The Heart of an Artist

Penelope: Portrait of an Artist

It was late evening, and Penelope was still at work. The issue had to go to print the next day, and she was alone in the office. She decided to take a break and turned on some music. Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" started playing, and Penelope began dancing in the empty office, forgetting her worries for a moment. Dancing always helped her relax and distract herself from stress. She twirled and laughed, imagining herself on stage, until the song ended.

When the song changed to "Enchanted," Penelope stopped. Her heart tightened, and she turned off the music, sitting back in her chair. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered those moments...

They were in a taxi with Benedict, heading to his family's home. She was nervous, as they had been dating for a few months but hadn't told anyone yet. The internal tension was eating at her.

"Why do you tease them like that in the chat?" Penelope asked, frowning slightly.

Benedict smiled his crooked smile and said, "Don't worry so much. It's not the first time."

"The first time in a long time... and the first time as your girlfriend," she replied, looking into his eyes.

"My girlfriend," he repeated, savoring the words. "How wonderful that sounds."

He leaned in and kissed her gently. Penelope felt her worries begin to dissipate, replaced by warmth and confidence. This kiss spoke volumes, but mainly it said that everything would be alright.

When the taxi stopped at the Bridgerton house, Benedict helped Penelope out of the car. He hugged her gently, giving her confidence and warmth.

"Ready?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Yes," she replied, taking a deep breath. "Ready."

They walked to the door, and Penelope felt her heart flutter with excitement. Benedict knocked, and a moment later, the door opened, and they were face to face with his family.

Penelope barely had time to look around when joyful exclamations and laughter filled the air. The Bridgerton family seemed to tear them apart, each family member wanting to hug and talk to them both.

Anthony enthusiastically pulled Benedict into the living room, loudly asking him about the latest news. Violet and Hyacinth immediately surrounded Penelope, bombarding her with questions and comments.

"Penelope! How are you, dear? How's work?" Violet asked, hugging her tightly.

"You look amazing, Pen! By the way, who is that mysterious girl in Benedict's new painting?" Hyacinth added, looking at her appraisingly.

Penelope blushed slightly from the sudden attention and flood of questions. She glanced around to see Benedict, but he had already been whisked away to another part of the house.

"I'm good, thank you," she replied, trying not to show her nervousness.

"And how are you all?"

"Oh, everything is as usual," Daphne replied, laughing. "You know our family—always on the go, always something happening."

"Yes, we were just discussing Benedict's new painting. It's become so popular!" Hyacinth continued.

"But we are most curious about who that girl is. Have you seen who came with him?"

In the living room, exclamations were heard. Anthony and Colin began discussing recent events, and their voices grew louder.

Penelope couldn't help but smile, seeing the familiar chaos of the Bridgerton family. How she missed them all. She felt at home here, and it filled her heart with joy.