He was asking Penny to give up her stability back in Vancouver. Again. He was asking her to fit into his life because his needs took precedence. Because he didn’t know if he could hack it if his ducks weren’t perfectly in a row.
“Is something wrong? You look like you just saw a stripper’s cooch!”
“Shut the hell up, Daniel.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard what I said.” Brett broke into a jog, ignoring the twinge in his knee. He pushed through the doors and dialed Tyler before he got to his car.
_____
Penny folded her last summer dress, a vibrant turquoise piece, and tucked it neatly into her suitcase. She folded it closed and kneeled on the top to zip it up, then hid it behind the bed just in case her parents peeked in.
She glanced at her watch. Andrea had entrusted her with picking up flowers and photos for the party, and she wanted to leave plenty of time to drive to Andrea’s apartment and put the frames together before she needed to be at the restaurant.
Penny grabbed her backpack and car keys then dashed out the door. Traffic wasn’t bad, and it only took twenty minutes to get to the flower shop. A bell jingled as Penny entered the white screened porch door that oozed whimsy. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the heady perfume of fresh blooms.
"Good afternoon.” A woman with kind eyes and a warm smile greeted her. "How can I help you today?"
"Hi! I'm here to pick up an order for Andrea," Penny replied, unable to stop her eyes from flitting through the pastel arrangements behind the counter.
"Ah yes, the anniversary flowers!" The florist disappeared into the back room for a moment, then reemerged with a box full of bouquets, each wrapped carefully in delicate tissue paper.
Penny's eyes widened in awe. They were stunning. Now all she had to do was keep them happy until they could drop them into the vases at Winnleton. Penny paid, then lifted the bouquets from the counter. She carried them to her car, grateful for the careful packing so she didn’t have to worry about them falling all over the backseat.
She stopped on the way to Andrea’s and picked up two dozen prints of her parents, then took everything up the lift in two trips and settled in to finish her prep. Andrea had left the frames out for the photos, and Penny got to work.
She stared at each eight by ten, most of which she’d seen at some point growing up, but some she hadn’t. The fashion choices. The hairstyles. All of it changed from year to year, but the smiles on their faces were consistent. They were always holding hands. Always close.
How did they do it?Her parents weren’t perfect people, but they’d built something beautiful. They’d found a way to love each other through job losses, financial struggles, teenagers, and even losing a son. She’d grown up with their example, and yet after fifteen years of relationships, it felt like she didn’t even speak their language.
Penny slid the last frame into the bag, and when Brett’s face flashed in her head, she squeezed her eyes shut. She should text him.
She stood up and pulled out her phone, then searched for his number. Her thumbs hovered over the keys.
Hey. Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated having Andrea on the drive. Thank you
Shame filled her realizing she hadn’t sent a thank you sooner. She didn’t know what Brett was thinking about her at the moment, but it couldn’t be good. Penny thought of him standing in front of her on the sidewalk. His clenched jaw. His silence as she turned and left in the truck.
No, she wasn’t going to cry.She needed to get ready and head over to the venue. Penny grabbed her backpack and stood in front of the full-length mirror in Andrea's bedroom. She used her sister’s curling iron to smooth her waves, then applied a smoothing mask to make them shimmer.
She applied charcoal liner to her eyes, blush on her cheeks, and a bolder lip colour than usual. It helped dull the sting in her chest. Penny pulled her dress from her backpack and laid it across Andrea’s bed, then took the frames and hydrated flowers back down to the car.
When everything was loaded, she went back up to the apartment and slipped on her dress. It was simple. Buttery cream with thin straps that hugged her curves and puddled on the floor without her heels. She’d save those for after setup.
Penny’s phone buzzed. It was Kelty.
Are you on your way over?
Yep, just got my dress on
Pictures and flowers were good?
Perfect. I’m impressed, Dre
?? See you soon
It was good to be busy.Less time to think about how much her heart ached. She stowed her toiletries in her bag, then rushed down to the car and drove to the restaurant. As soon as it came into view, Penny felt giddy.Good choice, Andrea.
