Not All Scars Are Etched in Flesh

Penny sat at the window, her head leaned against the cold glass pane as her eyes followed droplets of rain slowly making their way down - gathering other beads of water along the way in a meandering pattern until finally, in the blink of an eye, it all fell away. Her breath fogged the view of the world outside and Penny snuggled herself into the soft, warm coverlet that she wore around her like a cloak. It was somewhat comforting, even if her situation looked bleak.

No matter how hard she tried, Penny's mind could not help but think about yesterday. Once she had calmed down enough to speak after being freed from her home by Maru and Alex, she gathered a few essential items and decided to leave home. The problem was - as it had been for many years - that she had nowhere to go. So Elliott took her to the library to make a temporary housing plan. While Elliott offered up his home to Penny, they both knew it would be the first place that Pam would look for her and it would only cause further scandal.

Maru's house was not possible, as she did not want to cause any friction between her mother, Robin, and Demetrius. And for now, Maru was staying at Harvey's clinic anyway. The doctor had permitted his temporary replacement to live in the apartment but was uncomfortable with the idea of staying without the owner's permission. Sam, Abigail, and Alex's homes were also eliminated due to the potential conflict between parents.

After a while Gunther, who could not help but overhear, grew tired of the debate. The museum curator mentioned that according to public records, the new farmer had two guest houses and as far as he was aware, only one was currently occupied. Elliott instantly latched onto the suggestion and assured Penny that Violet would allow her to stay. He kissed her hand gently and left to make the necessary arrangements.

Hours later, Penny had been escorted to the guest house on Violet's property and the farmer assured her that she could stay as long as she needed. She was given a set of keys and Violet showed her how to use the knobs in the shower properly to adjust the heat of the water. Penny noticed that Violet had gone through the trouble of stocking essentials in the bathroom and a few things to eat on the kitchen table for her.

Violet had apologized for the lack of kitchen in the house and provided a mini fridge to partially compensate. The farmer also promised Penny she was welcome to raid the food in the main house and use its kitchen. Otherwise, Violet informed her guest that she made breakfast every morning and there was no shortage of good things to eat. But it was late, and Violet could tell Penny was tired, so she quickly excused herself afterward, leaving the brunette alone with her thoughts.

Only Penny had enough time alone with her thoughts when she was trapped inside the trailer. Instead, she fell into bed almost immediately afterward and slept fitfully. When Penny woke, she could not tell long she had slept. The sky was dark and grey with rain. She made herself a cup of tea with the electric kettle Violet left for her and perched herself by the window to watch the rain.

So, there Penny sat. In a cozy little house with a fire burning in the hearth. It was not much, but better than her own home and she was thankful for Violet's generosity. At least for now - Penny could call a place her own. She had never lived away from her mother, not even for a single night.

Penny could not help but think that the best part of going into hiding was that Pam had no knowledge of her whereabouts. She had left a note on the door telling her mother not to expect her home and that was that. There would be no living with her after yesterday. For Penny, the final thread that tied her to her mother had snapped.

Pam seemed so convinced that Penny would repeat her mistakes, but why? Unlike her mother, Penny refused to drink on principle. She was well-educated, well-spoken, and had a steady job that positively impacted the children in Pelican Town.

Just because she and Elliott were courting, Pam was convinced that Penny's life would fall to ruin? Penny knew her mother had always been suspicious of good-looking men and Elliott was certainly that. On some level, Penny understood that her father was likely the cause, but still. Did her mother honestly expect her to remain single forever? How would she ever find a man with whom she wanted to settle down and start a family if she did not date? And then to go as far as forbidding her from leaving their home with a lock, like some caged animal.

Pam must be worried by now. Good. It serves her right… Penny supposed, her emerald green eyes dull as her mind filled to the brim with clouds like those outside her window. Yet, despite herself, the schoolteacher still felt a pang of guilt among the fogginess of her mind. Though Penny would not allow herself to act on it.

It was at times like these when the young woman dearly missed the sound of rain on the trailer roof. The steady plinking above her head usually lulled her to sleep. But Penny knew all too well that things had changed. Her mother had crossed a line and she wondered if their relationship would ever recover from this. Did Penny care if she never saw her mother again?

She felt so hollow, like someone had ripped out her soul and left the shell that was her body. Penny never would have called her relationship with her mother a good one, but there was a certain safety in familiarity. Now her life was completely upended. Where would she go from here? Pam would find her eventually. Penny did not have enough money to move anywhere else and Pelican Town had so few people. Not to mention she could not abandon her job to teach the children.

