The Wallflower

Revelations

A/N:
SURPRISE!!!!

In honor of Polin Day and as a thank you for everyone's support these past 2 years, I decided to write a bonus epilogue!

EEEEEEK! Enjoy!!!!!
~

Ten Years Later

Colin sat on the edge of the bed, surrounded by trunks and piles of clothes as he prepared for his journey to Spain. He was filled with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, yet there was also a tinge of sadness at the prospect of leaving his family behind. He was lost in thought when his nine-year-old daughter, Agatha, entered the room, her chestnut curls bouncing with each step.

"Daddy, may I help you pack?" She asked with a wide smile, her blue eyes shimmering with eagerness.

Colin chuckled softly, appreciating his daughter's enthusiasm. "Of course, my dear," he replied, patting the space beside him. "Come and sit."

Agatha eagerly joined her father, her small hands reaching out to help fold the clothes neatly. As they worked together, Colin couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for leaving his children and Penelope behind. While he knew he could trust Agatha to look after her younger siblings, the burden still seemed heavy for one so young.

Suddenly, Agatha's elbow bumped against the edge of Penelope's desk, causing a stack of papers to cascade to the floor. Her eyes widened in alarm as she looked at the mess she had unintentionally made. Colin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's alright, Aggie. Why don't you go play outside for a while," he gently instructed. "I'll take care of the papers, my love."

Reluctantly, Agatha nodded and scampered out of the room in search of Thomas and Jane, leaving Colin to gather the fallen pages. As he picked them up, he couldn't help but glance at the words written on them. To his surprise, he realized that it was a novel. Penelope had said she was attempting to write again, but he hadn't known that she had written an entire book. Curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself reading one of the pages.

Dedication: For my beloved husband, Colin, who has been nothing but supportive of me and my dreams. And for my four beautiful children, who have given me a purpose even more fulfilling than writing.

Colin's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as her read the passage again. He was about to read it a third time, when Penelope walked into their room with a sigh. "Thomas just stole half of the biscuits I was going to send to Sophie and Benedict. Your son will eat us out of home before we know it," she laughed until she saw what he had in his hands.

"That was supposed to be a surprise, Colin." She crossed her arms and looked at him incredulously, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm sorry, darling. Aggie knocked them over and my curiosity got the better of me as I picked them up."

Penelope smiled and shook her head. "It's fine, I was going to show you before you left, anyways."

"Why didn't you tell me you were writing a novel?" He asked, handing her the papers. She took them and set them on the desk before joining him on the bed. Her shoulders pulled into a quick shrug.

"I guess I was nervous of how you'd react. It's been so long since I'd written anything, and this wasn't like my column. I wanted to be sure it was good before I told anyone." Colin squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek.

"Nonsense. This is the best news! Everything you write is exceptional and I can't wait to read it." Penelope smiled and kissed him softly.

"Oh, but you made a mistake in the dedication. You said we have four children, but we only have the three, my love," he chuckled softly. Penelope looked at him with a sly smile as she shook her head no.