"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.
Behind her closed eyes, a warm, knowing smile touched Penny's lips. She figured she knew exactly where this was going. These teenage girls and pre-teen boys were hovering on the edge of growing up, and they obviously wanted to talk about dating, crushes, and romance. She felt a serene sense of maternal pride swell in her chest. She might not have kids of her own, but she could certainly play the part of the cool, trustworthy aunt who could guide them through the messy waters of teenage love.
Of course, she was hardly a world-class expert on the subject. She'd only ever had two real boyfriends in her entire life. There was her first high school sweetheart, a sweet boy who had enlisted in the military right after graduation and ultimately left her with a broken heart.
And then... there was Stan Davies.
Stan had been the most selfish, self-obsessed man she had ever known. She reined her thoughts in before she could spiraldown that painful path, but she couldn't help but think of her mother's stern warning.Never marry a man named Stan, Penny,her mother had said with absolute certainty. But Stan had been devastatingly handsome, impossibly charming, and he had ticked every single box on her youthful checklist. He had also taught Penny the hard way that her mother, as much as Penny had hated to admit it back then, had been mostly right about everything when Penny was growing up. If she could go back in time, she would make sure she actually listened.
"Penny?" Emma asked cautiously, leaning forward. "Did you fall asleep?"
"Oh, no, sweetheart, sorry," Penny said, her voice soft as she pulled herself out of the old memories. "I'm just so relaxed and enjoying myself."
"So... does that mean we can really ask you anything?" Lily persisted, her eyes sparkling with hidden mischief as she leaned in closer.
