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“Yes?”
“I just want to say how proud I am of you over the way you’ve rebuilt your life. Winning that prodigious award for your new range of bags was an amazing achievement, but the icing on the cake is, well, all of this.” Allie gestured to the surroundings. “When you and David split up, I honestly thought you’d become suicidal or something. You know what? Mum and Dad would be so proud of you.”
Penny accepted the hug from her sister, returning her squeeze. Allie didn’t need to know that even David’s name sliced deep into her heart.
“Thanks,” she replied.
Honey barked from somewhere inside the house. Grateful for the distraction, she moved toward the house.
Her gorgeous dog was nearly full grown. Penny was so pleased she’d managed to have the pretty retriever. Honey gave her so much companionship and love over the past year that she felt almost normal again... almost. The pain of losing her old life along with the man she loved was never going to fully heal, she recognised that now, but she’d achieved some amazing goals, and the new life she’d created for herself was pretty damn good.
Whenever she craved some ‘little’ time, she took it. Emily remained her friend despite her husband Mark’s initial reservations about their friendship. Penny invited Emily over to play occasionally, and she’d even been over to Emily’s house, usually when Mark was at work.
“That must be Jack and the children,” Penny said.
Allie followed her in through the patio doors that led inside the kitchen. They met Lucy and Tom coming into the room. Honey was rubbing around the children affectionately.
“Happy birthday!” they chorused and thrust gaily wrapped packages into her arms. Penny kissed them both and sank to the floor along with Honey and the children. She began to open their presents.
“Happy birthday, Penny!” Jack called as he arrived, carrying an assortment of bags. “I’ll go straight out and sling these steaks on the barbecue.” He deposited a bag of food on the side. Allie began to unpack it, removing various salads, and a chocolate birthday cake she’d baked for the occasion.
The front door bell chimed. Honey began to bark ecstatically, excited by the company.
“That’ll probably be Mark and Emily, could you get the door?” Penny asked Allie. Moments later Emily joined the group on the floor amidst a growing pile of wrapping paper. Mark grabbed a couple of beers to share with Jack, and wandered into the garden.
* * *
She and Allie scrapedthe plates into the bin. “Leave the dishes; I’ll see to those later. I just want to enjoy the rest of today.”
“Sure, shall I pour us some more fizz?” Allie asked.
“I’d rather have a Coke, but help yourself to more champagne, there’s a bottle open.”
The sisters wandered into the living room and settled on the couch.
“Cheers, happy birthday!” Allie toasted. They chinked glasses. “So how are you really feeling?”
“Good. It still hurts, but I have to live with that. It was probably stupid of me to try and replicate what I had with David in my other existence.” Penny shrugged. “Tell me how you are. I’ve been a terrible sister; asking for your support and not once thinking about you. Are you and Jack okay?”
“Yeah, we’re in a really good place...” Allie hesitated.
“I hope you don’t mind me mentioning this, but when you and Jack left the restaurant that day everything came out with David, I saw him smack your bum as you went through the door.”
“Eagle-eyed where spanking is concerned, aren’t you,” Allie quipped.
Penny grinned. “Yeah, it is my fetish after all. The question I want answered is whether you’ve decided it’s your fetish too?”
Allie smiled sheepishly. “It must run in the family...”
Penny squealed. “Seriously, you and Jack are still practicing a DD relationship?”
“Hush, keep your voice down. Yeah, we are. Remember when I told you we decided to give domestic discipline a trial run? Well, I have to say that it’s going pretty well,” Allie admitted.
“Mummy, where are you?” Lucy called from the hallway.
Penny sighed, knowing they were not going to be able to share any more juicy details today, but the knowledge that they shared a common bond, the need for something a bit kinky in a relationship, warmed her heart.
* * *