For now, Penny felt adrift, in an ambiguous holding position. Waiting for something - or someone - to push or pull her in a direction, to give her a focus so she could hold on behind and be carried along by the sheer inertia of decisiveness.

Penny was not sure how much time had passed when a figure came into shape in the distance. She blinked and her vision went into focus. Although the schoolteacher could not see the person's face, which was shielded from the rain by an enormous umbrella, Penny was certain it was Violet.

The brunette had not bothered changing out of her clothes last night, so she was already fully dressed and ready to answer the door when the farmer knocked. Violet beamed, her floral purple hair bright against the dull grey of the day. "Breakfast is ready!" her host announced cheerfully. "I came to get you so you wouldn't get wet in the rain."

Penny smiled weakly. "That's kind of you," she acknowledged. "But I'm not very hungry…"

Violet bit her lip. "I know you're not feeling great right now, and it's really important to give yourself some time to recover." Her dark blue eyes shifted downward. "But taking care of yourself means eating proper meals," she reasoned with an apologetic firmness. "I'm not going to insist you try them, but I baked some pretty delicious apple snickerdoodle muffins this morning, and they should be cool enough to eat by now…"

Penny could feel a bit of the fog in her mind slowly begin to clear as she realized Violet was trying her best to be polite while keeping her guest's best interest in mind. Unlike Pam, farmer Violet was not going to force anything on her. It was safe here, tucked away in this little corner of the valley.

The edges of Penny's mouth curved upward slowly. "Those sound delicious," she replied sweetly as she folded the brightly patterned coverlet over her arm. "Let me get my shoes."

As predicted, the muffins were perfect by the time Violet brought Penny back to the farmhouse for breakfast. Cool enough to touch, but still warm in the middle. The tender, juicy tart apple was complemented by the perfect blend of cinnamon and sugar which had formed a crystalized crust on top. After a while, the color returned to Penny's face. "These are wonderful, Violet! Would you teach me how to make them?"

Of course, Violet could not say "no" after receiving such a heartfelt compliment but told Penny it would have to be another day. She would need more apples and she likely would not get any more from the tree outside until tomorrow. Penny nodded in understanding and took a drink from her glass of milk before starting on a second muffin.

Violet did not know the details of what happened yesterday and despite her curiosity, the farmer knew better than to ask. Elliott had requested that no one tell Pam where Penny was for safety. Violet saw no visible marks on Penny, but that did not mean there were not any. Then again, there were lots of ways to scar a person without laying a finger on them.

The farmer wondered if she should build a third guest house. At this rate, Fairy Rose Farm was going to be a co-op. Not that she minded. Violet was only using a fraction of the land and it did not hurt her to provide a place for some of the adult children in the village a chance to get a place of their own until they could afford something on their own. Ever since she and Sebastian figured out how to make specialty crops and artesian products for Krobus, Violet was not hurting for income. It was good to provide jobs and to give back to the community.

Besides, having more people living on the farm provided Violet with the opportunity to get to know some of the other villagers better. The farmer could acknowledge that she and Penny were not close, but living in close proximity could change that. Half of getting someone to befriend you was about seeing them more often, right?

Violet started the dishes, humming softly to herself, as Penny took a bite out of her third muffin. It had been a while since someone new tried her food and expressed such enthusiastic delight in it. It made Violet wonder how Sebastian liked the muffin she had given him at the bus stop today. Hopefully it wasn't too cold or wet by the time he got around to eating it.

The quiet calm of the farmhouse was not to last, however. Violet heard the thump of heavy footsteps on the porch and turned to find Shane in her doorway, with small streams of water rolling off his raincoat. "Violet!" he panted urgently. "It's raining!"

Wiping her hands dry from the sudsy dish water, Violet countered with, "Yes, and…?"

Shane threw off his raincoat to reveal a bag he had concealed from the rain. "Remember how I asked you if I could buy the cabin so that stingy old man will sell me a mermaid pendant?"

Violet's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, right!" She scrambled to find a pen as Shane carefully removed the pre-prepared document they had drafted for such an occasion. Violet quickly signed and offered the writing instrument to Shane, who did the same and presented Violet with a single gold coin.

"You sure it's okay to sell for that cheap?" Shane asked reluctantly. He tucked the legal document away carefully, as if it were a newborn chick, then zipped the bag shut.

