Tylwyth’s chest.
“You can stay with us for as long as you’d like.” Mrs. Tylwyth released her. “Tomorrow, I’ll register you at the middle school.”
“I’m only here for a short stay.”
“And you can sleep right here with Tenley,” Mrs. Tylwyth ignored her. “I would do anything for your mother. She was a wonderful woman.” Her eyes filled with tears. “She took such good care of my Tenley. And now I get to return the favor.”
“Mrs. Tylwyth, I really appreciate it, thank you. I’m just staying for a day or two though.”
Mrs. Tylwyth was hearing none of it. “We’ll have to write Mr. Tylwyth and tell him the happy news.” She winked at Tenley, then squeezed Pennie’s hand and walked out the door.
Tenley groaned. “She means it when she says she’s gonna write him. As in by snail mail . They don’t have Internet on fishing rigs. It takes like two months to get a letter from him.”
Pennie tried to look surprised.
Tenley walked over to her desk. “I hardly even remember your mother. She only took care of me until I was, like, ten.”
“She was nice, Tenley.” Pennie walked into the room.
“Yeah. Sorry.” Tenley grabbed her phone and started texting. “As long as you’ll be staying here now, will you be in my nail art tutorial?”
Pennie looked down at her hands. “Okay.”
“Good.” Tenley smiled without looking up.
Pennie noticed the digital clock next to the bed. It was already five o’clock. Time went so fast on Earth. “ If you’ll agree to do what we talked about at school. Sign the form I need you to sign.” Pennie brought her hand to her temple. She was about to produce the hologram contract when Mrs. Tylwyth peeked into the room again.
“Girls? How about a shopping spree? I think Pennie’s going to need some new clothes.”
“Shopping spree! Let’s go!”
Tenley pushed by Pennie and ran out the door.
22
38:10:33
Hadley Beach
The mall was packed.
“This is perfect. I needed nomination clothes anyway.” Tenley hurried ahead.
It was taxing, trying to keep up with her. Already, Pennie was out of breath and they’d only just stepped into the mall.
Mrs. Tylwyth looked concerned for Pennie. “Tenley, could you slow down a bit?”
Tenley was a few stores ahead and showed no signs of slowing. A posse of girls about the same age as Tenley sneered at her as she hurried by.
“What’s with the sash?” One of them, a brunette with blond tips at the end of her long hair, scowled.
“Is she like a beauty contestant or something?”
“Toddlers and tiaras.”
“ Right ?” another girl snorted.
Pennie glared at them.
Mrs. Tylwyth looked worried when Pennie wiped her brow. An old lady with an oxygen tank sped by them.
“Let’s take a little rest, shall we?” Mrs. Tylwyth suggested.
Up ahead, Tenley disappeared into a store. “Thanks, Mrs. Tylwyth. Maybe just until I catch my breath.”
“You must be tired from the long trip. Florida is across the country.”
“It was a long trip,” Pennie agreed.
Mrs. Tylwyth led Pennie over to an empty table at the edge of the food court. Pennie dropped into a chair.
“Now that does feel nice,” Mrs. Tylwyth sighed into her seat. A father and toddler walked by holding hands.
“Did Gerty ever tell you that Tenley’s father’s has had a terrible time getting off work to come visit?”
For the past twelve years? Pennie wanted to say, but instead she nodded. Even Gerty used to fall for the letters Mrs. Tylwyth wrote, painstakingly concealing her own penmanship so Tenley would believe they were from her father. “Yes, I remember her saying something about that,” Pennie said. “That’s too bad.”
Mrs. