Political Love

Prologue

(I'm going to apologize right here, right now. Im sorry for this.)

"I'm sorry, Joe," I say, grasping his wrinkly hands in my smaller, tanner ones. "I wish it didn't have to end like this."

"It doesn't," he says, eyes watering and voice merely a wisp in the wind. "It doesn't, Donny. We can run away together and finally be free." His voice brakes and cracks, hands squeezing mine until they're red. I pull away.

"Not with me being elected, Joe. I can't give up this opportunity - I have a party to defend." My voice is hard, filled with conviction as I stare at him. I can almost hear his heart shattering, just in time with my own. Dread curls and pools inside of my stomach, weighing me down. I don't want to do this, I desperately want to hold onto his hand or fling myself into his arms and have him kiss me stupid. But I can't, not with the Republican party watching my every move and actively working against us. Not with my plans to outlaw the gays.

Joe had been against it, but to me, it had been the only way to completely conceal us from the world. The people would suspect things, had already began to, but when Joe publicly stands with gay marriage, while I'm against it? It sets a completely new divide. Joe would never be with a republican actively fighting against him, and I would never be with a man. It's simple and effective, but Joe hates it.

He hates it because he believes we shouldn't have to hide who we are and our relationships. He's the face of a party who is all for so-called equality, where almost everyone is accepted. He's a hippie, in a way, and I'm the opposite. I preach for the children and the men, and most importantly, me. 

"There has to be some way we can work this out," Joe pleads with me, tears breaching his eyes and running down rosy cheeks. His hands fall limp at his sides, and so do mine. 

I shake my head, laughing bitterly. "I would have thought of it by now, Joe. I've gone through every scenario and ever last one ends up horrendously, with huge sacrifices for something so small, or losing everything." I look up at him, tears shining in my own blue eyes. 

"I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Joe says, voice wet and clogged with tears as he wipes at his nose. I smile, turning away.

"Goodbye, Joe," I say, walking away. 

"Goodbye, Donny..." He whispers brokenly.