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“Where Unkie Tyler?” she asks.
She really is adorable with her little curls tumbling over her forehead and her cute little voice.
“He had to go sweetie,” Angela says.
“Go night nights?” Mia says.
“Yup,” Angela tells her.
She wrinkles up her small nose, but she doesn’t cry which is a relief. I realize Angela only said what she said to give me an easy reason to stay, and I feel a flood of warmth for the woman. She really is a nice person.
She puts Mia down and Mia goes toddling off to see her nana and Angela rejoins us at the table.
“Anyone for more punch?” she says.
Penny nods her head. “What the hell, yeah I’ll have one,” she says.
I open my mouth to say no thank you, but I surprise myself instead.
“Yes please,” I say.
Angela goes back into the house again and returns a couple of minutes later with three more glasses of punch. She hands them out and sits down. We chat some more and as people start to leave, Sally and Keith come over to join us and we all chat. They ask me about my job and my family and where I grew up and I feel like we’re all starting to really get to know one another. I’m a little bit disappointed when they say it's time for them to leave.
We’re down to just the three of us – myself, Angela and Penny – and little Mia of course. Angela is keeping the drinks flowing, although the punch is all gone and we’re back to more sensible drinks. She keeps trying to feed us but we both keep on insisting that we’re still stuffed. I honestly feel like I will never want to eat again.
I’m starting to wonder where Tyler has gotten to. He’s been gone almost three hours. He must be having a major issue with the client. I want to message him and make sure everything is ok, but I don’t want Angela and Penny to think I’m one of those clingy girls that can’t stand to be away from their boyfriend for five minutes.
“I’m going to go pop Mia in the bath and then get her settled,” Angela says. “Help yourselves to drinks and food, and if you get chilly, feel free to come on inside.”
“Are you married, Penny?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“No but I may as well be. I’ve been with Emily’s dad since we were seventeen. We live as married, we just never got around to making it official,” she says.
“Do you think you ever will?” I ask.
She shrugs.
“I mean never say never, right? But it’s not something we talk about really. We’re happy as we are,” she says. “What about you and Tyler? Do you think you will get married to him one day?”
I hope so.
“I haven’t really thought about it. We’ve only been seeing each other for a couple of months,” I say.
“Oh, but he’s smitten with you. I can see it in the way he looks at you. And you’re just as bad,” she says with a smile, which I return, my cheeks flushing slightly. “Hopefully you can keep his interest.”
My smile turns to a frown.
“What do you mean by that?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Penny says. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Oh, come on, spill,” I say. “You can’t say something like that and then just clam up.”
“Well, it’s just… he cheated on Chloe didn’t he. I was just saying hopefully he won’t do that to you as well,” Penny says.
I can’t imagine Tyler cheating on anyone. He’s so genuine, so passionate. That would be damned hard to maintain if he had two women on the go. But why would Penny say it if it wasn’t true.
