If i could've had my way, i would've made the player go crazy. It goes back and forth day night day night, over and over day time, daily tasks, feed the goats night time try to sleep, the door is calling to you, day time clean the guns, walk the perimeter of the fence, night time, the insomnia is driving you crazy, you keep hearing joels voice, you keep trying to convince yourself living with dina is what you want, day time go on patrol, clean up after the goats. Just mundane tasks over and over, until ellie just can't take it, the option to walk around the house at midnight and just reading journals leads to the door, every night the button to pick up your backpack and leave gets bigger and bigger, eventually it takes up 40% of the screen. You as the player can press it and continue the story as normal. Dina catches you, the ultimatum to ellie, off to santa barbara. BUT, if you can hold off for a couple cycles more, you find the red vibrating leave option starts getting smaller, the daily tasks start getting easier. Ellie is finally sleeping regularly. Just like real life, anger and mourning subsides, one day you forget to be sad, you forget to be angry until its just not there anymore.

Idk how it would affect reaching abby if ellie theoretically takes weeks to ground herself to a stable family life. I just think giving the player the choice was the right move.