anything you’re not. So I’m not gonna be the president or the mother who forbids you from seeing him.” She takes another breath, waiting for Alex to nod that he understands. “But,” she goes on, “this is a really, really big fucking deal. This is not just some person from class or some intern. You need to think really long and hard because you are putting yourself and your career and, above all, this campaign and this entire administration, in danger here. I know you're young, but this is a forever decision. Even if you don’t stay with him forever, if people find out, that sticks with you forever. So you need to figure out if you feel forever about him. And if you don’t, you need to cut it the fuck out.” She rests her hands on the table in front of her, and the silence hangs in the air between them. Alex feels like his heart is caught somewhere between his tonsils. Forever. It seems like an impossibly huge word, something he’s supposed to grow into ten years from now. “Also,” she says. “I am so sorry to do this, sugar. But you're off the campaign.” Alex snaps back into razor sharp reality, stomach plummeting. “Wait, no—” “This is not up for debate, Alex,” she tells him, and she does look sorry, but he knows the set of her jaw too well. “I can’t risk this. You’re way too close to the sun. We're telling the press you're focusing on other career options. I’ll have your desk cleaned out for you over the weekend.” She holds out one hand, and Alex looks down into her palm, the worried lines there, until the realization clicks. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out his campaign badge. The first artifact of his entire career, a career he’s managed to derail in a matter of months. And he hands it over. “Oh, one last thing,” she says, her tone suddenly businesslike again, shuffling something from the bottom of her files. “I know Texas public schools don’t have sex ed for shit, and we didn’t go over this when we had the talk—which is on me for assuming—so I just wanted to make sure you know you still need to be using condoms even if you’re having anal interc—” “Okay, thanks, Mom!” Alex half yells, nearly knocking over his chair in his rush for the door. “Wait, honey,” she calls after him, “I had Planned Parenthood send over all these pamphlets, take one! They sent a bike messenger and everything!” A MASS OF FOOLS AND KNAVES A