Page 24 of Positively, Penelope

I’ll send photos later. It’s a beautiful old house. Iris will be here shortly and I need to turn on the new twinkle lights I added to the living room.

Penelope

PS: I’m ready to give Matt dating tips if he asks.

PPS: I don’t think he’ll ask, but just in case, I’m ready. As you know, I’ve watched ALL the right movies for it.

PPPS: Grandpa Gray was a DARLING! (Pun intended.) He was rather sad, but I feel certain he just needs some company. Now that I know where he lives, I can visit and bring cookies.

From: Luke Edgewood

To: Penelope Edgewood, Izzy Edgewood, Josephine Martin

Date: September8

Subject: Re: Today my prince came!

Penny-girl,

Did you just turn Chris Pine into an adjective?

Stepping away from this conversation.

Luke

PS: Who goes horse riding in the rain? Weirdo.

PPS: You may be in more distress than you think.

Text from Luke to Penelope:Any guy with a first line like that isn’t to be trusted.

Penelope:SOME people can be charming.

Luke:Some snakes can be too.

Penelope:Do you even have a romantic bone in your body?

Luke:It was the toe bone the nail went through. So no.

From: Penelope Edgewood

To: Izzy Edgewood, Luke Edgewood

Date: September8

Subject: Grumpy Gray weirdness & little princesses

What did Matt Gray mean? I need to know. I have my assumptions, but the two of you will be honest with me. As you recall, I kept Iris tonight so Matt could go on a date. Excellent opportunity for him. Maybe the right woman will make himless grumpy. It’s definitely a trope I enjoy watching. Besides, I think sunshine characters should have more opportunities to be heroines. To be perfectly honest, the grumpy, sassy, or angsty heroines enjoy too much spotlight, and the sunshiny, optimistic, “spoonful of sugar” heroines rarely get as much attention. The world would be a very dismal place without sunshine. Think about that!

Anyway, Matt asked me not to go overboard with fairy-tale stuff, so instead Iris and I talked about the royal family of Skymar and watchedCinderella. I thought when Matt came in to find us halfway through the movie, he’d yell something atrocious about fairy tales and pull Iris from the cottage, but instead, he sent me an impressive glare, narrowed those eyebrows of his, and sat down on the couch on the other side of Iris. He even ate some of my special homemade Buncha Crunch mix. I think he liked the unique mix of chocolate, nuts, and popcorn, because he had several handfuls.

Iris fell asleep on the couch, so I took the opportunity to show him a few of my designs for the new website and some graphics I’d like to use on social media as well as for local advertising. (Did I mention their social media involvement is... not?) I’ve already started two social media accounts for them. (Nerdy theater people are GREAT at following new accounts and sharing the dramatic love. Also, the Skymarian Theater Troupe are devotees of The Darling House, so that’s a definite plus. Oh, how I adore this community!)

Matt didn’t say anything negative about the fact that I’d shown IrisCinderella. He even made a comment about how poignant the forgiveness scene was at the end of the movie. When I mentioned how it reminds me of my part to play in the worldand how kindness and courage are some of the most beautiful attributes a person can have, he stared at me a little longer than usual and I have to admit—his eyes are VERY Chris Pine blue, especially when he wears his black-framed glasses.The Princess Diaries 2vibes, y’all. Seriously. His date had to have been sufficiently distracted if he put on his glasses.

Then we had a brief discussion about faith and healing and what real love looks like. I liked him better then. Not that I didn’t like him before, but I feel as though... well, I don’t know. It was probably the glasses.

However, the next conversation cleared out whatever feeling I was feeling. Here’s how it went:

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