“Yes, I still want children with you, Chet. I wasn’t sure at first, one of the many reasons I pushed you away. I knew how happy you were about becoming a father and I hurt so badly that when I got anywhere near you, I couldn’t bear to see that loss reflected in your eyes. I could barely handle my own pain, but seeing yours on top of that completely shredded me. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough.”
“You’re the strongest woman I’ll ever know. Don’t sell yourself short.”
We headed back to the house. I told him I should at least check on Nan. I felt bad she worked in the kitchen all day by herself. Chet had to get his luggage. He left it at the gate so he did arrive with more than the shirt on his back. We got Pepper settled inside. She was excited about meeting new people and exploring new surroundings.
I told Nan I needed to help Chet get settled in the guest cottage. She pulled me aside and told me to take my time. Dinner was still a couple of hours away. She did an exaggerated wink right in front of Chet. I was slightly embarrassed when Pops cleared his throat and changed the subject.
I tried to explain to Chet as we walked further down the path, this was not the accommodations he was used to. The tiny cottage had running water and electricity but that was it. There were no frills or other luxuries. Nan wanted it torn down decades ago, but Pops had it fixed up primarily for Maggie and I to have a playhouse when we were small. I kept quiet it might have been the only time in my life, I used to make fairy tales up in my mind. I wanted to be a princess and I pretended this was the castle my prince built for me.
When we made it to the door, Chet swept me off my feet before we walked inside. Maybe there was some truth to fairy tales, dreams and happily-ever-afters. He would always be my Romeo. He had to crouch to make it inside without knocking his head off. “Are people in England shorter or something?”
I laughed. “I’m not sure, maybe the original caretaker that constructed it was a tiny man.”
“Seriously though, I thought the hobbit houses were in New Zealand.”
He was being dramatic as usual. The cottage was only a little off scale. He let me down so I could give him the tour. “One room plus a tiny bathroom and the stove is for cooking and heat, but you don’t need to worry about either while you’re here.” I wasn’t sure how long he intended to stay. He answered before I asked.
“I’m staying as long as you need me. I sold the condo to X.”
“You did? How is he these days?”
“He’s living with his life coach.” We had a good laugh about that. Maybe there was hope for Xavier if his life partner was certified personality specialist.
“You’re not upset about the condo, are you?”
“No, I loved our time there. We’ll always have our memories. Those can’t be sold.”
“Agreed. Listen. I need to get this off my chest. You and I made some great memories. You’re right about that, but my old place housed some dark ones for me as well. I need you to know I might have been seen with a lot of women those couple of months, but I wasn’t fucking around with any of them. The truth is . . . only one time with Grace. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. It happened. If it makes you feel any better, it sucked. I’m pretty sure she even said, ‘Damn, Chet that really sucked’ and all that remained was some version of a strained friendship for a little while until we called it quits.”
I appreciated his honesty. It wasn’t like I had any right to hold that against him. “Well, then I guess I should admit, nothing remotely physical ever happened between Simon and I even though I was technically his fiancée for 24 hours.”
“I know.”
“You did?”
“Of course, I asked Maggie. I was fully prepared to act a fool if he touched you.”
“So you’re still my one and only.”
Chet leaned in and kissed me again. There was a renewed longing I hadn’t felt in a very long time. The fears and apprehensions were banished forever. I knew we would be completely undisturbed for as long as we needed. Eventually, I had to take a breath.
He traced my face with his fingers. “I meant what I said about taking our time, but the place Mom fixed up for our wedding is still in perfect condition. I would take you back tomorrow and marry you the next day if you want. I mean that. Besides, I can’t imagine Wayne getting married before me. That’s not right on a cosmic level.” I reminded him that he still owed Wayne a Suzanne meeting. That was the deal if we ever tied the knot. Chet dreaded the conversation to facilitate the meeting because it was embarrassing, but he promised to give it his best shot. It would be a wedding gift, perhaps. Even though Wayne calmed down now that he had Aubrey, he was never going to completely get over that crush.
