Chapter 11 #3
Anya [10:59pm]: He moved out this morning
Gabe [11:01pm]: Shit, you’re alone in the apartment?
Anya [11:01pm]: Just for a couple days
Anya [11:02pm]: Simone and Kira are flying out this weekend, we’re gonna go thrifting to make the apartment girly or something
Anya [11:02pm]: Then my parents are coming, and we’ll all drive back to Chicago for Thanksgiving
Anya [11:03pm]: No loneliness on earth too strong for eight hours in a Volvo with Walt and Judy Katz
Anya [11:04pm]: And everyone from the campaign has been really nice, they were all fighting at the bar tonight over who got to buy me drinks
Gabe [11:05pm]: As they should
Gabe [11:05pm]: What’d you have?
Anya [11:06pm]: I wanna say two gimlets and a beer? In some order? Possibly a bloody mary?
Gabe [11:06pm]: Good, it’s not a breakup bender without a breakfast beverage
Anya [11:07pm]: That’s a lot of alliteration for anxious anchors
Anya [11:07pm]: Omg you set me up for that didn’t you
Gabe [11:07pm]: I might have
Gabe [11:09pm]: Hey, are you too drunk for me to say something?
Anya [11:10pm]: No, what is it?
Gabe [11:11pm]: I don’t want you to be too sad
Gabe [11:11pm]: I mean, I never want you to be sad, and I want you to feel however you feel, that’s not what I mean
Anya [11:11pm]: Either you’re not making sense or I actually am drunk
Gabe [11:12pm]: Ha, no, it’s definitely me
Gabe [11:13pm]: What I mean is, you’re this great woman
Gabe [11:13pm]: And I think you have a great love coming
Gabe [11:14pm]: So I don’t want you to be too sad
Gabe [11:14pm]: Because you’re making room
Anya [11:15pm]: For a great love?
Gabe [11:16pm]: Yeah
Gabe [11:16pm]: I sound stupid, right?
Anya [11:17pm]: Can I ask you something weird?
Gabe [11:17pm]: Can’t be weirder than what I just said
Anya [11:18pm]: I’m gonna brush my teeth and stuff, but would you call me in five minutes and tell me about your day?
Anya [11:18pm]: Or put the phone next to you while you’re working if you’re still working?
Anya [11:19pm]: Sorry, that’s insane
Anya [11:19pm]: I don’t know why I feel so strange about being alone
Gabe [11:20pm]: It’s 11:20 now, I’ll call at 11:25?
Gabe [11:20pm]: And luckily I love the sound of my own voice, so I’ll keep talking until you get sick of me or fall asleep, whichever comes first
Anya [11:21pm]: You really will?
Gabe [11:21pm]: Of course
Gabe [11:21pm]: Don’t forget to floss
Text message transcript: Gabe Hunt and Kira Liu
December 17
Kira [4:19pm]: Yoooo
Kira [4:19pm]: Can we rain check dinner? Simone is stressed about packing, she keeps saying her mom is gonna hate all of her clothes
Gabe [4:19pm]: Yeah, absolutely
Gabe [4:20pm]: I should probably start packing too
Gabe [4:20pm]: I wish Lu and I weren’t going to Switzerland, I want a beach
Kira [4:20pm]: Bearskin rug and a fire tho
Gabe [4:21pm]: Yeah no kidding
Gabe [4:21pm]: It’s been three months, at this point she could be like “meet me in a garbage pit in the depths of hell” and I’d be like fantastic booking my flight
Gabe [4:22pm]: Turns out I kind of hate being long distance
Gabe [4:23pm]: (I know, cool realization to have three years into a relationship)
Kira [4:24pm]: Maybe it’s not working for you as well as it used to
Kira [4:24pm]: Have you told Tallulah how you’re feeling?