"I'll buy it back just as cheaply when you make your millions in the egg business," Violet countered with a teasing grin. The poultry farmer was about to dash out back into the rain when Violet stopped him. "Hold up, Shane!"

The burly man turned on his heels. "Can't this wait till I come back?"

Violet shook her head and put her arm on the chair on which Penny sat. "Penny's kind of in hiding right now, so if Pam asks, don't tell her she's living here, okay?" She paused, then brought up a potential problem with the legality of the form. "Don't we need a person to sign as a witness anyway?"

It was clear from Shane's flustered expression he had not even noticed the other woman's presence. "Oh, uh… Sure," he agreed, pulling out the document once again and handing it to Penny. "Just as long as you don't tell anyone what you just heard."

Penny signed on the witness line in her neat cursive handwriting. "You're actually the second person to tell me about your plans to propose," she informed Shane, stifling a laugh. "I heard the news from Jas originally."

"Jas has been telling people?!" Violet could tell he was embarrassed that his secret might not be as well-kept as the previous assumed. His face reddened as he mumbled under his breath.

The schoolteacher tried to distract Shane from the negative side of things. "I suppose this means congratulations are in order!"

"Don't congratulate me until that damn old man sells me a mermaid pendant and hands it over!" the mayor shot back instantly, sliding into his damp raincoat, and sprinting out the door. He was already down the porch stairs when he remembers his manners. "Thanks!"

Penny giggled and rose from her chair to shut the door behind him. "He's a little rough around the edges, but he really loves Emily, doesn't he?"

Violet chuckled with amusement. "Shane's smitten, that's for sure," the farmer concurred. "It's nice to see Shane doing better."

A silence hung in the air, heavy like the rain outside. It made Violet uncomfortable, but she wanted to give Penny the space she needed. Finally, the schoolteacher articulated what was on her mind. "Do you think… my mom could get better, too?"

Ah, she's thinking about Pam. Violet hesitated to answer, since her relationship with her own parents was nothing to brag about either. "Anything's possible," the wavy-haired woman conceded with a shrug.

Penny bowed her head slightly to better view the greyscale world outside through the tiny window nestled in the door. "Yes, I suppose you're right…"

Shane did not bother to avoid the puddles scattered around the path and instead took the most direct route to the tree under which the Old Marnier stood. His gridball training with Alex had done some good, so he was not as out of breath as he might have been a season ago, but Shane still felt the strain of effort to run at top speed at such a distance.

The poultry farmer spied the sailor from the plank that bridged the gap between the western and eastern beaches, and it spurred him forward more quickly.

"G'morning, lad!" the old man hailed Shane. "You've got a fearsome look in your eyes today."

Shane threw the bag on the sand at his feet and carefully extracted the legal document, slapping it in the mariner's hands. "I've fulfilled my end of the bargain, old man. Now sell me a mermaid pendant!" the mayor demanded.

The pendant peddler made a show of inspecting the deed of sale, squinting here and there, and turning the paper to view it from different angles. "I can't read, lad," he finally admitted with a cackle, handing the paperwork back to Shane. "But I know it's real. I can feel it in my bones."

Shane's dark eyes fell on the mariner's expectantly as he offered the man the sack of gold for the mermaid pendant. "Here you go, then."

With a sheepish, crooked smile, the bearded man broke the bad news. "Sorry, lad. I sold my last one about ten minutes ago."

"You can't be serious!" Shane could feel his blood pressure rising. Clearly this old man got a kick out of driving others insane. This was beyond ridiculous. "Who the hell bought your entire stock?!"

"You misunderstand, lad. I only have one on me at a time." The sailor adjusted the brim of his hat to keep the rain from dripping down in front of his face. "Pendants like that take a while to find, you know."

The dark-haired man was not sure if he was about to cry or punch the guy out of frustration. "Then who bought the other one?"

"Oh, I couldn't tell you that, lad," the man reasoned, gazing out past Shane toward the sea. "Matters of the heart are a very private thing."

Shane's heart sank to rock-bottom. This was the last chance he had until Spring and his efforts had been thwarted just like that. Dejected, he put away his paperwork and kicked a clump of seaweed at his feet. "Fine, but I'll be back for you the next chance I get."

The sailor's salty eyebrows rose, and Shane noticed an annoyingly satisfied expression on the wrinkly man's face. "I look forward to it, lad." He winked, then added, "But I think you'll be humming a different tune come Spring."

