Anything For Grace

Chapter 26

I let Penelope have a few days to herself, excused her from work and handled business by myself. I felt mad at myself for not ordering to stay away, but it was something she wanted. I couldn't tell her what to do anymore. I was losing my grip on Penelope. She wanted to finish this for us, finish this for me. I felt completely helpless in controlling her, but that's what I liked about Penelope. She made up her own mind and I couldn't say anything to her.

On Friday, I needed to check on her and make sure she was alright. I approached her porch and the door opens. I jumped at the door, but it was Penelope dressed in her usual oversized clothes, taking out trash. She removes a sucker from her mouth. "Elijah."

"Hey," I greet. She struggles with the trash, taking it down the steps. "Let me help you with that."

I reached but she slaps my hand. "Mm-mm, don't come over here trying to help me. I think I can handle a trash bag." She puts her sucker back into her mouth and perseveres down the steps, taking one stair at a time. She hurdles it into the dumpster and smiles at me. "See? Didn't need your help." She comes back up the stairs. "What can I do for you?"

"It's not so much what you can do for me. It's what I can do for you." I nod my head.

"It's cold out, let's get inside. Grace and Harper aren't home. She opens the door and I walk in after her. "You don't need to do anything for me. I'm not frozen to death anymore." She jokes, removing her sucker and walking into the kitchen.

"Then why haven't you been at the office?"

She licks her lips and her eyes move around the office. "Right. Well...uh...I've been enjoying my week off." She nods her head. "Is it busy?"

"No, not exactly. I've been able to hold down the fort."

"Good." She comments. "Well is that all?"

"You sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

"Elijah..." She laughs a little, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine. Look, if you need to do something..." She looks at the clock on the wall. "I could use a fifteen-minute foot massage."

I nodded my head, sitting down on the couch, removing my jacket.

She laughs out loud, folding her arms. "I was just joking."

"I don't mind." She scoffs, but then considers. She sits down on the couch and slowly lifts her foot. I yank her towards me, making her laugh. "How have you've been? Mentally?"

"Alright?" She giggles as I touch her toes. "I'm very ticklish and can kick you in the face."

"You do have horse feet."

She gasps and hits me, laughing. "Asshole."

I chuckled as I massage her foot. "You questioned your answer. What do you mean by alright?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know." She sucks her lollipop. "I'm fine; I'm alright; I'm good; I'm alive. What do you want me to say, control freak?"

I chortle, "I'm not a control freak."

"Please." She rolls her eyes. "Everything I do has to be approved by you. Don't you think that's a little controlling?"

"I'm a man; I like to have things my way."

"Yeah, well sorry to burst your bubble, but..." She pops the sucker from her mouth. "That's not going to roll with me."

I nodded my head, understanding that. "We'll see about that." I looked at the toys in the corner. "How's your daughter?"

"Good." She answers. These one answers are bothering me. I need more from Penelope. I want to know about her life. "She's fine as well. She's doing great in school and..." She looks around the apartment, seeing her paintings posted everywhere. "Such a good kid."