“How about next month?”
“Nice compromise. I can handle marrying you a month from now. Where do you want to live?”
“With you.”
He grabbed me and planted a sloppy kiss on my mouth. Chet spoke against my lips, kissing me in between his words. “That- goes- without- saying.”
“It all depends on your work, I guess. I’m flexible. I’ve done some tutoring here, but that’s about it. I really like the peace and quiet I’ve had this year, but of course I miss home. I guess I’m half English and half Cali girl after all.”
“Penny, I would live in this tiny cottage with you even though I’m sure I’d end up with scoliosis. However, I would also buy you the biggest house in LA. I doubt we’d ever use one tenth of it, but I’ll give you anything your heart desires if you’re ready to move back. I’m more inclined to say, we have two places, one here, one maybe on the outskirts of Los Angeles.”
We decided to play all that by ear. Chet told me he might take a role that started filming toward the end of the year. “It’s a small independent film. I’m trying new things, plus I have a demo I can’t wait for you to hear. I want your input before I release it. I want your input about all my decisions from here on out.”
“Are you missing Voyagers at all?”
“Hell no. They’re all in Argentina again.” I’d been reading all the speculation about Chet and what happened to his character. People knew he wasn’t filming this one. “I wish them all the best. They can make a dozen of those films if they want, but it was time to do something else.” He said he needed new challenges.
“I have one for you. I challenge you to fit in the shower and clean up. I hated to say it before but you smell funky, like a mixture of medicine and feet.”
“Oh yeah. You think I stink? We’ll take a look at yourself. You’re filthy.”
I looked down to see the dirt and paw prints where Pepper left her mark.
Chet said he had a good excuse for his strange odor. He had Pepper’s paperwork checked over in a vet clinic. “And as for the feet, I rode next to a portly gentleman on the plane. He took his shoes off. He kept bumping his nasty feet against me the entire way. Damp, old man socks, babe and he snored right in my ear half the flight. I probably have his drool on my shoulder.”
“Eww, gross. Say no more. Go, shower now or we cannot go any further with this reunion.”
“I’ll go but you’re coming with me. I like my reunion sex free of dirt and dog slobber. You’re just as gross.”
I told him that was impossible. We’d have to go separately. The shower would barely fit him, but Chet refused to take my word for it. He said where there’s a will there’s a way.
We fit. Together, he and I always made the impossible work.
I finished up my last song. All twelve spectators gave me a raucous round of applause. Penny set these little shows up a few months back. I tried to get the nerve up to release my first album in the US even though I’d recorded three now. She thought I needed experience playing in front of a live audience. I wasn’t sure that doing sets in front of a small crowd of Englishmen in a family-owned pub in Cotswold would prepare me for adding singer/songwriter to my resume, but God love her, my wife was the bomb.
“Thank you, ladies and gents for coming out t
his evening. Could you please give it up once more for my beautiful wife in the back and my pretty princess, Kaitlyn?”
The men hooped and hollered even louder for Penny and Katie Rose. They all knew the drill. Drinks were on me when they came out to hear me play, so that’s why I always assumed they were so thrilled with my singing. However, I’d had a few compliment me lately, they weren’t kidding. They liked my singing even better than they liked my acting. Ouch. I think they were complimenting me.
“Daddy!” was the best music to my ears. Kaitlyn ran full speed ahead into my arms. “Your songs were the bestest tonight.” She said I was even better than last time. My little girl told me that every time her mother brought her along to listen.
I gave Penny a hug with my free arm. “The word is out. I can feel it in my bones. I swear next week we’ll have at least 20 drunks in here if we have one.”
She punched me in the stomach. “Shut up. These old men love you and the barmaids practically drool the whole time you’re up there. Wait and see, you release your album and you’ll be playing for 20,000 easy, probably more.”
