Penelope took a deep breath as she adjusted the handles on the bags she pulled from the trunk of her car. She knew that she might have gone a little overboard on gifts for Erin's kids, but she had wanted them to have a good holiday, and she didn't know what Alan would provide for them that year. Dawn's car was sat next to hers in the drive, which told her that they were already there, and she jogged up the steps of the porch and knocked on the door with the heel of her shoe as she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the racing of her heart.
Dawn answered the door, a sad smile on her lips, which told Penelope all she needed to know about how the day was going to go. "I'm glad that you're here. We only have two hours, so Erin's been working with the kids to finish the meal and get it on the table for when you arrived."
"Shouldn't you be watching them?"
"It's Christmas, and allowances can be made for that. Besides, I know that you've been a good influence for her."
Penelope nodded slowly, thinking about the just how recently Erin had gotten drunk, and at work, knowing that she couldn't tell Dawn. She didn't want to ruin the holiday for her friend, after all. Still, from the look that Dawn gave her, she knew that she hadn't been so careful at keeping her thoughts off her face. "I'm trying, but there are always wobbles. We're all only human after all."
"That is very true. Which is why I'm glad for your presence in her life." Dawn patted Penelope's shoulder before they went into the dining room. Penelope dropped the bags of gifts onto the floor, and grinned at Erin's children in turn before looking at her friend. Erin was dressed in a festive Christmas plaid skirt along with a crème mohair sweater, looking for all the world like she had stepped out of the set of White Christmas.
"You made it!" The smile that spread across Erin's face took Penelope's breath away, and she nodded as the woman hurried over to her side and pulled her into a quick, tight, hug. Everything about that embrace told Penelope that Erin was so nervous about this afternoon, and she just wished that she could take that fear away from her.
"Of course I did. I made you a promise to be here, and I wouldn't disappoint you or the kiddos. It's Christmas, after all." She went to take a seat between Tabitha and Dawn, only for Erin to shake her head as she grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her to the head of the table, indicating for her to take a seat next to her. Penelope tried to ignore the looks that the kids gave her, but she knew that Dawn was also seeing how tender the moment was, and only hoped that she wasn't drawing the wrong conclusion.
The meal flew by, as they filled the moments with chatter, but a small glance at her watch told Penelope that that quickness of the moments translated into a full hour gone already. Frowning a little, she pushed away from the table and began to herd the kids towards the living room. "What about the dishes?" Bruce asked, and she shook her head.
"I'll do them when you guys leave. Right now, we have to fill the last hour together with as much happiness as we possibly can. And since time is flying, that means opening presents!"
Karen and Tabitha giggled as they grabbed hold of the bags that Penelope had brought in, fake staggering at the weight of them. Erin and Dawn brought up the rear, and Penelope glanced over her shoulder to smile at her friend. After they were all seated, Bruce passed around the gifts beneath the tree, which led to a small pile in front of Penelope, much to her surprise. "Will you open yours while we open ours, Penelope? We want to see your face to know that we got you the right things."
"Oh, Kare Bear, I would love to, but I think that you three need to open yours first, and then we'll see what time is left. Okay? The holiday is really about kids, after all."
Tabitha nodded, a small pout on her lips as she picked up the first gift from her pile. Penelope felt her heart crack a little at disappointing the kids, but Erin didn't seem that perturbed by the sadness, since she scooted a little closer to Penelope, so that their shoulders and thighs were touching. "How did you know that I was into latch hook?"
"Your mom was a really good resource into some of your more obscure hobbies and likes. I wanted to encourage that, since there are so many times that we always get the obvious things from our friends and family." Tabitha nodded, a brighter smile on her lips as she moved on to the next present in the pile. The other children were similarly overjoyed with what she had picked out for them, along with Erin's gifts that seemed to dovetail neatly with what Penelope had bought. It was a little spooky just how well everything matched up.
"All right, we've opened everything, and there's still ten minutes. Now you all have to open your gifts," Karen said with a small sniff. Penelope swallowed the smile that came to her lips at that sound, knowing just how much she sounded like Erin in that moment. "Well?"
"All right, I'll start with yours, Karen, since you're so insistent." The girl gave her a sharp nod as she broke the seal of tape on the package. Inside was a truly gorgeous skein of lilac yarn, with enough yardage to make a shawl. "This is beautiful," she breathed out, seeing the pleased grin that spread across Karen's face.
"Mama said that you liked to knit, and it just seemed perfect? I was selfish and chose my favorite color, though."
