“That bad, huh? Why don’t you watch some more YouTube videos?”
She grinned at the teasing, happy to hear her friend’s voice. “I think I’ll need a whole twelve-month course.” Penelope sat on the couch, pushing away the pile of knitting, and settled in for a chat. “What are you up to?”
“About to head out to lunch with Alex’s parents,” she said. “I had two hours’ sleep last night, Taris just vomited over her new dress and I feel like the worst mother in the world. Alex told me to call you while he changed Taris.”
Penelope smiled. “Glad he’s taking care of you.”
“He’s the best,” Ceiveon agreed. “Now tell me I’m a good mother.”
“You’re the best mother. I bet you drove a hundred laps of Perth to get Taris to sleep.”
“Two hundred,” Ceiveon replied. “I had to fill up with fuel.”
Penelope laughed. “Maybe I should have stayed there instead of moving to Retribution Bay. I could have helped you.”
“It’s nicer diving up there.”
Penelope stiffened. She hadn’t done any diving since the incident, Ceiveon knew that.
“How’s the job going?” Ceiveon continued.
She exhaled and shook off the tension. “It’s good. Different. Not quite so focused.” The sea snakes had always been Emelia’s passion more than Penelope’s.
“Great. Any handsome guys?”
Penelope rolled her eyes. “I’m not looking for handsome men—or any men,” she added, knowing how her friend would respond. “If Gerard couldn’t handle the way I changed, no one is going to.”
“Gerard was an idiot. I always told you he was too self-absorbed. He liked being with the scientist not the woman.”
Ceiveon might have been right, not that Penelope wanted to admit it.
Voices in the background. “Taris is ready to go,” Ceiveon said.
“You are an amazing mother,” Penelope said. “Ignore any comments your in-laws make. You look so put-together, they won’t even know you’ve barely slept.”
“You haven’t seen me.”
“But I know you,” Penelope argued. “You’ve got this. You have a beautiful baby, a husband who adores you, and a best friend who’s got your back.”
Ceiveon chuckled. “Thanks, Penelope. Gotta go. Love you.”
“Love you too.” She hung up and stared at the baby blanket. Ceiveon would be amazed if she received a beautiful baby’s blanket in the mail. Maybe she could buy one… no, it had to come from her, no matter what it looked like.
With renewed enthusiasm she ran a hand over the soft ball of multi-coloured yarn and then picked up the knitting needles. It took a couple of attempts to hold the needles correctly and then insert her needle into the first stitch. It was tight with almost not enough space for the needle, but she did one stitch, and then another. Just as she was feeling like she was getting somewhere, she dropped a stitch. Crap. She flinched, which only unravelled the knitting further, causing a line through the ten-centimetre blanket.
Penelope closed her eyes, frustration battering her. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as she thought. When she opened them, it appeared even worse. There was no question about it. She would have to start again. But not now. Ceiveon would have to wait. She put the knitting back on the coffee table and scanned the room for something else to do.
This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman in her early thirties. Surely she could amuse herself. She could handle not working every second of the day. She’d moved here for a change of pace. Unfortunately, instead of the second gear she’d hoped for, she was idling in neutral.
Maybe she should go for a jog. It wasn’t quite midday yet but it wasn’t too hot. While she was out, she could go past the community noticeboard and check whether there were any knitting groups, or she could drop into the library and enquire there. She was clearly not getting this blanket done without a lot of help.
Penelope threaded her curly red ponytail through the back of her baseball cap, grabbed her sunglasses, and headed out. She’d jogged every street in town over the past six weeks. Today she headed for the marina. The development was fairly new, and it was the type of area she’d like to live in. The townhouses were a reasonable size and the water was right outside the back door. She could buy a boat and set out on an adventure any time she wanted to.
If she stayed.
And that was a big if. The quiet of the small town, the fewer drains on her time, the lack of family and friends were all things she had to learn to live with. She could admit to fewer headaches, the constant tension in her shoulders was now gone, and she’d had only one anxiety attack since she’d arrived, so that was something. Her new job as park ranger had her out and being active as well, rather than in an office doing paperwork, which is where she’d been relegated after the incident.
She’d promised Ceiveon she’d give it six months before she’d decide either way.
