Ms. Hernandez takes a step forward. Eddie puts a hand on his wife’s back and sort of tilts her forward, and then the ice shatters and the two women fling their arms around each other, talking over each other, looking at each other, grinning, explaining, holding each other by the shoulders. The color in Ellie’s cheeks is back.

“How … I can’t believe this … how have you been?” asks Ellie. “What are you doing in the middle of Texas?”

“So, so good,” says Ms. Hernandez. “I’m still working at the clinic, of course. I’m just on my way home from a conference in San Antonio. And you? How have you been? My, my, it’s been so long. I haven’t seen you since you were how old?”

“I wasn’t quite eighteen the last time we saw each other. I can’t believe you recognized me.”

“Of course I recognized you.”

“I’m Ellie Longmire now,” she says. She turns and stretches an arm out toward Eddie, who comes to her. He puts an arm around her waist. “This is my husband, Eddie.”

Ms. Hernandez shakes his hand. “So, so good to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Eddie says. “I’ve heard amazing things.”

“It is so, so nice to see a happy story for one of my girls.” Ms. Hernandez claps her fingers together like a prayer.

Ellie leans her head into her husband’s shoulder, beaming. A big rig honks at us to get out of the way and we move over to the sidewalk. I move over with them and Ellie sees me.

“Oh!” she says. “And this is Olivia, basically our niece. We’re driving to San Diego. There’s Ruth too, in the RV.”

“Wonderful!” says Ms. Hernandez.

“Olivia, this is Sofia Hernandez. She … she’s a therapist. Mine when I was a teen. For a few years, actually.”

“Dr. Hernandez?” I say, holding out my hand.

“I guess so.” She smiles at me and shakes my hand hard. “Lovely to meet you, Olivia.”

Ellie looks at her watch, then at her husband, then at Dr. Hernandez. “It’s only about four thirty, but do you … I think we have time for an early dinner. Would you want to grab some food and catch up for a bit?”

“That would be great!” says Dr. Hernandez. “I’ve got a few hours.”

Eddie steps quickly up into the RV to tell Ruth, and Ellie and Dr. Hernandez keep chatting like best friends. Once I’m alone with Ellie I’ll talk to her about Ruth, about what I’m noticing. Eddie steps back out of the RV again and puts a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Ruth’s going to stay and nap,” he says. “Not feeling too well.”

Ellie’s brow wrinkles. “One minute, let me talk to her.”

She dashes up into the RV.

“It really is great to finally meet you,” Eddie says.