Tess is already looking Ellie's way when she reaches the top of the stairs. She's the girl of the hour, the one who will no doubt be miserable for days to come, considering the extent of what they're about to do. It'll have to be deep. It'll have to be comprehensive. Some healthy skin will probably be lost in the process; it's hard to control precisely, but then again, it can't look too neat, anyway.

"Sure do," she says, gesturing at the spread of materials like it's an old episode of Wheel of Fortune. "You're a hundred percent sure you want to do this?"

Tess has never known Ellie to back out, especially not after a week of preparation, but the window is closing very quickly.