Gabe [4:25pm]: No. My therapist says I should
Kira [4:25pm]: Beth’s a smart lady
Gabe [4:26pm]: Yeah
Gabe [4:26pm]: But I also get why Lu wants to keep things how they are
Gabe [4:26pm]: She’s been so great about coming to visit every few months, and it’s a long-ass flight from Sydney
Gabe [4:26pm]: We always have the best time, but there’s nothing for her to do, and I work so much, I know it’s boring for her
Kira [4:27pm]: Can I ask kind of a shitty question?
Gabe [4:27pm]: Hit me
Kira [4:27pm]: Do you ever see yourself fitting into her life?
Kira [4:27pm]: In a way that works for YOU
Kira [4:28pm]: Like, you’re setting yourself up to run a presidential
Kira [4:28pm]: It’s not gonna get easier
Gabe [4:28pm]: That’s fair
Gabe [4:28pm]: We’ve talked about it
Kira [4:29pm]: Oh word?
Gabe [4:29pm]: Basically we’re both living these intense lives right now, and we both think it won’t be this way forever
Gabe [4:30pm]: So the question is what to do in the meantime
Kira [4:30pm]: …until one or both of you gives up your career?
Kira [4:30pm]: …and then you try out having a full-time relationship and see how it goes?
Kira [4:31pm]: …after you move to Australia? Or she moves here?
Gabe [4:32pm]: Am I crazy or are you skeptical this could work
Kira [4:32pm]: Lol I’m sorry
Kira [4:32pm]: You know I love Lu, and I love you guys together
Gabe [4:32pm]: You used to be her biggest cheerleader
Kira [4:32pm]: Totally!
Kira [4:33pm]: Being honest, I saw her as like, a great transition for you
Kira [4:33pm]: Like obviously my life changed a LOT when I met Simone
Kira [4:33pm]: And I didn’t know if I was ready for that, but I wanted to try
Kira [4:34pm]: But there was no trial period or anything bc of how it happened
Kira [4:34pm]: We were immediately all in (due to lesbians)
Kira [4:34pm]: So when you met Lu, I was like, this is rad, Gabe gets to wade into this more slowly in a way I never did. I was stoked for you, it felt really healthy
Kira [4:35pm]: But now you guys have been together three years
Kira [4:35pm]: And please absolutely tell me if this is wrong, but like
Kira [4:35pm]: It kind of feels like you’re still wading?
Gabe [4:36pm]: I don’t know
Gabe [4:36pm]: Some of that isn’t wrong
Gabe [4:36pm]: But we’re also in love
Gabe [4:37pm]: She’s the first girl I told about my family stuff
Kira [4:38pm]: That’s not technically true
Kira [4:38pm]: (Sorry)
Gabe [4:38pm]: Okay, the first girlFRIEND
Gabe [4:38pm]: I don’t want to lose her
Kira [4:39pm]: If you love her, you love her
Kira [4:40pm]: Maybe the trip will bring some clarity
Gabe [4:40pm]: I really appreciate you being honest with me
Gabe [4:40pm]: It helps me figure out my own thinking
Kira [4:41pm]: Wow therapy is making you such a good communicator lol
Kira [4:43pm]: Dude you keep typing a message and then not sending anything, what do you want to say
Gabe [4:44pm]: Ugh lol
Gabe [4:44pm]: I was gonna ask if you know if Anya’s been dating at all
Gabe [4:44pm]: Since her breakup
Kira [4:45pm]: Yeah, Simone and I helped her make a profile when we were out there
Kira [4:45pm]: She hasn’t met anyone serious, but she’s gone on a couple dates
Kira [4:46pm]: Simone’s really proud of her
Gabe [4:47pm]: Okay, cool
Kira [4:47pm]: “Okay cool”????
Gabe [4:47pm]: Why, what am I supposed to say???
Kira [4:48pm]: Idk, why did you ask???
