Page 5 of Positively, Penelope

Penny-girl,

Brothers tease sisters. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t tease you beyond what any other self-respecting older brother would do. You had a tendency toward crying no matter what happened. Most of the time I didn’t have to say anything.

Besides, I think you must have enjoyed crying since, as I recall, you took photos of yourself crying so you could see if you were a “pretty crier.”

How long ago was that? I can’t remember. Last year?

Izzy, I’m more worried about the stranger’s safety than Penelope’s. My foot has been on the heel-side of Penelope’s fancy shoes. If she’s really mad, the guy won’t be able to walk without a limp for a week. And of course, she has the sword in her Mary Poppins bag. She’s fine.

Luke

PS: I’ll refrain from stating why you are so in tune with children.

PPS: Didn’t you go on a cruise with Mom a few years ago? I recall you loved it. Wasn’t that on a boat?

Text from Penelope to Luke:Boats and ships are not the same thing. Cruise ships are like little floating cities. If you want to look at the water you can, but for all intents and purposes, you don’t even have to know you’re floating and still have a marvelous time.

Luke:You’re on a “floating city,” which pretty much means... boat. You’re technically still floating. In fact, the whole island you’re on right now could be considered a really big boat.

Penelope:No. Boats mean that you are right next to the water and can look down into the depths without knowing exactly what is going to be staring back at you. There’s very little distance. It’s much easier for a sea monster to sink a boat.

Luke:I have no response to that logic. At all. Probably ever.

From: Josephine Martin

To: Penelope Edgewood, Izzy Edgewood, Luke Edgewood

Date: August28

Subject: Re: I’m here!!

Penelope,

I’m so glad your visit has started off relatively well, except for the airport fiasco and the chocolate blouse. Do be careful of eating at airports. I’ve had several experiences with those eateries that left very unpleasant results. And being in a foreign place only makes the negative possibilities greater in every way. You know that you can always come home if things turn out to be less than you were hoping.

I saw Jacqueline Morrow Crenshaw in town yesterday and she was asking about you. I told her you’d graduated and what you were doing in Skymar with the theater. She was incredibly interested, Penelope, because she is looking for a younger, passionate person to be the executive director for the reopening of the old Ashby Theater! You know, after her husband died, shegave up on the productions and let the building fall into disrepair, but she’s hired Luke to help renovate it and is looking for “young blood” to revitalize the love of arts in the Ransom community.

Do you realize how perfect this is? Ransom is only a half hour away from Mt. Airy, Penelope! You could have your dream of running your own theater! And be close to home while doing so! I gave Jackie your email address and told her you would be ecstatic about her contacting you. After all, she did start you on your theatrical career all those years ago.

By the way, I never realized how wonderful it is to run errands and spend long minutes talking to people you meet in normal places, like the grocery store or the bank. I had an entire hour on my own while Izzy watched the twins. It was marvelous... until I realized the odd spoiled-milk smell was not from the diaper bag but was indeed from a spot on the shoulder of my blouse.

I don’t think I’ll ever smell fresh air again. The twins are two months old and I can’t remember what anything smells like without a hint of spoiled milk tainting it. Mother tells me I’ll be able to smell fresh and clean again, but I have my doubts.

Anyway, don’t be surprised if you receive an email from her very soon. As she said, you were one of the best stage assistants and performers she’d ever had come through Ashby’s. It sounds very much like a sure thing to me.

Love,

Josephine

From: Penelope Edgewood

To: Izzy Edgewood, Luke Edgewood

Date: August28

Subject: Re: An underappreciated Mary Poppins rescue

Do I really stop in the middle of a story? Well, I don’t think it’s something I commonly do, but with all the excitement, how can you blame me? Let me attempt to summarize the full experience so that you will know that Iris, the grumpy stranger, and I all survived, even if the grumpy stranger continues to be... grumpy.

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