Penelope simply nodded her head without saying a word back to her mother. She took Finn by the hand and led him toward the breakfast table, her small shoulders already braced against the invisible weight of the day’s responsibilities.
Julian grabbed his leather briefcase and stepped out into the morning air, telling himself once again that his household was running exactly as it should be.
After the heavy front door clicked shut and Julian’s luxury car moved out of the driveway, the atmosphere in the house did not feel any lighter. Lydia moved through the rooms with a distracted energy, checking her watch and huffing at every minor delay in her morning routine.
When Finn accidentally bumped his carton of orange juice, sending a sticky puddle spreading across the white table, her frustration boiled over instantly. “Penelope, for heaven’s sake, why couldn’t you just watch him for one tiny minute while I was on the phone?”
Penelope froze for a heartbeat before she quickly grabbed a roll of paper towels to fix the mess. “I am so sorry, Mom,” she whispered, taking the blame for a mistake she didn’t even make.