Gabe [4:48pm]: She never talks to me about that stuff
Gabe [4:48pm]: So I was wondering
Gabe [4:49pm]: Anyway, I should run, I have a call at 5
Gabe [4:49pm]: Good talk though, for real
Gabe [4:49pm]: Fly safe if I don’t talk to you first
Kira [4:50pm]: You too bro
Kira [4:50pm]: Love you
Gabe [4:50pm]: Love you too
Text message transcript: Anya Katz and Gabe Hunt
March 28
Gabe [9:41pm]: Hey, random question for you
Anya [10:17pm]: Hey! Sorry I was out, just seeing my phone
Gabe [10:18pm]: Out??? On a school night???
Anya [10:18pm]: I know, I’m basically a teen
Anya [10:18pm]: What’s up?
Gabe [10:18pm]: So I’m actually going to be in Chicago for a couple days next week
Gabe [10:19pm]: And I think I have one dinner free?
Gabe [10:19pm]: Where should I go
Anya [10:19pm]: Wait, which night
Gabe [10:20pm]: Thursday. Why?
Anya [10:20pm]: !!!
Anya [10:20pm]: I’m in Chicago that night
Gabe [10:20pm]: Wait really??
Anya [10:20pm]: Yeah it’s Passover!
Anya [10:20pm]: Want to come to seder?
Anya [10:21pm]: I mean I understand if you want to spend your one free night in Chicago doing something other than singing Hebrew songs with my parents
Gabe [10:21pm]: No I was literally gonna ask you if it’d be weird for me to try to see them for coffee or something
Anya [10:21pm]: Shut up, no you weren’t
Gabe [10:21pm]: I was!
Anya [10:21pm]: Let me text my mom but I’m sure it’s fine
Anya [10:22pm]: Do you need to stay with us?
Gabe [10:22pm]: No, I’m on a flight back to Baltimore at midnight
Anya [10:22pm]: Noooooo that’s the worst
Anya [10:23pm]: My mom wants to know your exact schedule so you don’t miss the good songs
Gabe [10:23pm]: Lol
Gabe [10:23pm]: My last meeting is over at 4, and then I have to be at the airport by 10:30ish
Anya [10:24pm]: Okay great, just bring your bag and you can get a cab to O’Hare from my parents’ house, I’ll email you the address
Anya [10:24pm]: I can’t believe we’re actually hanging out in like, a matter of days
Gabe [10:24pm]: Has it really been a year?
Anya [10:25pm]: A little more even
Gabe [10:25pm]: That’s so messed up
Anya [10:25pm]: It deeply is
Gabe [10:26pm]: We’ll part the red sea to reunite on Thursday!
Anya [10:26pm]: Gabe no
Gabe [10:26pm]: No?
Anya [10:26pm]: Please don’t do Jewish jokes when you meet my entire extended family
Gabe [10:26pm]: I’m gonna meet all the Katz-es???
Anya [10:27pm]: Greenbaums, my mom’s side
Anya [10:27pm]: Katz family is in New York
Gabe [10:27pm]: Right! Mets fans!
Gabe [10:28pm]: I’d like a detailed dossier of the players involved, family dramas, topics to avoid
Anya [10:28pm]: Yes, I have lots of time to write that up for you
Gabe [10:29pm]: Excellent, as I suspected
Gabe [10:29pm]: Should I bring anything?
Anya [10:29pm]: You’re traveling, don’t worry about it
Gabe [10:30pm]: I can’t show up empty-handed, what will your parents think?
Anya [10:30pm]: They’ll think “that’s Gabe, a person we’ve met on multiple occasions who therefore does not need to make a first impression”
Gabe [10:30pm]: Never mind, I’ve got it
Gabe [10:31pm]: I know exactly what to bring, it’s perfect
Anya [10:31pm]: Lol I’m glad you’re excited
Gabe [10:31pm]: I am
Gabe [10:32pm]: Like, I really am
Anya [10:33pm]: Me too
April 3
Anya [9:44pm]: I cannot believe you brought chametz to my parents’ house at Passover hahahaha
Gabe [9:48pm]: They weren’t upset were they?