Aimee is at home in Washington, having dinner at her parents’ house.
Dave: One last day before you have to fly back out to DC and get back to work. How you feeling?
Aimee: I’ve enjoyed the break. I’ll just leave it there.
Cherie: You enjoy the job, though. And you know how important it is.
Aimee: Yes, but not nearly as much as I enjoy vacation. Italy was nice.
Cherie: It was a dream come true.
Manuela: Yet, I wasn’t brought along.
Cherie: Well that was a major part of why it was a dream come true.
Manuela: Ernesto, are you going to let her talk to your dear madre like that?
Ernesto: Oh, I didn’t hear what was said.
Manuela: Yes, you did! Coward!
Aimee: It was disappointing that Missy didn’t end up on the podium, but she did win one in the team event, at least.
Ernesto: I lost so much money betting on Mikaela Shiffrin.
Dave: I told you not to bet on the Olympics. It’s unpredictable!
Ernesto: they kept hyping her up as the greatest of all time!
Kimmy: I learned what skeleton was. I never even wanted to know what that was. And yet, here we are.
Victoria: I really enjoyed watching curling. I still think Aimee, Cherie and I would be an ideal home’s curling team. We could easily win gold. It’s just sweeping.
Cherie: This has to be the only time anyone has ever said “ I really enjoyed watching curling” and meant it.
Victoria: It’s a fun sport!
Cherie: It’s sweeping ice!
Victoria: Which is fun!
Kimmy: Remember when Gwen fell down the hill in Cortina? That was fun?
Aimee: Stop making me even more nostalgic for Italy than I already was. Gosh, we had fun.
Dave: And you even let us have our anniversary together. I didn’t think you had it in you, Cherie.
Cherie: You all act like I’m so pushy.
Kimmy: Wow, I wonder why.
Cherie: I don’t see a need to resort to personal attacks on what is meant to be a nice dinner as a family.
Aimee: I agree. I have to fly back for work tomorrow, and I’d rather just have a peace ul dinner.
Kimmy: But I like antagonizing mom.
Cherie: And it’s taken years off my life.
Manuela: That’s not true, you’ve already surpassed life expectancy.
Cherie: Says the woman older than the state of Washington!
Manuela: You bully me!
Victoria: Weren’t we going for peace here?
Cherie: It’s a struggle to make peace with her when she’s actively spitting venom at me.
Kimmy: Aimee, do you know John Springer?
Aimee: Of course I do, he’s the longtime senator from Alabama. We’re not too close, but we know each other decently.
Kimmy: He just announced he’s resigning.
Aimee: Excuse me?
Ernesto: Oh boy, exciting Senate news! We don’t get to hear that often!
Dave: Come on, you were there for Aimee’s meltdown when the former governor of Maine announced he was running for Senate.
Ernesto: I was too busy thinking about the tiramisu I was going to get that night to focus on what Aimee was screaming about.
Dave: You don’t remember us getting kicked out of the luge event because Aimee was screaming and it was a potential hazard to the athletes?
Victoria: I do!
Aimee: Why is John resigning?
Kimmy: Cancer.
Aimee: Oh my god, that’s awful!
Kimmy: Wait, I misread that. He’s complaining about being canceled by the radical left.
Victoria: Guilty as charged!
Aimee: Okay, that’s code for “he broke the law.”
Cherie: Hey, I look forward to his Fox News show in the coming months.
Aimee: He’s not nearly interesting enough for that. Such a bland man.
Kimmy: Isn’t that most senators? It’s not a career that really demands vibrant personalities.
Aimee: John Springer was duller than most. He was the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee and every time he spoke, it put me to sleep.
Cherie: You’re on the Homeland Security Committee? Is that new? You’ve never mentioned that before.
Aimee: No, but I try to keep up with their high-profile hearings. It’s sort of my job.
The next day…
Aimee: Alec! Have you heard the big news?
Alec: Did something happen at the Olympics? Did they bring you in as a curling alternate?
Aimee: No! Come on, that’s last week’s news!
Alec: So you’re not even gonna tell me how it went?
Victoria: It was wonderful, we had the greatest two weeks.
Dave: Three weeks!
Victoria: It went by so fast, I didn’t even notice we were there that long! That’s the magic of having fun!
