Page 14 of Hidden
Sofia nodded. “Anything unusual happen? It’s a drama, so I know you weren’t doing any stunts or anything.”
Ellie shook her head. “No, nothing unusual. Shooting went well, and it wrapped a couple of days ahead of schedule.”
“Any trouble remembering your lines?”
Ellie paused then shook her head. She hadn’t been on set since that film, but she had the scripts for her next two films. Her question made Ellie realize that while she might be forgetting a lot of things, her lines weren’t one of them. She didn’t know what that meant, if anything, but she tucked the knowledge away.
“What happened after?”
“I spent some time in LA doing promo work for another film. Then I visited my dad in Guanajuato,” she answered. As a single parent, her father had worked three jobs while she was growing up. When her career launched, one of the first things she did was buy him a house and set up a retirement plan for him. He’d cried that day, then asked if he could downgrade the house and spend more time in Mexico. She hadn’t downgraded the house, but she’d bought him another in Guanajuato, the city closest to his childhood home. Now he ran a bar in a vibrant, young part of town where he enjoyed chatting with new people every night.
“Anything happen there?”
Again, Ellie shook her head. “Just the usual. Ate too much of my father’s food. Drank too much at his bar.” A ghost of a smile touched her lips at the memory. She loved visiting her father. Raising her as a single dad, and an undocumented one at that, hadn’t been easy. She knew he’d shielded her from the worst of it. But she had a good imagination. And as an adult, she was well versed in the troubles those coming to the country seeking a better life faced. Even through all that, though, he’d remained larger than life. Quick to smile, even quicker to laugh. He loved a good story and a dirty joke. And most of all, he loved people. Not each specific person, but people in general. And they loved him.
“Then what?”
“I came back to the US. Popped up here to visit you and Josh at the end of September and then again in November. In between, I was mostly home.”
Sofia’s eyes narrowed in thought. “I don’t remember noticing anything odd on either of your visits.”
“I also didn’t have much of a schedule while I was here. Not much to remember. Or forget, for that matter. We spent our time chatting, meeting with friends and Josh’s family, and eating.”
Sofia considered this then nodded. “I assume you went back down to Mexico for Christmas? Any issues there?”
Ellie thought back to the two weeks she’d spent with her dad. “There were a couple of times when something felt…off. Not like yesterday or some of the other episodes. But not entirely right, either.”
Sofia seemed to think her response through, then asked, “Does it feel like it happens at home, in LA, more than other places?”
The question gave Ellie pause. She spent so much time at home that it hadn’t occurred to her that something there might be behind her issues—or episodes. Mentally, she recounted the last six months before answering. “Not exclusively,” she said. “Yesterday on the road being a case in point. But yes, mostly.”
A log popped in the fire, and both women turned their gaze to the flames. “Have you talked to your therapist?” Sofia asked.
Ellie made a face. “Yes. She thinks I’m having anxiety issues exacerbated by fatigue. She gave me a prescription.”
“You don’t sound convinced that’s the issue, but could it be?”
Ellie started to shake her head then stopped. “I haven’t worked since last summer, and I’ve been eating well. Other than visiting you and my dad, I’ve been relaxing at home.”
“Exercising?”
A shadow flickered in her chest. “With my trainer, yes. Or sometimes, I’ll head out on a hike with a friend. But I find I no longer like to exercise on my own.”
“Why’s that?”
She pursed her lips. “I had an episode a month back while working out on my own. And now I can’t bring myself to try again.”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” Sofia said. “You said you’ve been relaxing. Have you been sleeping well?”
Ellie hesitated. “I’m not sure if I’d say well. But I would say a lot.”
“Meaning?”
“I don’t tend to sleep well at night, but I make up for it with naps.”
Sofia frowned, not liking that answer. Ellie didn’t much like it either. She longed for a good night’s rest. She’d come close last night. But with Asher waking her up, she hadn’t quite accomplished it.
“What about people? Any new people in your life that might cause you to be anxious? Not that this is necessarily an anxiety thing,” Sofia said, raising a hand to stop Ellie’s objection. “But I want to know the lay of the land, so to speak, before we decide what to do about it.”
