A conversation before drifting off

[Place: a darkened bedroom in St. Paul; Time: the present]

Tom? Tom, are you still awake?

[pause] Yeah, Laura; I’m still awake.

 Can we talk about something?

[sighing] Sure, Laura. What about?

I’m worried about the Trombone.

I know you are, but we’ve been over this a hundred times.

 But I’m really worried about him, Tom.

[chuckles] We all are, Laura. We all are. This has taken a toll on everybody.

Think about the Trombone, though, Tom. He’s feeling isolated.

[snorts] No sh . . . , I mean, really? Maybe he should have thought about that earlier. And think about me.

Who could have imagined this would blow up like this? I mean, we’re Rangers.

That’s true, Laura, but times are different now. The DFL was actually in the minority in the Senate for a couple of years, remember that? It’s just a good thing that ol’ Dave was the Majority Leader then.

 I liked the way it used to be.

Me too.

[it’s quiet for a moment]

Couldn’t you come out stronger for the Trombone, Tom?

Is that you or the Trombone talking?

Well, both. You have been kind of lukewarm.

I like my job.

Oh, come on, Tom. Nobody is going to challenge you for Majority Leader.

You might be surprised.

Really?

Yeah, really. I’d also like to be the governor. You’d like to be the First Lady of Minnesota, wouldn’t you?

Of course. But is it worth abandoning your friends over?

How would you answer that question?

I see.

People are crawling all over me like bugs about this: Hann, of course, but people in the DFL, too. Why Tom, from the Other Body, reamed me out again today. And I have to sit with him and the Trombone in IRRRB meetings. God, I hate this.

Do you really think you’ll be challenged for Majority Leader?

Count on it. And we have others to think about, too.

Like who?

PolyMet. Not to mention post-government Tom.

You’re right.

It’s part of the burden of leadership.

The Trombone is really lonely.

He should get a dog.

Couldn’t you reach out to him?

I think he’s the one who needs to do the reaching out. But I’ll talk to him if he does.

Thanks. Good night, Tom. I love you.

Good night, Laura. I love you, too.

[This is obviously just a fictional and imagined account. Any connection to real events is coincidence.]