6. Penny
PENNY
Penny leaned back against the plush cushions of the chaise lounge, letting out a long, contented sigh as the warm lamplight of the Hearts House living room wrapped around her.
Outside, the quiet Florida night had settled over the bay, but inside, the room was bright, cozy, and filled with the sweet scent of lavender and the sound of endless teenage chatter.
She still couldn't quite believe how she had ended up as the designated babysitter tonight, but she wasn't complaining. With the island quiet and the stars out, everyone else in their tight-knit circle was out enjoying a much-needed escape.
Michael and Maggie had practically skipped out the door earlier, heading to the annual Summer Festival in town.
They had been laughing like teenagers, determined to relive their high school days by riding the Ferris wheel, playing the cheesy carnival games, and eating far too much sticky cotton candy.
Meanwhile, Owen and Isabel were over at the Bay Cafe. Officially, they were putting the final touches on the last of the renovations, but Penny knew they were actually sneaking in a romantic dinner date in the secluded corner of the empty cafe.
And, of course, Linda was over at the beach house having dinner with Darius. Penny had seen the soft, happy glow on her friend’s face before she left, and it warmed her heart to see Linda finally letting her guard down.
So, Penny had happily volunteered to watch the kids. But instead of actually looking after them, she was currently being sweetly pampered by these five wonderful young humans.
She was receiving the absolute royal treatment, feeling like a queen as the girls, Sophia, Lily, and Emma, doted on her.
Sophia was carefully applying a cool, soothing mud mask to Penny’s face, while Lily gave her a manicure.
Emma was happily perched on a low stool in front of her, meticulously painting Penny's toenails a soft, summer-coral pink.
"Toby," Penny called out, her voice slightly muffled by the cool cucumber slices resting over her eyes. "Can you give me another sip of my grape juice, please?"
Sophia let out a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes as she carefully dabbed a bit of the mud mask near Penny’s temple. "You can say wine, Penny. We're not little kids anymore. We know it's alcohol and not fruit juice."
"Do you want some more grapes, Penny?" Jake asked, his voice hovering anxiously nearby.
"Yes, please," Penny grinned, tilting her head back slightly.
Jake quickly and carefully popped a sweet green grape into her mouth. Penny chewed happily, enjoying the massage girls' pampering. She had to admit, the girls were surprisingly good at these beauty treatments. Their touch was incredibly gentle and relaxing.
"You should really make him peel those grapes first," Sophia suggested with a playful, sisterly sniff. "It would be even more of a fitting punishment. Especially after what he did to your beautiful silk shirt, Penny."
"It was an innocent accident!" the boys protested in perfect, sheepish unison. Toby and Jake stood side-by-side near the coffee table, both looking thoroughly guilty under the warm living room lamps.
"Having that red fruit punch syrup in the house is not an accident," Sophia pointed out, crossing her arms. "You both know Gran doesn't allow that sugary red syrup stuff in this house."
"Geez, snitch much?" Jake shot back at his sister, his face turning a bright pink. "And I didn't mean to spill it on Penny. My hand just slipped."
"If that wasn't bad enough..." Lily chimed in, happily stirring the pot with a mischievous grin. "You then tried to wipe it off with club soda, which just set the red stain deep into the fabric and spread it out even more."
"Suffice it to say..." Emma drawled from her stool, looking up from Penny's feet with a dramatic sigh of her own. "Penny's beautiful cream silk top is officially ruined."
"And that was not a cheap shirt, either," Sophia added, rubbing a little more salt into the wound. "You two had better start saving all your allowance to pay Penny back for it."
"Hey..." Jake said defensively, looking over at Toby for backup. "How would we know about stains and stuff? We don't do the laundry."
"Yeah, we were just trying to help," Toby muttered, his voice cracking slightly.
"You mean you were just trying to fix a mistake you made before anyone caught you?" Lily corrected them with a knowing look.
"Okay, okay," Penny interjected, chuckling softly. She figured she had best jump in before the kids' bickering really ruined her peaceful pampering time. "It's just a shirt, girls."
She peered down past her cucumber slices at the oversized, incredibly soft pink button-down shirt she was currently wearing.
