Ellen woke up slowly, her eyes still heavy from sleep. She stretched, her limbs stiff as she yawned deeply, and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. The time read well past her usual waking hour.
She sighed, falling back into the comfort of her pillows for a moment. She had intentionally slept in today. The thought of facing her father after last night's conversation made her stomach turn with a mix of irritation and embarrassment. There was no way she could sit across from him at breakfast, pretending like everything was normal, when she knew he'd probably continue where he left off with his teasing. No, she needed time before she could face that again.
