Fifteen years prior, Cam sat with Dusty in a tattoo parlor while artist Shannon finished a new moth-and-skulls tattoo on Dusty’s shoulder. Dusty kept a steady, affectionate presence, resting his hand on Cam’s thigh, as both tried not to dwell on Dusty leaving in a week.

Dusty proposed getting a tattoo for Cam, prompting a discussion about permanence. Shannon cautioned them against full names, joking about his own “Betty” tattoo, but agreed to do the work despite calling the idea “stupid” in a way that might push them forward. Buoyed by their sense of being “permanent,” Cam agreed to get a tattoo too.

They settled on symbols instead of names: Dusty chose an “A” for Ash near his neck “where Cam likes to kiss him,” linking their note-passing in English class and The Scarlet Letter, and Cam chose a “T” on her hip for Dusty’s names (Tuck/Tucker). Shannon finished Dusty’s shoulder piece, then added the neck “A,” and inked Cam’s “T.”

After seeing her tattoo, Cam felt beautiful, powerful, and more herself. As they left hand in hand, Cam, newly resolute, told Dusty she wanted to go with him to Montana the next week, asking him to take her with him and shifting their farewell into a potential joint future.