Chapter 4 — Meeting Sophia

Ellie

Ellie Harper adjusted the strap of her paint-splattered overalls, her shoulders weighed down by the memory of yesterday’s humiliation. Caleb’s sharp words still echoed in her mind, scraping against her confidence like sandpaper. She’d spent the night replaying the scene—the spilled paint, the squawking penguins, and the mortified flush that had crept up her neck. Even now, the thought made her stomach twist, as if she’d swallowed a palette of mismatched colors that refused to blend.