Ha! I am *not* the person to answer this, as the only feedback I got back from an agent about Pen Pal was that it was too slow for the first half and then veered suddenly to the too-dramatic for the second half. Which is to say, I'm not sure I'd recognize too-slow. To be honest, too, when it comes to fic, I just enjoy reading for vignettes and scenarios, so I don't really require a whole lot of direction. If it's you writing, I'm pretty much guaranteed to enjoy it.

Breaking the news about coming could be enough, though, sure. Or, if you're thinking about rationing, what about an arc that starts with Emily letting Molly know what it's like, and Molly then trying to get together a care package or something. There was rationing here too (I remember my mom talking about getting butter and sugar for Christmas cookies), just not as severe, so maybe the drama of realizing that Emily's rationing is a whole magnitude more severe.

.... I'm just thinking out loud. I know you're going to write something excellent, whatever tack you take and whatever events you put in.