“I don’t know. I kinda like the obscureness here. I’m not ready to give it up.”
Penny assured me, in our little corner of the world where we spent at least half the year, she doubted we ever would. “This community sees you as one of their own. They’ll always treat you like a regular guy. We have this sanctuary for life.”
She had me there. We also had a huge ass house surrounded by a moat. I exaggerated. I wanted a moat but Penny made me settle for a stone fence. As much as I loved folding myself up and being enclosed in a tiny space with barely enough oxygen for the two of us, the guest cottage was not feasible in the long run. I acquired some adjacent property. It cost me a small fortune, but was worth it to build our dream home. We had another place close to Mom and Dad’s, but I considered England our primary home now even though we split our time almost 50/50. I tried to convince Penny’s grandparents to let me upgrade their house, but they refused. They were comfortable with what they’d always had since the first day Penny’s grandfather carried her over the threshold. I could totally relate to that sentiment.
Penny winced when she got out of the car. “You okay?”
“It was just a twinge.”
I rubbed her taut abdomen. “It’s happening tonight, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think so. I just saw Willow. She said maybe another week.”
“Yeah, but she also said maybe in an hour. I was there. I heard her.”
Of course, when we found out we were expecting a honeymoon baby, I researched every doctor in the nation. Penny was closely monitored with Kaitlyn. She refused to give up Dr. Brown, but we also consulted with a specialist that wrote a book on umbilical cord accidents. We were both nervous wrecks most of that pregnancy, but we had a vibrant three-year-old daughter now. She sported a mop of wild hair like her mother’s and dark eyes like mine. She was the best of both of us my mother always said. I loved her more than I thought possible.
I was uneasy when Penny wanted to have this next baby in England. I had researched the hospitals in London when she sprang it on me she’d found a midwife. My first inclination was hell no, but she had made up her mind. That meant I might as well butt my head into our stone wall. The outcome would still be the same. I’d only end up with a headache arguing with her. She wanted to do what I thought sounded like far out childbirth. Turns out natural waterbirth wasn’t so odd. I said she should at least have a certified nurse midwife. She managed to find the most hippy midwife in the UK. I checked and re-checked whether this woman was legit. Willow was a fiery, redhead that had every credential possible and a perfect track record, but she was still a trip, part hippie-gypsy but with loads of medical knowledge. Last checkup, she informed me I was delivering our son, because it was important the first touch come from the father.
I told her I didn’t even look when Kaitlyn was born and she was out of her mind. Penny pinched me for being rude. “Then close your eyes and feel because you’re doing it. That’s final.”
Needless to say, I was scared out of my mind about this impending birth. Penny was the most peaceful and relaxed she’d ever been. She took leisurely walks and meditated in the garden daily. I had to put my fears aside and trust she knew her body and that Willow knew how to deliver babies because I was clueless.
We got Katie ready for bed, but Penny had a funny look. She suggested I pack up our daughter for an impromptu sleepover with Nan. Katie bounced off the walls upon hearing that news. Poor great-grandparents. She would certainly wear them out tonight.
I made it back to find Penny leaning over a chair and swaying her hips. “Willow better be on the way.”
“She is. She’s less than twenty minutes. I just hung up with her.”
“It’s not too late to get in the car and find a hospital, you know.”
Penny assured me she was fine. This is what she wanted. “The movement eases the pain some. Want to help?”
I cocked a curious eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?” If I remembered the afternoon correctly, we already did some kickass movements that just might have jump-started this labor.
Penny extended her hand. “Dance with me, Chet. I might have to stop occasionally, but I feel like dancing this baby out. Come to think of it, this all started with a dance dedication.”
I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tender kiss. “You’re partially right, but to tell you the truth, it started for me when I first laid eyes on you. You were an enchanting beauty with too much hair, a whole lot of sass and you didn’t like me for some reason. I mean, what’s not to like? Then you ripped the bottom off a cupcake and made that the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I said to myself, I have to marry this girl.”
