There’s a snort from below and I turn around. Ruth laughs, looking at her phone.

“I thought you’d get a kick out of that,” Ellie says. She’s turned around in her seat, looking back at Ruth.

“His mouth is so huge,” Ruth says.

“What?” I say, peering over.

“It’s a Steven Tyler meme,” Ellie says.

Part of me wants to ask more, to put myself in on the joke, but I decide it’s best to leave things as they are. Not only did Ellie manage to fairly seamlessly get Ruth on the phone with Mom about the tattoo, but she’s gotten a laugh out of her afterward too.

I’m relieved.

And I wonder what Ellie has that I’m missing.

Then my phone buzzes. It’s a text from Ellie.

Ellie: How’s your arm?

Me: Much better, scrapes are going down.

Ellie: Any secret tattoos I need to know about?

I snort.

Me: Well I was thinking about getting something on my forehead …

Ellie: Ha. Ha. Not.

Ellie: In all seriousness, I know that must have been really tough and confusing for you. I’m glad you got to talk to your mom, and if you need someone in person to talk to, I’m just a spit take away.

I look at my phone for a minute, not sure how to respond. I want her to know how relieved I am, that I want to curl up in my loft and let her and Eddie take care of everything. I also want to say something that will make her laugh, or at least make her worry a little lighter.

Finally I settle on something simple.

Me: Thanks. I’m okay.

Ellie: Okay. If you’re ever not, I’m here.

We drive through downtown Houston fairly quickly. We start passing from tall business buildings to neighborhoods, and soon we pull the RV into the driveway of a small brown-brick home with a lawn so freshly mowed there are grass clippings lining the walkway.

A tall woman, her blonde hair up in a messy bun, runs out to meet us, and Ellie is the first one out of the RV. Darcy’s got a tan that wasn’t there last time I saw her.

I’m still in the RV and can’t hear what they’re saying, but Ellie pulls Darcy into a tight hug that lasts for a long time. I follow Ruth out of the RV. Finally, Ellie releases her daughter. Eddie puts his arm around her, and they all turn toward me and Ruth.