Shane trudged back toward town; his head dipped low, heavy with the weight of his failure. Behind him, the mayor heard a thrumming sound riding along the wind. The sailor's strange melody made Shane feel at ease as the notes mingled with the raindrops pattering on the wet sand. Somehow, despite the fact he did not get the mermaid pendant for Emily, Shane knew that everything would be okay.

Sebastian sat in the dining hall in the corner along the wall that depicted the enormous golden dragon, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth as he glanced over another set of apartment listings. Exams would take place on Thursday and Friday - the last two days of the term - but the programmer needed to look at something else for a while or would go nuts. Besides, even if he was going to receive magical instruction from Rasmodius on the weekends, Sebastian still needed to prioritize finishing his degree.

The hoodie-clad man knew he was technically sitting at the table the other students recognized as Doctor Edge's, but the place was so crowded that Sebastian figured there was no sense leaving a table open for a guy that was not even there yet. Besides, if the professor did show up, Sebastian decided he would not be the worst thing to happen. He felt like he sort of owed Edge a "thank you" after the pseudo-pep talk the teacher gave him about telling Violet how he felt. Hell, they stumbled awkwardly to the "I love you," but Sebastian and Violet both got there. In a lot of ways, Sebastian was still riding that high now that he and his girlfriend had aired out their insecurities about his move to the city.

About an hour into his search, the chair across the table scraped against the tile floor and Edge took a seat. "I didn't know I was having office hours over my lunch hour." Sebastian looked up to see the instructor's slate-grey eyes upon him. He wore glasses today. Thick-rimmed and as black as most of his hair. It took Sebastian a moment to register that it was still the same guy.

Sebastian's shoulder rose in a noncommittal gesture and glanced back at his notes. "I just needed a place to sit, and I figured I might bump into you here if I stuck around long enough."

The man's thick eyebrows rose curiously. "You were hoping to run into me, huh?" Edge chuckled, leaning back into his chair. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Now that the moment had come, Sebastian got a bit uncomfortable by his original intention. "I uh… wanted to say 'thanks' for what you said to me on Friday," the programmer declared, avoiding the educator's gaze. "It might just be coincidence since we just kind of stumbled into the conversation, but Violet and I told each other how we feel this weekend."

Edge's yellowed teeth flashed in a wide grin. "I won't take credit for what you two kids did yourselves, but I'm glad to hear things are going well." The older man glanced at Sebastian's notes. "Budgeting for the new apartment in the city?"

Sebastian dispelled the minor misunderstanding. "No, I didn't end up finding anywhere to live this weekend," the hoodie-clad man informed Edge. He tucked the pencil in his hand behind his ear and relaxed against the back of his chair. "None of the complexes advertised the units that were actually vacant, and they looked way different than the model."

The professor nodded pensively, tapping his knuckles to his chin as he pondered something. "Well, in that case, I have a proposition for you, kid." Edge leaned forward, the leather on his motor jacket creaking slightly as he shifted his weight forward and rested his elbows on the table. "I'm going on sabbatical - that's fancy academic talk for a university-funded vacation - for a year starting this Winter," the man explained. For some reason, Sebastian felt disappointed to hear that Edge would not be around much longer.

"I was going to have my grad assistant watch my place while I'm away," Edge continued, "but her boyfriend proposed to her and she's going to move into his place." The lecturer observed Sebastian for a reaction with a tilt of his head. "You could swing by later this week and see what you think. Does that sound like something that would interest you?"

The proposal caught Sebastian completely off-guard. "You want me to house-sit for a year?" the young man repeated skeptically. "You hardly know me…"

"It's technically a condo, but yes," Edge readily acknowledged Sebastian's point. "On the other hand, I would have to either pay a complete stranger a ton of money last-minute to watch my place for me or sell it." He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "It turns out, after staying in one home for nearly two decades, I like where I live, so I'd rather not sell it." Resting his head in his hand, he glanced back to Sebastian. "It's already paid in full, so no rent. You would just need to cover utilities and make sure not to trash the place. Whaddya say, kid?"

Sebastian supposed this way both he and Edge were saving money. The professor would get a free house sitter and Sebastian would have a place to live near campus. Still, it felt awkward to accept such a generous offer. "You don't have anyone else you can ask?"

