Later on that evening, Penelope was relaxing on the couch reading a book on her phone with a sleeping puppy in her lap. She was rather enjoying the ability to have almost any book she wanted at her fingertips! She found herself reflecting on the events of the day. Although she still felt anxious over her encounter, Terry had made sure that she felt safe, and that was important. The reassurance that the restraining order was keeping her untouched also made her feel a little braver. Penelope knew, though, that just because a court ordered something didn't mean the order would be upheld.
Even so, she had utilized the techniques her therapist had given her to remain as calm as she could earlier. She felt proud of herself for not having an anxiety attack like she'd had previously. Sure, she'd had herself a good cry later on that afternoon but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. She knew that the chances of being in a situation where she was alone with Greg's friends was extremely small. But after she recounted the story to Lilly, she had become concerned. "I'm going to talk to Dan tonight and see what we can get you to ensure that you are able to defend yourself in case you find yourself in a bad situation."
"Thank you." Penelope smiled.
"Now, come on back to the dining area, its dinner time. The boys are not going to be in until later on tonight again so its just you, me, and little Trudy." She said, reaching down to pet the little puppy's head. Trudy- as Penelope had named her- looked up lazily and yawned. Penelope picked her up and took her outside to do her business, and then put her in her crate to play with some of her toys while they sat down to dinner.
Lilly had made a delicious looking pot roast with carrots, onions, potatoes, and celery. She had also made fresh dinner rolls on the side. They were still warm, and when Penelope split one open, a little bit of steam came out, welcoming the already soft butter that she spread in its center before closing and setting it back down.
"So, Penelope, have you thought about what school you want to go to this year? With those girls showing up to bully you, I am very concerned about letting you go where you were. I don't think we should send you back to it."
Penelope nodded in understanding. "Honestly, I don't want to go back there, either. I've thought about your offer to put me through that private school. You know, the one you said that has the really good swim team? I just-" She paused.
"You don't want to take advantage. I know, sweetheart. But you wouldn't be. We put all of our kids through Hawthorne. You are very smart, and I think that you would do phenomenally there. Plus, you'd have a clean slate. Nobody there will know you, and I think you'd have an easier time with making friends who aren't older adults." She winked.
Okay, that was true. Jezz was in her mid-20's, but still. It would be nice to have friends her age that Penelope could connect and do things with. Penelope thought about her earlier conversation with Terry. Its okay to ask for things that you want. She was right. Besides, if Penelope was going to work towards being a functional adult, she knew she needed to finish school without having to worry about anything else. Her future was always something that concerned her.
Thoughts of how she was going to put herself through college so she could have a decent career had often plagued her and lived in the back of her mind. Everything had always been about taking it one day at a time.
I just need to get through today, and then I can figure out how I am going to get through tomorrow. Penelope had often told herself. Now, she didn't have to worry about figuring out how to get through today. Now, she knew she had the means to get not only what she needed, but what she wanted.
Although she was still hesitant, Penelope finally smiled and said "Okay. Lets do it."
"Yes!" Lilly exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "That's my girl! I'm going to make all the arrangements. I'm going to get you a swim coach so that you can make the swim team. Ooh! I'll bet that you'd even make the varsity team! I can't wait to be there to cheer you on!"
Penelope blushed. "You don't have to do that."
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. That is, if its what you want. I'm not going to force you into it if its not what you want."
Its okay to ask for what you want.
After a long pause Penelope quietly gave Lilly her answer. "I do want to swim… on the team…"
"That's my girl! I will do some research and we'll get you signed up with a coach. This is so exciting! I can't wait to be a sporty mom again!"
Penelope smiled at Lilly. Seeing her excitement made her excited. She remembered what Derek had told her a couple of weeks ago about Lilly's empty nest syndrome. Lilly had already done so much for her, so she was going to do it for Lilly, too. Not just herself.
She picked up her dinner roll and dragged it through the gravy that was made from the pot roast, savoring the bite as she thought about the possibility of becoming the best swimmer on the team and making Lilly proud. The joy she felt at having someone who had quickly become like a mother to her be proud of her warmed Penelope's heart.
"I will do my best!" she promised.
~ ~ ~
"What about a body guard?" Dan asked as he changed into his pajamas and paced around their bedroom.
"I think that would overwhelm her. Penelope has been struggling to accept our lifestyle as it is. She couldn't even bring herself to buy very many high quality clothes for herself. Can you imagine how shes going to react if she has a big burly guy following her around like she's some kind of a celebrity all day?" Lilly replied.
"True, but the girl has no ability to defend herself. Sure, it may be overwhelming but her safety is important. We could get her into a martial arts class, but its going to take time for her to learn even the most basic self-defense skills that way. And there aren't any new basic self-defense classes available until the fall. I tried pulling some strings with the instructors, but they're booked beyond their capacity already with it being the summertime."
"Hmm." Lilly mused. "What about a bottle of mace or a stun gun? Something she can pull out quickly to get away from someone?"
"That could be a good middle ground for the time being." Dan replied, pulling a shirt over his head. "But I still think a body guard is going to be best. Especially if she is going to continue going to that side of town. I don't even know that I want her to continue working at that sandwich shop after today. What if Terry or another adult hadn't been there to help her?"
"Shes an adult now, too, Dan." Lilly reminded.
"You know what I mean!" Dan almost bellowed. He wasn't angry at Lilly per sae, but he was angry about the situation. He wanted to know who those girls were, and he wanted it dealt with now. It was hard, though, not even having a name. Dan had his assistant looking into it to figure out who the girl who threatened Penelope was, but he knew it was going to take a few days. In his book, a few days was too long. But they were talking about a minor child here, and Dan understood that there were different laws concerning their privacy.
"I'm not going to make her stop working at the shop, either. We can make sure that she works when Terry does. That way, she doesn't ever have to worry about being around without another person."
"That could work. I don't want to put Terry out of her way, but if she is willing I'm fine with it."
A compromise found, Lilly and Dan settled in to bed for the night. They hated that Penelope's situation was getting more complicated for them now that she was starting to get out and about more. However, they knew there wasn't much they could do about her past continuing to come up and haunt her.