Ellie Ellis is lying flat on the floor of her apartment, surrounded by half‑finished paintings, open sketchbooks, and a suspicious amount of empty tea mugs.
Pluto — her round, judgmental black cat — is perched on her stomach like a loaf of bread that has claimed its territory.
An eviction notice is crumpled on Ellie's chest.
She stares at the ceiling. Sighs.
"Well, Pluto... looks like we're gonna be homeless."
Pluto blinks once.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPeCM2MN7Q
Slowly.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPcqEvd1B8
Rude.
"Wow. Deeply comforting. Thank you."
Pluto kneads her hoodie like he's fluffing a pillow.
"Yeah, sure. Make yourself comfortable. It's not like I'm having a crisis or anything."
She lifts the eviction notice, squints at it like maybe it'll apologize.
It doesn't.
She drops it back onto her chest with a dramatic sigh.
Pluto immediately sits on it.
"Great. Perfect. Yes. Please sit on the legal document. That helps."
Her phone buzzes somewhere under a pile of laundry.
She doesn't move.
It buzzes again.
Ellie groans, rolls onto her side, and starts digging through clothes like a raccoon searching a dumpster.
She finally finds the phone, kinky hair sticking up, hoodie half twisted around her neck.
She answers without checking the caller ID.
"...hello."
A beat.
"ELLIE! You left your sketchbook at the coffee shop and we're holding it hostage!"
Ellie blinks.
"...what?"
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe6refYPpH
Ellie pushes open the coffee shop door, the bell chiming way too cheerfully for the day she's having. She looks... tired. Hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands. Hair in a high puff that's losing the battle. Pluto's fur clinging to her clothes like static.
She spots the three women immediately — because they're impossible to miss.
Zadie waves both arms like she's trying to flag down a rescue helicopter. She holds up Ellie's sketchbook.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9DvF66djQ
Ana gives Ellie a small nod, the kind that says I see you, and also you look like death.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMs3J0Aiwup
Ruth is sitting with them even though she does not live anywhere near this coffee shop. She's sipping tea like she's been there for hours.
Ellie pretends she didn't see any of that and heads straight for the counter.
Lena is there, tying her apron, expression neutral in that "I've been up since 5 a.m." way.
"Hey. What can I get you?"
Ellie orders something small — the cheapest thing on the menu.
Lena rings it up. Ellie taps her card.
DECLINED.
A beat.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkxQ2YB6EV
Ellie's stomach drops.
"Oh. Um. That's... weird. Can you try it again?"
Lena tries.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlnnQ8rEXe
Same result.
She doesn't react much — just a small shrug, like this happens all the time.
"It's okay. No worries."
Ellie is mortified. She fumbles for cash she knows she doesn't have.
From the table, Zadie gasps like she's watching a telenovela.
"Ellie! Are you bankrupt?!"
Ana elbows her.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjk1KrIhbeU
Ruth mutters, "Inside voice, sweetheart."
Before Ellie can melt into the floor, Ana is suddenly beside her, already handing Lena her card.
"I've got it."
"No— Ana, seriously, I'm fine—"
"You're not. It's okay."
Lena rings it up like this is a weekly occurrence (it is).
Ellie takes the drink, mortified.
From the table:
"Ellie! Come sit! We saved you a seat! And a muffin! But then I ate the muffin!"
Ruth pats the empty chair beside her.
"Come on, honey. You look like you need to sit."
Ellie sighs, defeated, and walks over.
She sits.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqiBWFb3cE
Zadie beams like she's been waiting for this exact moment.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPL8E6eg3O
Ana returns to her seat, unreadable but watching Ellie closely.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeJhbQCMjb
Ruth pushes a napkin toward Ellie like it's emotional support.
"So! Tell us everything. Why do you look like a Victorian child who's seen a ghost?" Zadie asks.
Ellie stares into her cup.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbKltBGdBy
She's not ready to talk about the eviction.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnkWNPMFTc
Not yet.
But she's here.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm82DKBz14B
With them.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8P3008pmG2
And for a moment, that's enough.
"Just...stayed up all night painting."
Zadie gasps. "Again? Are acrylics that enticing?"
"It's kinda my job." Ellie rolls her eyes. Takes a sip of her drink.
Ana nudges her.
"Sure, you're okay?"
"Yeah. Just tired."
Ana smiles softly.
Zadie cuts in.
"So anyway, I think I could totally fight a goose."
Ellie forces a laugh, but it's thin.
She looks down at her drink.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVBUtruE9b
Her hand is shaking just a little.
Ruth notices.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw9ht9hFB2
She puts her hand over Ellie's — warm, steady.
"I don't know. Geese are really intelligent. And mean." Ana writes in a journal.
"I'm intelligent and mean!"
"You're loud and impulsive. That's different."
Zadie gasps like she's been personally attacked.
"Ellie, back me up!"
Ellie blinks, exhausted.
"I don't think I have the emotional capacity to imagine you fighting a goose right now."
Ruth snorts into her tea.
Zadie crosses her arms dramatically.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2e8hxpXtA2
Ana sips her drink like she's won a debate.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDfNCq8Yc8
Ruth pats Ellie's knee under the table — a tiny, grounding gesture.
Ellie looks at the three of them:128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuamyNKnxN
Zadie pouting,128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaE73sgZ4d
Ana pretending she's not amused,128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqptSPfFlq
Ruth watching her with that soft, knowing look.
She feels something loosen in her chest. Mutters under her breath.
"...things could be worse."
Zadie immediately perks up.
"See? Ellie believes in me!"
"She didn't say anything about the goose."
Ellie smiles — small, tired, but real.
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6CITrjTIP
and then Add to home screen.