Lydia sighed dramatically and grabbed her handbag from the counter. “Just make sure it is spotless before you leave because I am already ten minutes behind my schedule.”
Within a few minutes, Lydia was gone, leaving behind only the sharp scent of her perfume and a silence that felt even more oppressive than before. Penelope stood alone in the center of the kitchen with the damp towels in her hand until she turned to her brother and forced a smile.
“It is perfectly fine, Finn,” she said in a soothing voice. “Let’s just finish up our breakfast and get ready to go.”
The rest of the morning followed a quiet routine that no adult had ever officially assigned to the young girl. Penelope packed Finn’s backpack, tied his shoelaces with a double knot, and made sure he was bundled in a warm sweater before they left the house.
She double checked every lock and every light switch because she had learned through repetition that no one else was going to do it. She never complained or asked for any help because she had realized early on that asking for support rarely resulted in an answer.