Edge chuckled. "Trust me, when you're old and all your other friends are settled down, it's harder to find someone who's willing to uproot themselves like this." His fingers absently fiddled with a ring on his finger. "Besides, judging from my interactions with you, it seems like your mother raised you right. I'll bet you'll keep the place in great shape."

Sebastian considered the offer once more. "Can I give you an answer after I see your place?"

The older man wagged his index finger in Sebastian's direction. "That I can respect," Edge answered approvingly. He pulled Sebastian's notebook toward him and pulled a pen out of his pocket. "Here's the address and my number." He pushed the paper back toward Sebastian. "All of my classes' exams are in the mornings this term, so text me any time after noon on Thursday or Friday if you want to check it out."

Scanning the professors' handwriting, Sebastian posed another question. "Could… Violet come by to see it with me?"

Edge sniffed in amusement. "Hell, she can live there with you, if that's what you want," he replied permissively. He winked, "And it's an older building, so the walls aren't as thin at all the new developments around here."

Sebastian flushed at the implication and suddenly regretted telling the educator anything about his love life, but Edge pretended not to notice. Instead, the man turned his wrist to glance at his watch. "Hm. I'm late for a very boring meeting," the educator sighed, excusing himself.

Edge leaned over and tapped the notepad detailing his contact information with a bony finger. "Let me know what day you'd prefer. I've gotta clean for company, after all." He gave a casual salute as he shouldered his bag. "See ya around, kid."

Pam sat in the bus, waiting for any villagers to need a ride into the city or some other place nearby, rather than standing outside in the rain. Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel as she scrutinized the cards laying on the dashboard. The bus driver was not one for books like her daughter, so other than the bus' radio, all she had were single-player card games to pass the time.

When she came home from The Stardrop Saloon last night, the lock on the trailer was gone and Penny was nowhere to be found. Pam knew that good-for-nothing city boy had something to do with it, but she could not just barge into the Casanova's house in the middle of the night and cause a scene. Even if the beach was not in the center of town, there is no way that dragging Penny home in the dead of night with her shouting like a banshee would not reach the ears of her neighbors.

Pam planned on going after her shift today, but because she was so impatient to leave, time was passing more slowly. And to add to her troubles, the rain was making her drowsy - and thirsty to boot. Her leg jiggled impatiently as she stared at the dashboard. "Can't she see I'm trying to protect her?" Pam growled to herself, smacking a six of spades onto one of her foundation piles. "No other man would look at me once I had her and that trust-fund kid cut from the same cloth as her daddy."

She flipped a new card to reveal an ace of hearts and set it beside the six of spades to start a new pile. "He's trouble, no matter how fancy he dresses or how many five-dollar words he uses." Pam shook her head. "They all talk sweet, but it makes everything all the more bitter once they leave ya behind."

Maybe she had been too harsh locking Penny in the trailer, but what else could she do? Words weren't getting through to her daughter and she was not about to smack her daughter around. Pam was not her mama and vowed she would never lay a finger on Penny. The bus driver may not have been much of a parent, but she was sure a helluva lot better than her Mama. Pam had not seen her mother since she kicked Pam out of the house for being pregnant with Penny.

Pam knew her Pappy would have never let Mama do that, but he had died in a coal mining accident a few years prior. Mama was never the same after Pappy died. Pam was sure that her mother would eventually come around, but Mama never did reach out to reconcile, even after Penny was born. Probably too busy taking care of the younger ones at first and then forgot all about her wayward oldest daughter.

The local drunkard's nose crinkled in disgust. Her Mama would not let her stay when she was in trouble and daughter Penny was itching to leave to get into trouble. Someone up there was playing a sick joke on her. The curly-haired blonde heaved a heavy sigh before giving up on her game of solitaire. She could not focus on it right now anyway. Pam threw her tracksuit jacket over her eyes and reclined one of the passenger seats. Better to get some beauty rest rather than sit here doing nothing. At least now she was getting paid for lazing about, even if she was not allowed to drink until after five.

Penny was deciding where to put her few worldly possessions in the guest cabin to make it feel homier when she heard a rapping on the door. "It's open!" she called, expecting her visitor to be Violet. However, when she turned around, the brunette found her boyfriend standing at the entrance of her new home. "Oh, Elliott!"

Elliott took a step back, his face laced with traces of concern. "Have I come at a bad time?" He glanced over his shoulder. "I assure you your mother did not follow me, Miss Penelope. I made sure to go by the southern route to the farm and stop by Leah's first so that she would not suspect." He paused; his brows knit on his forehead as he recalled an important detail. "Not to mention I believe she works until at least five o'clock."

