Jessica rubbed her eyes and tried her voice at speaking volume, "yeah," she said. Satisfied that her voice was steady enough, she called out louder. "Yeah, just a minute."
She rose from the edge of the tub and turned the sink onto the coldest setting. She cupped her hands, filled them, and then bent over the sink to splash the water over her face. She did this twice more until she was satisfied that her reflection didn't look like it had been crying.
On her way to the bathroom door, she grabbed a green towel and dried her face off, then tossed it onto the counter. She took a deep breath, put on a big smile, and opened the door.
She padded down the hallway to find Oliver in the front room. She brushed her damp bangs out of her face and approached him. "Hey," she said.