Alec: How’d your little friend do?
Aimee: Sixth overall, but she won gold in the team event. Not too shabby for someone that wasn’t even expected to go to the Olympics a month ago.
Alec: Well, I also had a very eventful recess. Our little Olivia has begun crawling!
Aimee: Oh, Alec, that’s amazing!
Victoria: They’re so cute at that age.
Aimee: Are you implying my children aren’t cute?
Victoria: I’ll be quiet now.
Aimee: Do you have any videos, Alec?
Alec: Sabrina does. I’ll have her text them to you.
Aimee: I’d love that.
Alec: So what was the news I was supposed to have heard?
Aimee: John Springer is resigning!
Alec: Ah, no way! He’ll be, uh… I’m gonna be honest, I don’t recall a single personal reaction I’ve ever had with him. He’s just… there.
Aimee: They’re saying he punched his housekeeper and pushed her down the stairs. They’ve filed assault charges against him.
Alec: Well, goes to show how well some people can mask their real personalities.
Aimee: I didn’t think he was some violent assaulter. I heard him say he was being “canceled” and just assumed he didn’t pay his taxes like a regular politician. This is quite dark.
Alec: Not paying taxes is more of an Illinois political scandal. He’s from Alabama, I would assume he was resigning for some sort of racially-charged statement.
Aimee: I think the Republicans down there would praise him for that.
Alec: Hey, at least he’s not banned from the
mall like that guy he beat in his primary a few years back.
Aimee: Oh, that guy was nuts.
Alec: You think he’ll run again?
Aimee: God, I hope not. We’ll have enough trouble defending Maine and Alaska, we don’t need to put Alabama on the map.
Alec: I do hope his replacement in the Senate will actually have a personality. A good one. I’d rather they not be a racist or a child molester or a… housekeeper-beater.
Aimee: Who do you think will be the new Homeland ranking member? You’re on the committee.
Alec: I have no idea. Not me, that’s for sure.
Aimee: A first-termer being a ranking member, that would be very impressive.
Alec: Says the first-termer conference chair.
Aimee: Don’t be jealous, Alec. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Alec: Really? Because you almost cried when they were trying to remove you from the position.
Aimee: This layover’s staking forever, when can we get on the plane?
The next day…
Denise: Aimee, Greg and Gerry want to see you. Like, now.
Aimee: No “welcome back?”
Delilah: Welcome back!
Aimee: Thank you, Delilah. I wasn’t even referring to you, but it’s still much appreciated.
Denise: I was with you on your entire trip. I didn’t think it was necessary to welcome you back when we were both coming back.
Aimee: I’m just messing with you! Gosh, lighten up!
Denise: The party leaders are demanding your presence. My stomach’s in knows.
Aimee: Why? I’m sure it’s nothing. Greg and Geraldine just like hanging out with me.
Denise: Do they?
Aimee: Well, I’m the conference chair, so maybe they just want to talk to me about someone else misbehaving.
Denise: Fingers crossed!
Aimee: You do know John Springer’s resigning, right?
Denise: Of course! It’s the talk of the town!
Delilah: Who is John Springer?
Aimee: Aren’t you my legislative director?
Denise: She doesn’t have much to do. Not like any of your bills ever -
Aimee: Tread carefully!
Denise: You do what you can in the position you’re in.
Aimee: Correct. Anyway, maybe Greg and Gerry just want to talk about John, or have me show his replacement around.
Denise: Let’s hope so. Now, get to Greg’s office before he comes to yell at me.
Aimee: Greg doesn’t yell!
Denise: Aren’t leaders supposed to be authoritative?
Aimee: Look, this current iteration of Senate Republicans is just grateful we have a senior member among us willing to do the job. We can’t exactly be picky, can we?
Denise: Good point. It’s quite a tragic caucus.
Aimee: We have senators from Illinois and Washington and two from Maine, but we still can’t get over forty senators. A Greek tragedy.
Denise: Don’t say that word, we don’t need -
Persephone: Did someone say Greek?
Denise: How did you do that?
Persephone: I was eavesdropping.
Denise: Do you mind not?
Persephone: I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation, but I also had to speak with Aimee. So I was listening for it to be over.
Aimee: I’m sorry Persephone, I have to get to Greg’s office.
