“Yes!” Penny smiles.
“Are you okay?” I lean my head back and observe her with narrowed eyes.
Penny nods. “I was sad thinking I didn’t have a mom, but I do.”
“Yeah. One day, I can show you pictures of her. Would you like that?”
“Yes. Was she pretty?”
“Very. You look like her.” My heart beats against my ribs as I recall Hadley and how much Penny reminds me of her at times. People say Penny is the spitting image of me, but when she laughs and dances around, she’s just like her mother.
“How about we go home, and you teach me how to make that ice cream experiment you did in school?”
“Really?” Her smile brightens her entire face, and I sigh in relief.
“Yes.” I kiss her forehead and buckle her again before driving home.
After telling me what ingredients we need and teaching me what to do as if she were a teacher, Penny and I sit on the counter in the kitchen, eating spoonfuls of ice cream from a ziplock bag.
Penny giggles as we talk, and I tell her about the kind of baby she was. Her happiness is back in full force, and I’m grateful I was able to talk to her without feeling guilty. My girl is tough as nails, and she’s so happy. I’m even more grateful that she understood our conversation earlier. I know she’ll have more questions about her mom. It would be normal for her to be curious.
“We should’ve put sprinkles in the ice cream,” Penny says.
“How about we put some in now?” I jump off the counter and reach for the container full of colorful sprinkles.
“Yes!” Penny hisses in glee. She opens up the bag, and I shake the container until the top layer of ice cream is full of sprinkles.
“More,” Penny demands. I laugh and shake my head.
“That’s enough for now. We’ll add more as we go.” It’s not the best ice cream I’ve had, but it’s worth every bite as I sit with Penny and spend time with her. Moments like this make life worth living. They make the fight tolerable. I realize now that my fear of hurting Penny with the truth was self-inflicted. It was a projection of my own insecurities and hurt.
Seeing her be okay with the reality of our lives, continuing to be the same girl, gives me hope. She’s a lesson for me to understand that the past doesn’t have to control the way we feel and act. Penny knows that she is loved, and one incident isn’t going to change her complete outlook in life. I could learn a thing or two from her.
Sutton
My hands tremble as I drive up the dusty road. I normally wouldn’t show up somewhere unannounced, but after seeing Gavin witness my face-off with the photographer and walking away, I feel like I owe him an apology. Maybe I don’t. Maybe this is an excuse to see him and talk to him.
This week has been hell. When I spotted the photographer today, I didn’t think as I walked toward him. I was impressed that he watched me approach him instead of getting in his car and driving away. I wanted to knock some sense into him. He can take as many pictures of me as he wants. Okay, not as many as he wants, but I know what I signed up for. However, I couldn’t allow him to continue photographing Penny. She’s just a girl.
It was pure luck that I guessed he had kids. After that, I wasn’t backing down until he got a taste of his own medicine. So, he may tell the world I’m crazy. Or, he may respect what I said and leave Gavin and Penny alone.
There’s no telling until the next photo is published.
I park the car in front of the house and take a deep breath. My heart thunders against my ribcage. I wipe my hands down my jeans and step out of my car. Here goes nothing.
Walking through the damp ground, I step onto the porch and knock on the wooden door. A pair of boots sit on the porch by the door. I pick at my nails while I wait for someone to answer, shifting from foot to foot, unable to stand comfortably.
The door swings open, and my head snaps up. I come face to face with wide brown eyes that quickly collect themselves.
“Hey,” Gavin says, gripping the side of the door.
“Hi.” I smile tightly as I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry to show up without calling first, but I wanted to apologize for earlier. I’m sure you didn’t want half the town to hear me talk to the photographer about you and Penny. I know you probably hated that. I didn’t think so many people would gather around and listen. I didn’t mean for it to become such a spectacle.” I put my hands in my pockets and shrug.
“Do you want to come inside?” Gavin opens the door wider.
“Um, okay…” I nod and walk into the rustic home that is exactly what I’d imagine his farmhouse to look like—white walls with wooden beams spanning across the ceiling. Family photos hang on the walls as I follow Gavin into the living room.
I sit on the sofa when Gavin invites me to and cross my legs, waiting for him to say something. I’ll take any kind of response.
“You don’t need to apologize. Thank you for standing up for Penny like that. I got a call from the school and had to run off.”
“Is Penny okay?” I look around the living room for any sign of her.
“She is now,” Gavin nods. “She went with my mom to the store. There was an incident with the students teasing her about the photographs that were posted on the internet.”
“Goodness, I’m so sorry, Gavin.” I shake my head, realizing how much worse this situation is than I could’ve imagined. I didn’t expect kids to know about this.
“She’s okay,” he promises
