Emily handed Ady the bag of marshmallows, and the girl smiled, taking it and removing one marshmallow and passing it on. Then Emily gave them a brief breakdown of what we’d been through, skipping over the worst parts as I assumed they’d done too. Perhaps it was a new unspoken rule that where there were marshmallows and a campfire and friendly souls, the bad in the outside world should be left behind. All of us knew that it would be waiting for us as we set off on our travels again in the morning. And to face it all again, brief respites were necessary. What we did know now, was that Texas was in the dark as well, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. We weren’t heading in that direction, but the knowledge made me even more certain that California was likely dark too.

“You look familiar,” Ady said shyly to Emily as Vincent handed everyone sticks from a pile they’d obviously collected earlier.

Emily smiled as she took one of the sticks and skewered a marshmallow. The others had already done the same and the sweet scent of melting sugar rose in the air, the smell bringing with it nostalgia. How many times had I roasted marshmallows as a kid, and then burnt my tongue on the hot gooey inside? “Do I?” Emily asked. And then she shrugged. “I must just have that kind of face.”

The girl smiled but looked unconvinced as though she was trying to place this pretty country girl with the long blond braid and winning smile.

Emily nodded over to the guitar as she turned her marshmallow over the fire, the outside turning golden. “Who plays?” she asked.

“I do,” Vincent said. “Or, well, I’m learning. It’s funny, I strapped that on my back as we started off, thinking I’d ditch it somewhere once I was sick of lugging it, but…”

“The music has been important to us.” Martha smiled at Vincent. “Even from a beginner. Do you play?” she asked Emily.

“I do.” I could practically feel Emily vibrating with the hope that they’d ask her to play, and so when Martha picked up the guitar and leaned around the fire to hand it to Emily, I was relieved on her behalf. Emily took it, running her fingers lovingly over the strings and then stood, walking to a spot near the front of the fire where she had room to hold the guitar without bumping anyone. She sat down on a smaller section of fallen tree and began to strum.

I felt the collective stilling as everyone realized how good she was, that dreamy look coming over her face that I recognized well.