Around one thirty we stop for lunch just outside of Baton Rouge. Eddie fills the RV up with gas and the rest of us head into the Subway next door. Maybe Ruth is distracted or hungry or tired, but for whatever reason she forgets to put her hood up, and when Ellie stands in line behind her, she sees the bass clef tattoo. The skin around it is still swollen and red, raised almost like a brand. That, I think more than anything, gives her away.

I see the moment when Ellie spots the tattoo. Her brow wrinkles, curious at first, before understanding waves across her face. She looks closely at Ruth, while Ruth is looking down at something on her phone. Ellie pauses for a few seconds, considering. A roiling starts in my stomach almost like I’m the one who’s about to get in trouble. My mouth opens like a guppy out of water, but I’m not sure what to say or even who I’d say it to.

But Ellie’s shoulders go up and down in a deep breath, and somehow I feel my lungs exhaling along with hers. I see tenderness and worry in the way Ellie looks at the swollen tattoo, like she wants to help, like she’s worried about Ruth hurting. Ellie is here and knows what to do, and I’m not on the spot to smooth over a tempestuous situation. The fluttering in my gut eases up a bit.

That’s when Ellie steps forward and puts a gentle hand on Ruth’s arm. The soft touch doesn’t jolt or jar Ruth, and she turns around to look at Ellie. So quietly I can barely hear what she’s saying, Ellie says in Ruth’s ear, “Let’s step outside. I think we need to have a conversation.”

Ruth stares at her, looking both guilty and confused. Ellie motions to the tattoo. Ruth’s shoulders sink and her cheeks grow pink. Her mouth opens for a few moments, but she says nothing.

Ellie motions to Eddie through the window and as he comes in, she says, “Order for us, will you?” Then she and Ruth walk out the door.

Through the window I watch Ruth and Ellie. Ruth is looking down, arms folded, jaw clenched. Ellie is the one talking, and she has a hand on Ruth’s shoulder. After a moment, Ellie puts her arm around her and pulls her into a side hug, but Ruth keeps her arms folded. After another minute they start walking toward the RV and Ruth pulls her cell out of her back pocket.