It was one of Linda's old favorites that Sophia had quietly fetched from the closet for her to change into after the spill.
"Besides, I actually really like this shirt.
It is so soft and makes me feel like I'm being wrapped in a big, warm hug. "
"Yes, it really is soft," Sophia agreed, running a gentle finger over the shoulder of the fabric.
"Aunt Linda has a few of these exact shirts," Lily told Penny, her voice warm. "She always says they are the absolute best things to relax in after a long, stressful week."
"I can definitely feel that," Penny said, sinking deeper into the soft cushions.
"More grape juice, Penny?" Toby asked quickly, stepping forward with the glass.
He was incredibly anxious to keep her happy; the last thing he wanted was for her to tell his grandmother that he had ruined an expensive silk top, or worse, that he and Jake had sneakily bought a bottle of the banned red fruit punch syrup.
Toby's eyes met Jake's, and he gave his friend a pointed, meaningful tilt of his head toward the fruit bowl.
"Another grape, Penny?" Jake chimed in right on cue.
He was just as worried about Penny snitching to his mother or his uncle.
He knew his sister, as well as Emma and Lily wouldn't say a word, mostly because the girls had their own secret stash of lollipops hidden away in their dresser drawers, which was another major ban the boys knew about.
"Sure, kid, why not?" Penny sighed happily, closing her eyes again and letting the warmth of the room wash over her. "Honestly, this is pure heaven. If I had known children were this useful, I would have had a whole bunch of them."
The three girls burst into a chorus of giggles.
"Why didn't you ever have kids, Penny?" Emma asked, her tone shifting into that sweet, curious innocence of youth. "I always thought you'd make the absolute best mom when I was growing up."
The living room went still for a moment, save for the gentle hum of the air conditioner. Penny's expression softened, a gentle, wistful look settling over her features as she stared up at the ceiling. She took a slow breath, trying her best to keep the old, lingering regret out of her voice.
"I suppose it was for the exact same reason your great-uncle Darius never did," Penny said softly.
"We were both just too busy working, constantly chasing the next promotion and trying to build a future.
But by the time I finally built that future and it was secure in my hands, my days of having children of my own were already in the past."
"Awww," the three girls chorused in unison, their faces puckering with genuine, sweet sympathy for her.
"I'm sorry, Penny," Emma said softly, and the other four kids immediately echoed the sentiment with quiet murmurs of agreement.
"Well, you have the five of us now," Sophia told her gently, patting her arm. "We're all family."
Penny was incredibly glad she had the cool, damp cucumber slices resting over her eyes at that exact moment.
A sudden, unexpected wave of emotion swelled in her chest, warm and bringing the stinging of tears to the back of her eyes.
It was silly, really, but hearing those sweet kids speak with such fierce, unconditional love made her throat tighten.
She took a slow, steadying breath, letting the comfort of their presence wash over her like a physical balm.
Sophia finished smoothing the last of the clay mask over Penny's forehead and moved down to take her free hand, starting a slow, soothing palm massage. On the other side of the chaise, Lily was just putting the finishing touches on the hand she had been pampering.
"How are you feeling, Penny?" Emma asked from her low stool, her voice filled with concern. "Are you starting to feel a little more relaxed now?"
Penny let out a soft, lazy chuckle. "I really am starting to, sweetie. You girls are absolute miracle workers."
With her eyes covered by the cucumbers, Penny had absolutely no way of seeing the incredibly sly, conspiratorial looks the five teenagers immediately began shooting one another across her chaise lounge.
Toby caught Jake’s eye, giving a subtle, mischievous nod, while Sophia raised her eyebrows at Lily in a silent, excited signal.
"Penny..." Sophia started, her tone perfectly casual, though a faint thread of excitement thrummed through it. "Can we ask you some questions?"
Totally oblivious to the unspoken mischief humming in the air around her, Penny sank deeper into the soft cushions. "Sure," she said easily.
"More grapes first?" Jake asked dutifully, shooting his sister and her little troop a quick, encouraging nod as he held up the bowl.
"Not right now, thanks, Jake," Penny murmured, her mind drifting into a beautiful, half-asleep haze of pure comfort.
"Can we ask you... well, anything?" Emma asked in a cautious, innocent whisper.