Ernie could already tell something was off with Ellie. They’d been best friends for as long as he could remember, and he knew when she was trying to hide something. Still, if she didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t make her. He would just support her.
He stepped in, and wrapped his arms around her waist with a smile. “I’d love dinner, but maybe you should sit down. I’ll fix my own plate.” He said with a grin.