“I’m sure we could have figured something out,” Bonnie pouted. “Anyway, let’s go!”
Looking up the stairs, then back at the door, then back up the stairs, Penelope felt torn, as if there must be something else to grab. They couldn’t possibly have moved it all.
“Honestly,” her mother said, sidling up to throw her arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “I think we got it all. If not, it will give you an excuse to come back and visit.”
“Mom,” Penelope felt a lump forming in her throat. “You know I’m going to visit.” Then, seeing the tears in her mom’s eyes, she quickly continued, “Every morning. Otherwise, how will I get my packed lunch?”
She was pleased by the sound of laughter it produced from everyone.
“Right, that’s enough,” Bonnie insisted. “Let’s go. Pen, you’re in the car with us.”
“You are not to open the door to that apartment until we are with you,” Martha warned in the closest thing she’d ever used to a stern voice with Bonnie.
“Promise.”
The apartment she’d gotten was the exact one she’d shown Finn. Right downtown, with a little balcony to sit on. It was entirely out of her price range. But when Bonnie’s father heard about it, he insisted on covering the cost. He said it was a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money she’d saved him on the wedding.
She hadn’t wanted to accept. But he could be a very persuasive man.
Climbing the steps with everyone crowded around her felt a little ridiculous. It was her first apartment, not a newborn baby or anything like that. Their enthusiasm seemed a little over the top.
Then they were there, her father holding out her keys. But before she could even take them, the door opened in front of her. There, grinning from ear to ear, stood Finn.
The keys fell to the floor as her dad let go, and her fingers didn’t even attempt to catch them. As soon as her brain comprehended that this was real and not some figment of her imagination, she hurled herself into his arms.
“What? How?” she asked the questions, her mouth pressed up against his neck, not even sure if she cared about the answers.
“Hey, roomie,” he whispered back to her.
“Yay!” Bonnie was yelling in the background, delighted with their surprise.
It took a while for her to let go long enough to let him explain. If her parents hadn’t been standing right behind her, she wouldn’t have bothered. He was here. It wasn’t a dream. He was really here. That was all that mattered.
“It was your dad,” Finn finally answered. “Well, your dad and Uncle Derek. Apparently, that man can pull more strings than I ever imagined. I’d already talked to him months ago about possibly getting a work Visa and trying my luck in America for a stint. So, when your dad brought up the job for a music teacher at his school….”
Penelope whipped her head to look at her dad. “I thought you filled that position.”
“I did,” he answered huffily. “Then the new teacher went and quit right before the wedding. There was a reason I wanted to show Finn my school. And when things get desperate, administrators are a little more flexible.”
“Anyway,” Finn took over again. “They about had it sorted between them before they even asked me.”
Penelope turned on her dad. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”
He held up his hands defensively. “Honestly, I didn’t know for sure if it was going to work out until last week. It was all very last minute. I didn’t want to tell you and have you get your hopes up only for it to fall through. And then when we knew, well, it was all happening so fast that Bonnie convinced us it would be a great surprise.”
“You!” Penelope accused. With tears trickling down her face, she could hardly look angry, though.
“Surprise!” Bonnie said again, wiping at her own eyes. “Besides, it only seemed fair. You did the same to me.”
“Are you okay with this, Penny-pops?” Teddy asked, suddenly sounding protective. “I mean, we assumed it’s what you would want. But if you’re not quite ready for him to move in with you, we can have him at the house until he finds another place.”
“Don’t you dare, Dad. Don’t you dare. I mean, yes, this is exactly what I want. Exactly.”
And it was. Her closest friends and family around her, and Finn right in her arms.
“It gives us a year, love,” Finn said, pulling her even closer. “A whole year to figure out where we want to be. We can make the decision together when we’re ready.”
It was everything.
