Elle is in her room, staring down the books that hold the story of her life. She's been trying to put off reading them, which is an act of restraint that has lasted impressively long. She knows it won't be pleasant; in fact, it will probably do a fair amount of damage to her psyche. But she has to know.

To say that an interruption is more than welcome is a vast understatement.

Elle is always happy to see Dan. She smiles at his getup (he looks a tad ridiculous). He expression flickers just the littlest bit when she sees that he's carrying the box, but it's so quick that it would be barely noticeable to someone not paying attention.

"Of course! What's up?"

There's a little mental preparation for rejection going on in her head.