Carly’s eyes went hot with tears and her lungs burned on the expired timer of her overdue next breath.

A voice called out, faint to louder as it came closer. Marcelline.

“Sorry! Sorry. I think that’s my girl in there.”

There was a shuffling of position in the narrow hallway outside, then a soft tap on the door. “Carly, honey, it’s me.”

Carly unlocked the door and Marcelline smiled at the unsmiling woman in the hallway, who looked back and forth between them, taking score on how long it would be before she got her turn in the restroom.

Marcelline held up a finger as she squeezed through the door that she didn’t open all the way. “We’ll be out in just a second.”

She slipped in and latched the door behind her.

Carly’s face felt splotchy hot under the wet streaks.

“Oh, honey.” Marcelline pulled her into a hug. “It’s going to be okay.”

“My . . . my . . .” A sputtering sob overran her words. Just too much. Everything all at once. “My mom just called. I . . . didn’t . . . didn’t answer it.” She coughed and hitched into Marcelline’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I know that was hard. You did fine. We’re going to get this all straightened out, okay?”

Marcelline unwound her arms from Carly to take her face in her warm hands. She did the serious eye-to-eye thing that usually felt so high drama, but it actually helped this time. The volcano swell of crying surged down in Carly.

“I know everything’s been crazy. Too crazy. But it’s going to be all right.”

Marcelline pulled some toilet paper off the roll and Carly dried her face with the shreds of it as it dissolved in her tears.

They both looked at the bag crumpled in a heap and leaning against Carly’s legs.

“May I?”

Carly nodded.

Marcelline didn’t hesitate to kneel on the grimy floor. She unzipped the bag all the way to the bottom. She pushed the suit off the painting and worked its corners free.

She made the little reverse-gasp sound again.

She smiled and shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes were shiny. “In a gas station bathroom,” she whispered.

She looked up from the floor, glowing.

“What?” said Carly.

The door clanged in its frame. The voice from the other side was muffled. The mood, though, came through just fine. “Hello? There are people waiting out here.”

“Let’s go,” Marcelline said.

•  •  •