The schoolteacher denied Elliott's initial assumption. "It's not a bad time, it's just that I didn't expect you," Penny clarified. She wrung her hands on the hem of her yellow blouse anxiously. "But I have to teach the children tomorrow, so I'm going to have to figure out how to avoid my mother while teaching Vincent and Jas." She had taken the day off claiming illness, but she could not hide from Pam forever.

Bobbing his head in agreement, the author sympathized with Penny. "It is an unfortunate situation," Elliott affirmed solemnly. "I can only hope that any discussions will remain civil, should you two run into one another."

Penny slumped to sit on the edge of her bed and gestured for Elliott to take the chair at the table. He did so, careful to leave as few water droplets on the floor as possible as he moved the chair to sit beside the window so no one could accuse them of indecency. Even now Elliott was trying to make sure that Pam could not object to their behavior, but Penny felt dejected that the man courting her did not feel comfortable alone in the same room as her because of it.

"I don't know what I was thinking…" the brunette disclosed quietly. "This plan of hiding here at Violet's farm isn't going to work for more than a few days. My mother will find out where I am and try to drag me home."

"I will not allow anyone to harm you, Miss Penelope," Elliott asserted earnestly. "And I am certain that if you do not desire to move back in with your mother, the rest of the villagers will rally behind you."

Penny wilted. "I don't want the whole town knowing about all this, I'm so embarrassed already." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, though Penny had not intended to cry. Why was she so prone to tears lately?

Elliott frowned, strode over to the bed, and knelt in front of Penny. He swept her hands up into his and kissed the back of her hand gently. "You are not at fault for any of this, Miss Penelope." His honey-hued orbs regarded her affectionately. "Please do not feel ashamed for your mother's actions. You have done nothing wrong."

A tear escaped her emerald green eyes, yet Penny smiled. "Elliott, you're so kind to me," she stated, her voice cracking slightly. "Why can't my mother see that, too?"

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Elliott quoted the famous line. "I fear that your mother will never recover from your father's abandonment, not until someone else comes along to prove to her that not all men are scoundrels."

Elliott's lips tugged back gently toward his ears and Penny softened at the expression. "I do intend to be such a man, Miss Penelope," he declared, giving her hands a slight squeeze. "I understand it will be difficult to convince your mother, but please do not fret."

"I'll try," Penny promised in return, though she felt guilty that her proclamation was so weak by comparison. Elliott beamed and planted another kiss on her hands before rising to his full height.

"That is all a gentleman can hope for," the poet responded. He returned to his seat by the window and opened his satchel to reveal a newly-printed book. The cover bore the black silhouette of a train overlapped by a pink camellia blossom.

Penny's eyes lit up. "Your novel!" she cried with excitement. "Oh, Elliott, it looks beautiful!" she crooned happily.

Elliott tried to play boy, but Penny could tell he was just as pleased. "I wanted to invite you to a public reading of my debut novel tomorrow afternoon at the library," the man confessed, laying the book in his lap. "But I understand that such an event would be inconvenient for you in this current situation, so I thought… Perhaps it would be best for me to conduct a private reading, just for you."

Penny blushed at the idea. Elliott was so considerate to do such a thing for her and she loved the sound of his voice when he read aloud especially. "That would be lovely, Elliott. Thank you."

Elliott brushed a stray lock of his hair behind his ear as he adjusted himself in his chair. "In that case, shall I begin?"

The brunette nodded eagerly and sat more comfortably on the bed, tucking her feet beneath her as she wrapped herself in a blanket. Elliott flipped to the first page and crossed his legs, resting the hand that held the novel on his knee. "Camellia Station. Chapter One: ''Your ticket, sir?'" Penny could feel the excitement building in her chest. Everything they had worked so hard for was now printed on pages for anyone to read. Penny would have never imagined that when she offered to help Elliott with his book that he would someday be reading it to her in such an intimate setting, as the man trying to win her heart. She hugged a pillow to her chest and watched him with adoration.

Elliott took a deep, calming breath and opened his mouth to read the fruits of their labors aloud. "Ticket collector Gozman extended a gloved hand towards the young commuter. 'Ah, yes. I have it right here,' he replied, reaching into his coat pocket. Mortified, he discovered that the ticket was missing…"