Page 69 of After We Fall

Luke crosses his arms over his chest. “So far, no one’s asked Penelope how she is.”

“I-I’m sorry.” Ever the PR guru, Cynthia moves toward me to take control of the situation. “We tried to reach you yesterday morning to schedule a possible holiday visit, but instead found out you were in the hospital. We got here as soon as we could.”

Luke cocks his head. “There weren’t any earlier flights available?”

“The senator’s schedule is difficult to coordinate, especially this time of year. He moved several things to be able to come today.”

“She had a brain bleed,” Luke growls.

“Luke,” I mutter and cut a glare his direction.

“Yes, Tanya shared as much with me over the phone. We’ve been very concerned,” Cynthia says. “Penelope, we’re here to help you in any way that we can. We have connections to a fabulous neurologist at Mount Sinai.”

“In California?” Meredith asks.

“Yes. We want her to come home,” Cynthia says.

Meredith looks at me, but I shake my head once. It’s best not to say anything until everyone in this group has played their cards.

I shift my focus to Cynthia. It’s unclear to me whether she manufactured the tears brimming her heavily made-up eyes. Certainly her high-dollar mascara is holding up to the moisture. Or maybe it really is concern for me. My problem is that I’m not always able to discern the difference between her love for an appropriate public display and her love for the teenagers she brought into her home. I think she walks a fine line.

“You’ll be out of work for a while. Your medical bills will be taken care of, ” the senator says. “Come back home to California with us.”

Home? The manicured lawn and pristine white furniture make their house more of a facility than a home. And an offer of financial help is never mere generosity. What’s his take? I picture the calendar year, and the motive hits me. He’s up for reelection next year. A reconciled, happy family would do wonders for his public persona. But he’s also the man who brought Jason and me under his roof and provided more than just the necessities in life. The fine line blurs again.

“Miss Penelope?” Tanya whispers and grabs my hand. “Are you leaving us?”

Jason steps forward. “She doesn’t have to travel a thousand miles to find a specialist. I found a guy in Denver. She can come live with me.”

Luke’s head whips around, and he spears a look at me as if to say, See?

I don’t have time to deal with Luke’s accusations about Jason’s motives. My heart squeezes. There’s no fine line with Jason. From the first day we met, he stomped all over any lines that might have existed, attached himself to me, and has remained loyal ever since. That’s the problem with Jason’s thoughtful offer. It comes with an unhealthy, codependent string tied to him. But is his pitch the best option for my recovery?

While each offer is generous, I now walk my own fine line between grateful family member and independent woman with her own goals. No one knows I want to stay and work at Twelve Bluebells. And that’s the card I’m not willing to play yet.

“I want to thank each of you for the benevolent offers,” I say. “I’ll have to do some research—”

“Penelope already has a care plan in place.” These shocking words come from Luke.

Wait. What? I have a care plan? I look at Meredith in question, but her intense focus doesn’t leave Luke. Is she in on this?

“I’m sure you can understand why we believe she can get better medical attention in California than in Colorado Springs,” Phillip says with the slightest bit of disdain.

Luke’s eyes glitter when Phillip lays down the gauntlet. “I disagree.”

A smirk tugs on Phillip’s smug face when he addresses Luke. “I’m sorry, I missed what it is you do. How do you know Penelope?”

“I was Penelope’s first call after the accident.”

The buckshot from Luke’s verbal shotgun sprays the room, leaving no one unscathed. But by the devastated cringe on Jason’s face, it seems he took the worst of the hit.

“Phillip,” I say. “Truly, thank you for your offer. But I feel it’s best for me to check out my options here in Colorado Springs. Plus, I can’t imagine that my recovery will take too long.”

Phillip purses his lips, then nods.

Bianca huffs and directs a shot at Luke. “I thought you were taking off.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Luke says, glancing at me, then back at Bianca. “Be ready for your next drum lesson tomorrow after work.”