"That's okay, I like purple, too. Now I'll just have to find the perfect pattern to use it on." Setting aside the gift, she looked to Dawn and Erin, expecting them to also open one of their gifts. Dawn took the hint, and opened one of the three gifts she had been given, thanking the children for it before Erin finally opened her large gift from the children. It was a picture of the four of them, and Penelope found her breath taken away by how joyful and carefree Erin looked there, and she wondered when and where it had been taken. "Oh, I love that shot!" she exclaimed, and Erin gave her a quick smile.
"This was at my family reunion last year. Things weren't quite so fraught then, and we were all so happy. I didn't realise that anyone had taken pictures."
"We found it in Dad's study, and knew that we had to make a copy for you, Mom."
Erin looked like she was about to say something more when Dawn cleared her throat. "That's our cue, isn't it?"
"I'm afraid so, Erin. I wish that I could give you more time."
"I know," she whispered as she got to her feet, hugging each of her children in turn before allowing Dawn to lead them from the room. "I can't go to the door, Penny. Please, stay with me?"
"Of course, Erin," she replied as she also rose to her feet, wrapping an arm around her friend's waist as they listened in silence to the sound of the door closing. Erin shuddered a little at that sound, and Penelope held her closer before pulling her down onto the sofa once more. "I noticed that we both didn't open our gifts. How about we do that now, to take our minds off the idea of being alone?"
"Okay," Erin said shakily, looking expectantly at Penelope.
Taking the hint, she picked up the gift from Erin, carefully tearing the paper off it, since it was wrapped so nicely. "You really didn't have to get anything for me, you know. But I do love opening gifts almost as much as I love giving them." Finally, the paper was loose and she folded it back from the box before pulling off the lid. The inside was a froth of tissue paper, and she chuckled a little as she picked it out of the box before she gasped a little. "Erin!"
"What?"
"This is much too dear. I know a Blonde Swan hat when I see one, and…I don't deserve this from you."
"You're my friend. Am I not allowed to give you a gift that I know you'll love and wear? I never seemed to get presents right for Alan, or Alex, but I thought that I had managed to understand you."
Erin's voice quivered, and Penelope knew that she had to make things right before she ruined the day for her friend. "You did get it right for me. I love this hat so much, and you're right, I will wear the heck out of it! But I know the cost, and I love you, but I don't want you to feel like you have to buy my affection? Even Aaron didn't spend that much on me. I'm used to little gifts, I guess."
Erin's hand reached out and wrapped around her wrist, holding lightly, and Penelope looked up into her eyes. "You deserve extravagant and lovely."
"I'm glad that you think so," she breathed out, feeling like she was drowning in Erin's blue eyes. "Will you put it on me, then? I know that the hat clashes with my current outfit, but you should see how your gift looks on me first, before Aaron says something about it."
She nodded slowly as she let go of Penelope's wrist, and it was easy for her to lick her lips as she waited for Erin to place the creation on top of her head. To her surprise, Erin carefully pulled out the fascinator that she was currently wearing before rearranging her hair a little. "I have to make the look perfect," she whispered in answer to the unspoken question, and Penelope nodded as she waited for Erin. The scent of leather and Erin's perfume mingled together as the woman leaned in and settled the hat on Penelope's head. "There, it's on."
Penelope swallowed thickly, that weird feeling of anticipation filling her stomach once more as she saw Erin's pupils dilate a little. And before either of them could break the bubble of the moment, Erin was closing the distance between them and giving her a soft kiss. There was nothing passionate in the kiss, not like her kisses with Aaron, but there was a feeling of rightness, like they had been building to this moment for so long. "I thought I was just getting a hat," she teased in order to break the tension a little as Erin pulled away from her, a pink blush staining her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Kissing friends happens. I get it. And your lips are very soft. But the magic of Christmas is being open to the kindness and love of the season. Now, I want to get a picture of us together with my hat on my head. I won't show anyone, but it will be something to hold close to me as a reminder of just how much friends can love each other and want the best for them." Erin nodded as they adjusted how they were sitting on the sofa, and Penelope pulled out her phone and took a series of pictures of them, knowing that this was indeed a tender, delicate, moment between them and that she had to tread lightly so as not to hurt Erin, or make her feel like she was being rejected. "And now, it's your turn. Then we can clean up, and watch a Christmas movie before I should head home." Erin nodded as she picked up her gift once more, the smile on her lips telling Penelope that she hadn't hurt her friend in the least, and that things could go forward normally from there.