Persephone: Oh, that’s what I was coming to tell you, that he wanted to speak with you.
Aimee: He sent you for that?
Persephone: He knows we’re close, you being my mentor and all.
Aimee: Of course, right. I’m gonna go see what he wants. You have a lovely day.
Denise: Don’t leave me with her!
Persephone: Did you mean to say that out loud?
Denise: No, not really.
In Greg’s office…
Greg: Oh my god, we finally tracked you down.
Geraldine: I called you six times between yesterday and today. Did you know that?
Aimee: I was savoring my last few hours of the recess, I never turned my phone back on after yesterday’s flight.
Geraldine: You don’t think it’s ill-advised for the conference chair to keep her phone off for an entire day?
Aimee: Hey, let me ease back into work. I’m very sluggish after three weeks of just eating Italian pasta and cheese.
Geraldine: Did you at least enjoy your trip?
Aimee: It was amazing!
Greg: I think I saw you on TV once.
Aimee: Oh, yeah. NBC thought I was Missy Ling’s mom for a moment and put the camera on me.
Greg: Anyway, getting down to business. We have a request.
Aimee: Always willing to help. You need me to show our new member the ropes? I’ve done a great job with Persephone, so -
Geraldine: What new member?
Aimee: John Springer’s replacement.
Geraldine: He officially resigned today. The governor hasn’t appointed a replacement yet. We all know what a process that can be. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to figure out a way to appoint himself. And if not, to appoint his wife.
Aimee: We’ve had first ladies in the Senate before. Isn’t Tina a former state first lady?
Greg: Yes, my esteemed companion from Indiana is our state’s ex-first lady. And, speaking of which, she’s also our conference’s new ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee as of this morning.
Aimee: Good for Tina! She’s exceptionally qualified for the job.
Greg: That brings us to why we’ve asked you here.
Geraldine: As you now, Tina is currently the ranking member of the Senate Transportation Committee. She’ll have to abandon that post for her new one, which is considered a promotion. That leaves a vacancy at Transportation, and we want you to fill it.
Aimee: You want me to be the Transportation ranking member?
Greg: Indeed.
Aimee: I’m only in my first term!
Greg: You’ve been on the Transportation committee your entire congressional career. You’re qualified for the promotion.
Aimee: Aren’t others more qualified? This is usually a seniority thing, no?
Greg: Everyone ahead of you in seniority is ranking member of a different committee. The job is yours if you want it.
Geraldine: Do you?
Aimee: It’s a big ask, I mean… I’ll have to read up on trains and boats and planes, listen to the Burt Bacharach song and such.
Greg: Is that a yes or a no?
Aimee: I’m happy to help out my party. I’ll do it.
Greg: Thank you! Otherwise, we’d have to turn to Lynette…
Geraldine: I shutter to think about it.
A bit later, in Aimee’s office…
Aimee: in got horrible news today, gang.
Gwen: Are you dying?
Aimee: Why don you always get that?
Gwen: It’s the most horrible news one could have.
Alec: Did we find out more about John Springer?
Lynette: I can’t believe he’s gone!
Gwen: So John Springer died?
Aimee: No one died!
Gwen: Didn’t Dawson’s Creek die?
Aimee: No one in the Senate did!
Gwen: Got it.
Aimee: Because of John Springer resigning, Tina Paulson is the new Homeland Security ranking member. That means Transportation is now vacant, and I’ve been asked to take over as ranking member.
Gwen: My sympathy.
Alec: Oh my god, you’re gonna get so much more irritable.
Lynette: You don’t have to take it. I would’ve done it!
Aimee: I think, uh, this is for the best.
Lynette: Do they not want me to do it for some reason?
Alec: Use your head. They know you’re going through a lot right now, it’s not personal!
Lynette: I figured. You’re right. Aimee will do great.
Aimee: I could cry. Not tears of joy! My career is advancing, but in ways I don't want!
Gwen: There there, bring it in. We all remember our first unwanted job we felt obligated to accept. For me, it was Grizabella in Cats. What a supremely awful musical, but I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to get blacklisted!
Aimee: You’re right, Gwen. That’s the same thing.
What did you think of this episode of Evergreen Aimee? Let us know in the comments and make sure to read a new episode next week!
