My Lucky Penny

The Painful Eagerness of Unfed Hope Part 2

Penny, for about the 37th time that month, had begun growing worried about Anne.

She felt the familiar feeling creeping in during their walk to school. The young redhead had a wistful look in her eyes and seemed to be skipping.

Finally, she gave in. "Are you going to explain to me what all of this frolicking about is for?"

Anne's eyes widened. She turned to Penny guiltily. "You wouldn't approve."

Almost immediately, Penny understood. She fought to repress anger. "You opened Matthew's letters."

Anne proceeded to spill words out of her mouth as quickly as a waterfall. "I don't understand how you resisted! Miss Jeannie was Matthew's first love, and how lonely Matthew must be without love in his life. I cannot gather how he can ignore that!"

"Anne!" Penny scolded. "Regardless of your lack of understanding, this matter is not one that concerns you! Please don't tell me you've been writing back to her."

The young girl's silence was deafening.

Fuming, Penny was ready to give her a real lecture; however, it was at that moment that they arrived at the school.

"We will continue this conversation later," she promised.

•••

Anne avoided Penny the entire school day and quickly ran off with Diana after the class was dismissed.

She couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. Perhaps she had been too hard on her. Though her actions could be detrimental to her relationship with Matthew, Penny knew her heart was in the right place, as it always was.

She decided to speak to her the next day.

That night, however, Penny was unable to sleep. Deciding to head downstairs for a drink of water, she paused on the stairs as she heard Matthew mumbling.

"In answer...to your question..."

Her heart pounding, she crept down until she could see him.

As she feared, he was hunched over a letter by the fireplace.

Hurriedly, she snuck back upstairs. Once she was in the safety of her room, she sat on her bed and put her head in her hands.

What was she going to do now?

•••

The next day, she tried to stay out of any potential line of fire. Maybe Matthew would choose not to say anything.

Unfortunately, she was proven wrong when she opened her bedroom to see him leaving Anne's. The two made eye contact before he lowered his gaze and headed downstairs.

Penny rested her forehead on the doorframe. Though she considered going to comfort Anne, she instead retreated back into her room.

This was Anne's decision, and she would have to handle the consequences.

•••

It wasn't until a few days later that everything finally came out.

Penny was sitting in the dining room with Marilla when Matthew announced that he was heading out.

"And where are you off to?" Marilla questioned strictly.

"I'll be back by tonight," Matthew mumbled, ignoring the question.

The two watched as Matthew rode out on his horse.

Footsteps on the stairs then revealed Anne coming into view, seeming completely guilt-stricken.

"Any idea where Matthew's off to?" Marilla asked her.

After a moment, through incoming tears, Anne replied, "I think I've ruined everything."

The three women sat at the table as Anne confessed everything to them, seeming completely ashamed.

"It's a powerful thing," Marilla commented gently. "To have done someone wrong when you truly didn't intend it."

Penny reached over and grabbed Anne's hand. "You have a good heart, Anne. You really do."

The young girl kept her head bowed as she sniffled. "I tried to apologize, but it didn't fix anything."

Marilla took a moment before responding. "I allow we must let people feel how they need to and process in their own time."

Watching them made Penny smile. It warmed her heart to see Marilla being tender towards Anne; as the latter truly needed her in that moment.

She gave Anne's hand a squeeze. "You're a good girl, Anne. Everything will be alright."

Taking a deep breath, Anne nodded, even offering a little smile.

And low and behold, when Matthew returned home, he and Anne came inside with her arm wrapped around his.

The Cuthbert family was no walk in the park. But it was one of the greatest ones Penny had ever known.