Penelope had spent a restless night in her bed, her mind seemingly unable to quiet down as she thought about everything that she was going through. She knew, in the back of her mind, that she needed to book a session with her therapist, to work out some of these conflicted emotions, but it never felt like the time was right to do so. And so she pushed that fleeting thought to the back of her mind as she padded into the bathroom and took care of her needs before stepping into the shower and taking a long, hot, shower. The water did little to refresh her, and she wrapped a towel around her body before stepping out of the shower and taking a look at her reflection. There were deep circles under her eyes that telegraphed her exhaustion for everyone to see, and she sighed as she wondered if she owned enough makeup to conceal the bone deep weariness that filled her.
"Hopefully Erin will overlook this mug," she said after finishing her face, and then she was padding back into her bedroom, choosing her outfit carefully. Penelope knew that she didn't want to be too over the top, but still wanted to look like herself, so she chose a dress that she knew Erin had liked before. After dressing, she plaited her hair and stepped into flats before grabbing her phone and purse.
Deciding not to wait for the elevator, she hurried down the flights of stairs that led out of her building, and then jogged over to her car. Thankfully, it was a gloriously bright and cheery day, as that helped to lift her mood a little as she slipped behind the wheel of her car. It wasn't until she was on her way to Erin's that she called the woman, hoping that she wouldn't mind the surprise visit. "Hello?"
"You sound like I feel, sweetheart. I'm headed over, are you fit for company?"
The slight pause on the other end of the line and Penelope drew in a soft breath as she waited for Erin's rejection. "Pick up pastries and orange juice before you get here, since I'll need some time to get dressed."
"Of course. I'll see you soon."
They ended the call, and Penelope made her way to her favourite bakery, grabbing an assortment of baked goods along with a bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice and a carafe of coffee. With that out of the way, she began the drive to Erin's home once more, hoping that she'd like at least one of the things that Penelope had chosen. Thankfully, the drive went by quickly, as if all the traffic had decided to take alternate routes that morning, which made everything that much easier. The garage door was up as she pulled into Erin's drive, and she smiled a little as she parked next to her car and got out.
It was a little awkward to gather everything up in her arms, and she shook her head a little as she carefully climbed the stairs to enter the house, pressing the button to close the garage door with her elbow before kicking the door lightly with her foot to let Erin know that she had arrived. The door opened suddenly, revealing the woman in question, and Penelope gave her a small smile before thrusting the bottle of juice into her arms so that she could close the door behind her.
"That didn't take you long," Erin said as they went into the kitchen, and Penelope shrugged.
"The bakery wasn't too busy, and traffic was light. I brought juice and coffee, just in case. Now, I have the whole day in front of me, and I hope you don't mind if I stay until I get the answers that I'm supposed to be looking for."
"You mean the answers that Aaron wants you to pull from me."
A deep blush stained her cheeks as she shook her head. "No. I'll know what to tell him, based off what you tell me. I know how to keep you safe and make him feel like he got the whole truth. Believe me, I am just as pissed as you are that he is using me and my friendship with you to try and get the answers that he doesn't need out of me."
Erin nodded as she pulled out glasses and mugs for them, setting them on the table before pouring herself a mug of coffee and sipping at it while she opened the pastry box and pulled out a large cruller. Penelope couldn't help but watch as Erin's teeth sank into the fluffy treat, and she unconsciously licked her lips before pouring out a glass of orange juice and taking a long swallow. "I am taking a month off from work. I took your advice, and started speaking with a counselor, and she advised me that I need to seriously think about how to overcome my addiction. And then she pointed me towards the rehab facility that she holds group sessions at, and I checked it out. Four weeks, and my lawyer said that it would look amazing for my chances of getting at least partial custody of the children back from Alan."
Penelope nodded as she took another sip of juice. "That is probably the best thing that you could have told me. I am glad that you came to this solution on your own." She set her glass aside to grab a long john from the box, taking a large bite. "When do you go?"
"Monday. And before you asked, I already talked to Dawn, to see if I could have the children tomorrow for a short while, and Alan said no. He wants them to meet his new girlfriend this weekend, so they're all headed up to Boston for family time. And he won't let them visit me while I'm there, either, because he doesn't want them around other broken people."
She reached her hand across the table to grab hold of Erin's hand, holding on softly as she stared at the woman. "He's an asshole," she finally said, and Erin nodded. "Let's finish these, and then head into the living room. I have the feeling that I'm not going to want to return home until I have the full story out of you. And I can help you pack for the month that you'll be gone. If you want the help."
"And won't that displease Aaron?"
"Fuck him."
Erin chuckled as she shook her head. "That's a job for you, darling." Penelope gasped at the ribald remark, causing Erin to chuckle even harder. "I feel comfortable around you, and so my humor sometimes slips out. I didn't offend you, did I?"
"No, I'm just surprised, that's all. And I'm glad that you're letting me see this side of you." She gave Erin a wider smile before finishing off her doughnut and sitting back to watch Erin more delicately nibble at the cruller in her hand. There was something about the way she ate that did things to Penelope, things she didn't want to think about, and she averted her gaze as Erin took the last bite before wiping her fingers off on a napkin.
"All right, to the living room."
Penelope nodded as she refilled her juice glass before following after Erin. They sat on the sofa, and Penelope curled a leg beneath her as she watched Erin closely. "So, would you like help packing up your bags for the next four weeks?"
"I would, yes. And this is a rather large ask, but I trust you enough to be vulnerable. Would you please take me there and pick me up? I won't be allowed access to my vehicle, and I don't want Helen to see this side of me. I trust her well enough, but this is a bridge too far."
"Of course you can count on me, Erin. I would love nothing more than to help you out this way. As long as you allow me to visit you at least once. It will be lonely there, without all your friends."
"You're the only friend who's bothered to stay in the last few weeks."
Somehow, Penelope knew that Erin hadn't meant to say that aloud, as she turned her head hurriedly away from Penelope, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "Well, I'm glad to be loyal." Penelope rested her hand on Erin's shoulder as they took a few tandem breaths. "Is that a yes?"
"Yes."
"Great! And do you mind if I stay the weekend?"
Erin turned her head back to look at Penelope, arching an eyebrow. "You don't ask for much."
"Nope. And you need a friend to spend time with this weekend, to make you smile and laugh before you head into a new, scary, situation. And before you protest about how it's not scary, I'm going to nip that in the bud. It will be scary to be open and vulnerable with people that you don't know, beyond your counselor, so you need a spot of happiness to look back on while you're there."
"You're the best person to walk into my life, Penelope. Thank you for reaching out."
"As if I could ever not reach out to someone who needed it. Thank you for allowing me into your life." She squeezed Erin's knee as they continued to look at each other, and Penelope knew that she had made the right decision in asking to spend this weekend with Erin, in getting her ready for rehab, because she needed to have someone in her corner as she began one of the hardest fights of her life.