Page 49 of No One's Like You
"What do you mean he's not a guy?"
"It's Ruby, Mom. Rob is Ruby. I made up that story because I didn't know how to tell you that I realized I'm in love with my best friend."
Margaret picks up a paper napkin, but she's so thrown off that she doesn't know whether to wipe herself with it or stuff it in her mouth and chew it.
"Ruby? Ruby Hebert?" she asks, as if her daughter were best friends with every Ruby in the world.
"Yes, Mom. Ruby. We're together, I mean, I'm dating her as a couple."
The silence that follows her confession is so long that Ellie begins to wonder if her mother has frozen in her chair.
"Just to be clear, this isn't a joke, right?" Margaret asks, though her daughter's seriousness and the blush on her cheeks have made it clear from the beginning that what she's saying is true.
"No, Mom, it's not a joke," Ellie confirms.
"Well," Margaret says, "in that case, I'll have to get used to the fact that my daughter now prefers... clams?" she asks, and this time she's the one blushing.
Ellie first looks at her open-mouthed, but then bursts into laughter.
"Yes, clams works. Aren't you going to say anything else?" Ellie asks.
"What do you want me to say? Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that much. I've always thought that you and Ruby have an, let's say, intense friendship. What matters to me is that you're happy, and if it's with Ruby, so be it."
"And that was it," Ellie finishes explaining. "She didn't throw a party, but she took it pretty well."
Ruby laughs, perfectly imagining the scene.
"Your mother never ceases to amaze me. I thought she would faint or something. I never imagined she saw our friendship as suspicious."
"Me neither. She never said anything to me. But anyway, let's get to what's important. When do you want to start planning the trip?" Ellie asks.
"We could start next week. The first thing will be to find an RV that's comfortable enough for a trip of this caliber. You know, a bit spacious and all that."
"Sounds good to me. We should also research the safest places to spend the night," Ellie nods and begins listing all the things they think they should bring.
Ruby listens while watching her and smiles. Right now, there's nothing in the world she wants more than to take that trip with Ellie.
Epilogue
After six months of planning for the grand trip, Ruby and Ellie are finally driving a white motorhome with blue and gold details, traveling along the meticulously researched Route 66. They've been on the road for three weeks and are so delighted that, if they didn't have The Early Bayou, they would continue exploring the entire country. They can't do that right now, but they're enjoying the experience so much that they've decided to take getaways aboard NOLA; yes, they've named their new acquisition after the abbreviation for New Orleans. They've done exactly what Ruby had thought—purchased a motorhome to customize with what they consider necessary, equipping it with all kinds of elements that have made their nights and time spent inside comfortable and pleasurable. Ruby has acquired various gadgets to continue enjoying her favorite cocktails during the trip, and Ellie decided to outfit the new vehicle with a TV, speaker, and a small lamp that transforms the ceiling into an image of a completely starry sky, because some daysthey feel like curling up in bed and watching episode after episode of whatever series hooks them.
"What are you doing?" Ruby asks with a furrowed brow as she watches Ellie manipulate the GPS that indicates their route.
"I want to stop at a place I saw," she answers, fiddling with the device. "They say there's an overlook where you can see the most beautiful sunsets in the area."
Ruby smiles, and her heart skips several beats. Despite more than half a year having passed since she and Ellie became a couple, she still struggles to control what being beside the woman she still considers her best friend—and of course, the love of her life—makes her feel. Everything has been so beautiful that some nights she fears she's dreaming, and that everything they've experienced exists only in her head. They remain the same Ellie and Ruby they've always been, except now they kiss, caress each other differently, have sex—lots of it, because Ellie remains as passionate as she was at the beginning—and sleep together several nights a week.
"I'd love to return to Flagstaff, but in winter," Ellie says, settling into her seat and adjusting her sunglasses. "I'd like to see Humphreys Peak, although what I really want to visit is the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort."
"Are you sure?" Ruby inquires. She's pretty certain that skiing isn't an activity that particularly appeals to Ellie.
"Of course, why not?"
Ruby's soul turns soft because this is the girl she's been in love with her entire life, the one who makes plansshe would never make on her own just to see Ruby smile, like taking her skiing at that place that looked impressive in photos when Ruby made an innocent comment about wanting to visit it—and there's Ellie, pretending she wants to go just to please her. From the outside, it might seem that Ellie isn't doing what fulfills her, but that's not true because what makes Ellie happiest in life is being with her girlfriend and laughing with her.
Ellie places a hand on Ruby's thigh as they both watch the road. Since leaving New Orleans, the dynamic has been similar: one day one drives, and the next, the other. The copilot handles the music and hydration, in addition to reviewing the map for potential stops. From their city to the final point, Santa Monica, there are almost two thousand miles they could have covered in just a few days, but they've stopped at every place that caught their attention and slept in places they never would have imagined.
"Let's start creating new memories."
