Page 123 of Positively, Penelope

Penelope had reminded him that community was community,no matter on which side of the ocean one lived, and the stronger the community, the more miracles happened.

To add icing on top of the cake, so to speak, Grandfather had sent a very special invitation in hopes of surprising not only the opening night crowd but also a certain ginger-haired beauty Matt had grown to love more and more with each passing day.

Now, as Matt and Penelope peered out on the stage, Grandfather made a brief welcome and then gestured, with a bow, to the side of the stage. From out of the shadows walked Her Royal Highness Queen Gabriella.

Penelope looked over at Matt, her eyes wide. He’d memorized her expressions, but he knew there were thousands more yet to see. He wanted to know them all. She’d become part of his heart, one of his family.

“We tried to get as close to Julie Andrews attending as we could.”

She caught her laugh in her palm and then wrapped her arm around his, rocking up on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek. “You’re practically perfect, Mr.Gray.”

“Practically?” He raised a brow.

Her brow lifted to match his. “You don’t really want the pressure of being perfect, do you?”

“No, indeed.” He laughed and brought their entwined hands up to his lips.

As the queen spoke, Matt glanced out over the full house. After years of living in the shadows of grief and uncertainty, this beloved place had come back to life, filled with the magic and joy of creativity and hope. He glanced down at Penelope. Much like his own life. And when someone found hope and joy again after thinking all had been lost, that someone found a way to hold on to them.

He caught sight of movement nearby and saw Luke’s grin as he assisted in moving some of the sets into position. Over the course of the three weeks, the closeness of the siblings’ relationship proved allthe more why Penelope returning to the States was the right choice for her. That family connection. And despite Luke’s quieter personality, Matt and Luke had gotten on very well. In fact, he would even consider the man his friend, and good male friends weren’t easy to find.

“This performance has been a collection of a great deal of hard work, heart, and vision despite difficult and unexpected circumstances” came the queen’s voice. “It is also an example of one of the less recognized beauties of Skymar, and that particular beauty is her people—a wonderful and eclectic group of individuals who love the creativity intrinsic to our culture and strive for ways in which we can celebrate that creativity through the arts.”

Applause arose from the crowd and Penelope squeezed his arm again.

“It is a lovely thing to embrace the future while also cultivating an appreciation for our history, and places like The Darling House have shown us over time that both the past and the present can live in harmony and bring people of all ages together to inspire the future.”

More applause.

“I would be remiss in expressing our appreciation if I did not introduce to you the two people who have been at the helm to make this performance possible. They’ve also created a way to celebrate the past through their museum, a history of which even our family has been a part. Let us welcome Mr.Matthias Gray and MissPenelope Edgewood.”

Penelope looked up at him, her face paling. He stood frozen in place. His gaze shot to his grandfather, who stood on the opposite side of the stage behind the curtain. The smile on Grandfather’s face bloomed and he gestured Matt forward. Matt drew in a breath and, with a little tug, brought Penelope along with him to stand beside the queen.

The rousing cheers rose to a fevered pitch. He caught sight of a few locals in the orchestra pit sounding off their instruments with theirown praise, and he chuckled. The past and present blended together and promised a beautiful future.

Penelope reached for his hand, and they stood basking in the spotlight together.

And Matt embraced the uncertainty of it all.

He trusted Penelope with his and Iris’s hearts, so all he had to do was sort out how to keep their new little family together.

***

Much later in the night, after the performance and following celebration with the cast, crew, and donors, Matt drove Luke and Penelope to the cottage. Luke disappeared inside, making some excuse about being exhausted from all the singing and general happiness of theater people, but Matt knew it was to give him and Penelope some privacy.

He took the short walk from the car to the front porch slowly, arm in arm with Penelope, the contented exhaustion of a job well done soaking through him. Instead of following her brother inside, she paused, looked up at him with a sleepy smile, and slid down to sit on the steps.

“You’re going to freeze out here,” he murmured, his protest a bit half-hearted. The idea of revisiting the spot where he’d first realized he was falling in love with her somehow felt appropriate for such a night.

“I have on my fuzzy coat,” she answered, tugging at the thick collar of her long black coat. “I’ll be fine as long as we snuggle.”

How could he refuse such a fetching invitation? He lowered to sit beside her and she linked her arm through his, resting her head against his shoulder and bringing the wonderful scent of her hair.

“We did it,” she whispered. “And it was wonderful.”

“It was,” he rasped in response as he embraced her nearness. “We make an excellent team.”

She looked up at him. “We do.”

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