After caring for sweet old lady Beatrice Trenton for over a year and hearing all about her brave paratrooper, grandson, Penelope is pleased to finally meet him. Sparks fly and before she knows it, she's calling him her boyfriend, and he is confident...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
PENELOPE
Fraser got the job. Once he's worked his notice at the law firm over in Melbourne, they'll stick their apartment in Docklands up for rent and probably use some of that money to cover Vivienne's wage for maternity leave while renting a house over here.
"You are absolutely beautiful," I tell my sister- in-law who's chilling out on the deck chair outside their apartment.
She grins. "Ah, thank you, Penny. My skin has never been this clear. I'm loving pregnancy. Although, the nurse didn't make me feel so good when she called it a geriatric pregnancy."
Isn't that a bit insulting? I mean, technically it's true with her being thirty-five, but isn't there a kinder word for it?
I pull my knees up to my chest as I hold the phone out. "Yeah. I wouldn't like that either."
She shakes her head. "The times have changed. Women are choosing to have babies later on in life. I'm unsure if my hormones made it hurt more, but my ego was definitely bruised."
"That sucks. I'm sorry," I say, but she waves me off like it's no big deal. I hug my knees tighter. "Can you feel him move yet?"
"Not yet, but I did feel a few flutters the other morning," she replies, shielding herself more underneath the big umbrella.
I grab the blanket to cover myself. "Don't be out in the sun too long. It's strong over there."
"I'll be going inside in a minute. Don't worry," she replies, smiling gently. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'm at Max's house. We were just watching a film and I sneaked off to speak to you. I don't like the thought of you alone while Fraser is flying back," I say.
Vivienne has been in our life since I was small. They were childhood sweethearts, dating since the beginnings of senior school. My parents had Fraser young, making him ten years older than me.
She smiles. "You're too sweet. Is Max okay?"
"He's all good." The door squeaks as Max pushes in here, now dressed in his flannel pyjamas. "Oh, speak of the devil. Come and say hi to Viv."
The big guy folds onto the bed, pulling me so I'm sitting with my back resting up against his chest and the phone out in front of us. "Hello. You good?"
"I'm great." She grins. "You?"
He nods. "I'm good. Congratulations on the baby."
I was bursting to share the happy news and he was just as thrilled as me once he heard. Being an auntie is the best feeling, even though I haven't met the baby yet.
Vivienne thanks him, grinning so hard when he buries his nose in my neck. "You know, I'm pretty tired. I might grab a nap and let you go."
"Okay. Well make sure to text me when Fraser gets there. I asked him to, but you know how he is with texting back," I say and she nods with a smile, cancelling the call on a wave.