“And so you did.”
“Yes. Funny how you made that sound so easy when clearly it was a lot harder than that.”
We both knew all too well, the journey to get here was a long, difficult uphill climb. We danced around the kitchen for a few minutes until Penny had to stop.
Four hours later, Lane Theodore slipped into my open hands, screaming at the top of his lungs so half the countryside knew he’d arrived.
His cries were beautiful music to my ears just like his sister’s before him.
Two weeks passed. We had the entire crew at our home, even Wayne and Aubrey. Those grandmothers weren’t missing another day without seeing their new grandson. Frank ended up being the most emotional one when he met his grandson for the first time. I put my arm around the man that still intimidated me but I’d grown to love.
“Told you I’d take care of her.”
He held Penny’s hand and leaned in to kiss Lane. “That you did, son. I never doubted you.”
Maggie wanted a few photos. She’d been taking a photography class as a hobby, and she’d gotten pretty good at it. Keats had their two girls running in circles with Katie. Maggie and Keats had their fair share of disappointments, but their third attempt at IVF worked and they got a two-fer, twin girls. I sent Keats a bottle of scotch when we got the news they were both girls.
We took a few pictures around the house when Penny suggested we go over to the garden.
We had a seat on Donny’s bench. I held Kaitlyn on my knee and Penny adjusted Lane in her arms so he could be front and center. We wished more than anything, this photo had three children, but fate had other plans. We had faith there were reasons beyond our comprehension why this was the case, but our firstborn son’s life would always have meaning and purpose. We truly believed that. A breeze blew through and I reached over to move the hair from Penny’s face. She smiled with tears in her eyes.
“This is all I ever need from you, Chet.”
“Good to know.” I kissed her with our kids in the mix. Maggie announced that was the best one yet.
I was still famous, no way to undo that at this point. I never wanted to change who I was anyway, especially if I pursued my music career which was a new dream I
was finally fulfilling. However, it wasn’t my career that defined me, it was just a piece of the whole picture. Hearing my wife tell me sitting next to her with our kids in our arms was all she needed meant everything.
Lots of people recognized me at first glance. Actually, I’m sure it was millions by now, but what counted most was that one woman really knew me. A Penny was worth way more than I ever thought possible.
First off, I would like thank my family for putting up with me since this dream of becoming a writer took over. Yes, Mom is crazy, but I’m not doing anything crazy when I hide out on the sofa writing stories. I never meant to make any of you feel ignored. My family is my biggest motivation. I love you all dearly with my whole heart and hope I make you proud.
Next in line is the team. The team listened to me and were my personal cheer squad. They read through minimally edited bits and sometimes waited months and weeks to know what happened next. I’m so appreciative to have a group of ladies I trust to give honest advice and much appreciated pats on the back. I adore all of you: Virna, the goddess of Diva, Dani Morgan, TJ, Michelle Spencer, Samantha Jane, and Hala Fikry.
#TeamPenny for the win!
Special thanks to my editors at WLK Media. Michelle and Mary Ann, I appreciate your hard work during a busy holiday season.
A book is judged by its cover. I’m so pleased I found the prettiest cover model on the planet. Model credit: Tristen C. (@pl0xmast3r)
My gorgeous friend and talented artist across the pond, Artwork by Samantha Jane did wonders with the images. The cover tells a portion of the story before the first word is read.
TC Rybicki loves to write, writes to live some days. She enjoys a simple life in Texas with her husband and a brood of kiddos. TC adores her dogs, cats, beardies and a turtle named Tiny. When she isn’t writing, she is taking care of the family, cooking or walking for fresh air to hash out plot bunnies. Her own story is unique and tragic with a happy ending in the works. Her writing reflects the experiences she’s endured. The muse speaks to her almost night and day so a book or two is always in the works.
The Price of Penny Page 40
