felt a knock on her head.
21
38:56:00
Hadley Beach
“Tenley? Come open the door for me, please.”
Pennie blinked her eyes open. This was not her flat in Fair City. She reached down for her tool belt. Where were her robes? Why was she wearing all pink?
“Tenley?” Mrs. Tylwyth repeated from the behind the front door.
“I’m doing my nails, Mom,” Tenley called down the stairs.
The Tylwyth couch. The Tylwyth living room. On Earth. That’s where she was. Pennie sat up.
The last thing she remembered was walking toward the school exit and that knock on her head.
She got herself up on shaky legs and peeked around the corner. Through the kitchen window, she saw Mrs. Tylwyth lifting groceries out of her trunk.
Mrs. Tylwyth!
Pennie watched her struggle with her bags. One of them dropped onto the driveway. She needed help. Pennie shuffled over and opened the front door.
“Oh!” Mrs. Tylwyth took a step back. “Well, hello there,” she smiled. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.” Pennie looked down at the groceries. “Can I help you with those?”
“Oh gracious, no. Don’t be silly. You’re the one who fainted. Please go back in and sit down. I went to get some groceries, you look like you haven’t eaten in, well … I hope I’m not sounding too forward. How long have you been a classmate of Tenley’s exactly?” Mrs. Tylwyth was trying to sound casual, but her brow betrayed her. She stole a look at Tenley’s high-tops as she walked past Pennie and into the kitchen.
“I don’t go to Hadley Middle School, Mrs. Tylwyth.”
When Mrs. Tylwyth turned around, she had a quizzical look on her face.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Pennie.”
“And your last name?’
“Just—” she mumbled. “One?”
“I knew it!” Mrs. Tylwyth rushed up to her. “You wouldn’t happen to know Gertrude Justwan, would you?” She winked.
“Gerty?” Pennie asked. Of course she did. Gerty was Tenley’s nanny. She had taken care of Tenley whenever Mrs. Tylwyth was working at the antique store.
“This is so wonderful!” Mrs. Tylwyth pulled Pennie into a bear hug. “I couldn’t tell when I first saw you, because of course you were lying down asleep in the nurse’s office by the time I got there. I came as soon as Mr. Frimpy called me. Then that nice high school boy helped us get you into the car so I could bring you back here and put you on the couch. Do you remember walking into the house? You were still terribly exhausted, I’m afraid. But anywho. You have the same ears!” She tugged at them.
“I do?”
“Yes! Now don’t tell me you’ve never been told you look like Gerty before. Spitting image. Let’s go tell Tenley; she’ll be tickled.”
“I’m not sure Tenley wants to see me.”
“You came all the way here,” Mrs. Tylwyth protested. “Of course she wants to see you. Now that we know who you are. Gerty’s daughter!” She grabbed Pennie’s hand and dragged her up the stairs.
Mrs. Tylwyth knocked softly on Tenley’s door. “Tenley, I’ve got some exciting news!”
Pennie braced herself.
“Pennie is Gerty’s daughter!”
Tenley’s door swung open. “Gerty’s daughter?”
Mrs. Tylwyth turned to Pennie. “Has Gerty moved back to California then?”
Pennie had to think about this. The last time she saw Gerty was when she was here, taking care of Tenley in this house. “No I haven’t seen her in … well … she’s gone.” Pennie looked down solemnly.
Mrs. Tylwyth slapped her hand over her mouth. “You don’t mean?” She pulled Pennie in tightly. “You poor thing. The last time I heard from her she was opening a gift shop in the Keys. I’m embarrassed to say I thought she said her daughter’s name was Annabel, but there’s no mistaking this hair. Exactly the same as Gerty’s. Right ,Tenley?”
Tenley narrowed her eyes at Pennie. “So you’re really not trying to get nominated for ANMIT?”
“No,” Pennie mumbled into Mrs.
21
38:56:00
Hadley Beach
“Tenley? Come open the door for me, please.”
Pennie blinked her eyes open. This was not her flat in Fair City. She reached down for her tool belt. Where were her robes? Why was she wearing all pink?
“Tenley?” Mrs. Tylwyth repeated from the behind the front door.
“I’m doing my nails, Mom,” Tenley called down the stairs.
The Tylwyth couch. The Tylwyth living room. On Earth. That’s where she was. Pennie sat up.
The last thing she remembered was walking toward the school exit and that knock on her head.
She got herself up on shaky legs and peeked around the corner. Through the kitchen window, she saw Mrs. Tylwyth lifting groceries out of her trunk.
Mrs. Tylwyth!
Pennie watched her struggle with her bags. One of them dropped onto the driveway. She needed help. Pennie shuffled over and opened the front door.
“Oh!” Mrs. Tylwyth took a step back. “Well, hello there,” she smiled. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.” Pennie looked down at the groceries. “Can I help you with those?”
“Oh gracious, no. Don’t be silly. You’re the one who fainted. Please go back in and sit down. I went to get some groceries, you look like you haven’t eaten in, well … I hope I’m not sounding too forward. How long have you been a classmate of Tenley’s exactly?” Mrs. Tylwyth was trying to sound casual, but her brow betrayed her. She stole a look at Tenley’s high-tops as she walked past Pennie and into the kitchen.
“I don’t go to Hadley Middle School, Mrs. Tylwyth.”
When Mrs. Tylwyth turned around, she had a quizzical look on her face.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Pennie.”
“And your last name?’
“Just—” she mumbled. “One?”
“I knew it!” Mrs. Tylwyth rushed up to her. “You wouldn’t happen to know Gertrude Justwan, would you?” She winked.
“Gerty?” Pennie asked. Of course she did. Gerty was Tenley’s nanny. She had taken care of Tenley whenever Mrs. Tylwyth was working at the antique store.
“This is so wonderful!” Mrs. Tylwyth pulled Pennie into a bear hug. “I couldn’t tell when I first saw you, because of course you were lying down asleep in the nurse’s office by the time I got there. I came as soon as Mr. Frimpy called me. Then that nice high school boy helped us get you into the car so I could bring you back here and put you on the couch. Do you remember walking into the house? You were still terribly exhausted, I’m afraid. But anywho. You have the same ears!” She tugged at them.
“I do?”
“Yes! Now don’t tell me you’ve never been told you look like Gerty before. Spitting image. Let’s go tell Tenley; she’ll be tickled.”
“I’m not sure Tenley wants to see me.”
“You came all the way here,” Mrs. Tylwyth protested. “Of course she wants to see you. Now that we know who you are. Gerty’s daughter!” She grabbed Pennie’s hand and dragged her up the stairs.
Mrs. Tylwyth knocked softly on Tenley’s door. “Tenley, I’ve got some exciting news!”
Pennie braced herself.
“Pennie is Gerty’s daughter!”
Tenley’s door swung open. “Gerty’s daughter?”
Mrs. Tylwyth turned to Pennie. “Has Gerty moved back to California then?”
Pennie had to think about this. The last time she saw Gerty was when she was here, taking care of Tenley in this house. “No I haven’t seen her in … well … she’s gone.” Pennie looked down solemnly.
Mrs. Tylwyth slapped her hand over her mouth. “You don’t mean?” She pulled Pennie in tightly. “You poor thing. The last time I heard from her she was opening a gift shop in the Keys. I’m embarrassed to say I thought she said her daughter’s name was Annabel, but there’s no mistaking this hair. Exactly the same as Gerty’s. Right ,Tenley?”
Tenley narrowed her eyes at Pennie. “So you’re really not trying to get nominated for ANMIT?”
“No,” Pennie mumbled into Mrs.
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