.
Aimee: Okay, here you go.
Dave: Looks like a book to me.
Aimee: Just open it.
Dave: I feel so awkward, tearing open wrapping paper in such a classy establishment.
Aimee: Nobody’s watching. Just open it and then you can throw the paper away.
Dave: All right, here goes nothing.
Aimee: You like it?
Dave: Wow, this is incredible. How did you get all of these pictures? Some of these are from twenty years ago!
Aimee: A lot of hard work and dedication.
Dave: It’s amazing. Thank you.
Aimee: I just love love, what can I say?
What did you think of this episode of Evergreen Aimee? Let us know in the comments and make sue to read a new episode next week!