He doesn't really react if I do, just clams up and goes away.

"Who you talking to?"

"Just a friend."

There's a long pause, and then, okay.

"What friend?"

"It's not important," she paraphrases him.

I'm not gonna tell him about you. He's suspicious of you, but he's suspicious of anyone who isn't me anyway.

I'll have an easier time avoiding him than you will, if it comes down to it. Don't get yourself in trouble.

I don't wanna avoid him, he's my dad. I just wish he'd communicate with me.

Okay.

After a staring contest where one party stared and the other used her tablet, Penny's dad sighs and says, "I'm going to sleep, then, Penny Lane. I love you."

"...love you too, dad," she does look up to say.

Okay, that's. Okay. Good.

After a bit: I'm going to go sleep, too.

Goodnight.

She'll sleep... eventually. Maybe.

Penny changes into her fluffy bunny PJs and goes to bed.

...and browses on her phone for a while.

Denice doesn't email.

And eventually she sleeps.

Denice stays up for another few hours, listening to the city. There's practically always someone listening to music or a podcast or watching a movie she can follow well enough by ear, when she wants a distraction.

Indeed! The bands are all unfamiliar and most of the movies are, too, and the few that aren't are subtly different. Or sometimes not that subtly, someone is watching a version of Star Wars that seems to be about cannibalistic Ewoks and evil jedi against the poor innocent sith.

Yeah, not that one. Just some music.

And then she falls asleep.

Penny's dad wakes up the following morning before Penny does.

Unless he's being especially quiet about it, this is enough to wake Rescue.

He and Penny sleep in different rooms, so he's being only quiet enough to avoid stirring a baseline twelve-year-old two rooms away.

Yeah, that's plenty loud enough, since she's intending to notice.

He gets dressed, and opens his door quietly enough for his daughter not to notice, and starts scribbling a note on a piece of paper, presumably for Penny.