III.

[Voice memo, received two days after leaving. Begin transcript].

(A young, mid-pitched voice, androgynous enough to be unclear if the speaker is male or female) Hey! It’s me (inhale, self-effacing laugh), but you know that. I just wanted to check in and see if you made it to Arizona safely, and see how you were settling in. I hadn’t heard anything yet, so I thought I’d ask. Ummm….(pause to think) if you wanna Facetime this weekend, I’m free on Sunday, so just let me know. And my parents said to tell you they miss you--

(Interruption by a middle-aged female voice, farther away from the microphone) Tell her to call; we worry about her! She knows she’s our other child. And ask if she liked the graduation gift!

(From the first speaker) (A huff, equal parts irritated and amused) If you didn’t catch that, Mom said to call when you can, and they wanna know if you liked the bracelet. Anyway, I’m gonna end this message now. Text me! And lemme know if you wanna talk on Sunday. Love you!

[End transcript].

[Reply, sent five minutes after receipt. Begin transcript].

Hey! I did make it to Arizona; the trip went well. The apartment is a little small, but I’m making it work. Unpacking is going to take forever I think (chuckle).  I’d love to facetime on Sunday, just let me know what time works for you. We’re still in the same time zone, right? (Uncertainty). I think so. I don’t know. My brain is fried (another laugh. A sigh of relief). I’ll text your parents, but feel free to tell them I’m safe and I LOVE the bracelet. They always know just what to get me. (Bittersweet silence). (Exhale). I miss you.

[End transcript].