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Authors: Brian Knight
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the shortest of glances before ignoring her again. “You know how I feel about … them.”
“She never did anything to you!” Zoe shouted and advanced on Mr. West, but Ellen stopped her with an outstretched arm.
Of them all, Susan alone seemed calm, but Penny had seen the expression on her face before, just once, when she’d caught Penny sneaking to see Tovar the Red’s show the year before.
Susan’s still face was a thin mask, barely hiding her wrath.
“Honestly, no. It never occurred to me that you would be childish enough to hold on to your ridiculous grudge this long.”
Mr. West seemed about to reply, but Susan pointed a single finger at him, and he held his tongue.
“You had your say. Now you get to shut up and listen to me.”
His eyes went even wider, and the flush began to drain from his cheeks.
“I also never thought you’d be childish enough to punish two innocent children, one of them your own daughter, because of a bit of foolishness that happened fourteen years ago. Something neither of them was a part of.”
Michael’s Jeep growled as he tore down the driveway, throwing up a rooster-tail of gravel and dust. Mr. West seemed to be grateful for the diversion. He watched his children until they dropped out of sight.
When he faced his audience again, he avoided Susan. His eyes fell on Penny instead.
Penny had no words. She felt tears pushing at her eyes, prickly and hot, but resisted them. She wouldn’t let herself cry in front of this … this man!
Again, he seemed about to speak, and again Susan stopped him.
“The only two words you’re allowed to say to Penny are happy and birthday .” She stepped next to Penny and put an arm on her shoulder. Penny had never been so grateful for an invasion of her personal space. “But I think you’ve already ruined any chance of that for her.”
A moment later Zoe was on her other side, almost vibrating with anger, her arm on Penny’s other shoulder.
Mr. West regarded them for another moment, then stalked away.
* * *
Most of the happy had left Penny’s day.
When the party was over, Susan had no objections to letting Penny help clean up and put things away. Not much later, a van arrived and a uniformed man installed their new satellite internet. Afterward they all seemed content to continue the afternoon’s silence while watching a movie that had been on Penny’s wish list for weeks. A phone call from Zoe’s grandmother broke the trio up before the movie ended. She’d changed her mind about Zoe spending a second night at Penny’s, and Zoe mumbled moodily under her breath while she hurriedly packed to leave.
Penny paused the movie while Susan drove Zoe home, taking advantage of the unexpected alone time to reacquaint herself with The Aikido Student Handbook , remembering her old lessons and exercises, and missing them. Maybe she could start again; Dogwood didn’t have any dojos or Aikido instructors, but she could try to do it alone.
Susan returned home just as she was putting her book down, and they finished the movie in near silence, exchanging only a few words for the remaining hour.
Susan seemed upset, too. Her cheerful manner, usually quick to bounce back, was absent for the rest of the night.
Penny excused herself to her room, considered trying to read again, but decided to wait a while and try to get Katie on her mirror. She fell asleep while she was waiting and didn’t wake again until well after dark.
Her first panicked thought upon waking was that there was something important that she was supposed to have done and forgotten about, and while she pummeled her half-awake brain in search of the forgotten thing, she remembered Ronan’s brief visit with her before the party ended and the unexpected present waiting for her under the back-porch steps.
Penny jumped out of bed and lowered the ladder to the hallway. It descended smoothly and silently; she’d made
“She never did anything to you!” Zoe shouted and advanced on Mr. West, but Ellen stopped her with an outstretched arm.
Of them all, Susan alone seemed calm, but Penny had seen the expression on her face before, just once, when she’d caught Penny sneaking to see Tovar the Red’s show the year before.
Susan’s still face was a thin mask, barely hiding her wrath.
“Honestly, no. It never occurred to me that you would be childish enough to hold on to your ridiculous grudge this long.”
Mr. West seemed about to reply, but Susan pointed a single finger at him, and he held his tongue.
“You had your say. Now you get to shut up and listen to me.”
His eyes went even wider, and the flush began to drain from his cheeks.
“I also never thought you’d be childish enough to punish two innocent children, one of them your own daughter, because of a bit of foolishness that happened fourteen years ago. Something neither of them was a part of.”
Michael’s Jeep growled as he tore down the driveway, throwing up a rooster-tail of gravel and dust. Mr. West seemed to be grateful for the diversion. He watched his children until they dropped out of sight.
When he faced his audience again, he avoided Susan. His eyes fell on Penny instead.
Penny had no words. She felt tears pushing at her eyes, prickly and hot, but resisted them. She wouldn’t let herself cry in front of this … this man!
Again, he seemed about to speak, and again Susan stopped him.
“The only two words you’re allowed to say to Penny are happy and birthday .” She stepped next to Penny and put an arm on her shoulder. Penny had never been so grateful for an invasion of her personal space. “But I think you’ve already ruined any chance of that for her.”
A moment later Zoe was on her other side, almost vibrating with anger, her arm on Penny’s other shoulder.
Mr. West regarded them for another moment, then stalked away.
* * *
Most of the happy had left Penny’s day.
When the party was over, Susan had no objections to letting Penny help clean up and put things away. Not much later, a van arrived and a uniformed man installed their new satellite internet. Afterward they all seemed content to continue the afternoon’s silence while watching a movie that had been on Penny’s wish list for weeks. A phone call from Zoe’s grandmother broke the trio up before the movie ended. She’d changed her mind about Zoe spending a second night at Penny’s, and Zoe mumbled moodily under her breath while she hurriedly packed to leave.
Penny paused the movie while Susan drove Zoe home, taking advantage of the unexpected alone time to reacquaint herself with The Aikido Student Handbook , remembering her old lessons and exercises, and missing them. Maybe she could start again; Dogwood didn’t have any dojos or Aikido instructors, but she could try to do it alone.
Susan returned home just as she was putting her book down, and they finished the movie in near silence, exchanging only a few words for the remaining hour.
Susan seemed upset, too. Her cheerful manner, usually quick to bounce back, was absent for the rest of the night.
Penny excused herself to her room, considered trying to read again, but decided to wait a while and try to get Katie on her mirror. She fell asleep while she was waiting and didn’t wake again until well after dark.
Her first panicked thought upon waking was that there was something important that she was supposed to have done and forgotten about, and while she pummeled her half-awake brain in search of the forgotten thing, she remembered Ronan’s brief visit with her before the party ended and the unexpected present waiting for her under the back-porch steps.
Penny jumped out of bed and lowered the ladder to the hallway. It descended smoothly and silently; she’d made
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