ellie sat cross legged on the worn rug of the living room, her old acoustic guitar balanced on her lap. the late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm, golden patterns on her freckled face. you were curled up on the couch, watching her with quiet curiosity as she fiddled with the tuning pegs, her tongue poking out in concentration.

“i’ve got something for you,” she said, glancing up at you with a crooked smile. “well, technically, it’s something joel taught me, but… i thought you might like it.”

your heart fluttered at the mention of joel. she didn’t talk about him often—not in detail, anyway. you knew it was still hard for her, even if she didn’t say it outright.

ellie strummed a few chords experimentally, the mellow sound filling the room. she adjusted her fingers on the strings, her brow furrowing for a moment before she looked up at you again.

"okay, don’t laugh,” she warned, though the playful smirk on her lips said she wouldn’t mind if you did. “it’s not perfect, but it’s... important.”

you leaned forward, resting your chin on your hand as you watched her start to play. the melody was slow and steady, each note carrying a bittersweet weight that tugged at your chest.

her fingers danced across the strings, and as the song unfolded, you recognized it as a classic joel used to hum—something familiar and nostalgic, yet somehow entirely ellie as she brought it to life in her own way.