Rose squeezed his hand back, giving him a small smile. She couldn't begin to express how much it meant to her.
The drive was long. There had been some disagreement over the radio station, but it had been friendly and a welcome distraction. Rose had nearly fallen asleep a few times, but she managed to stay awake. She'd told a few stories about her youth, some about customers from the bar, and occasionally one about her father. Those tended to be more difficult to focus on, so there weren't many.
By nightfall, they'd reached Albuquerque. There were several hotels just off the highway, and Rose had pointed to one at random. She was too drained to bother with Yelp reviews.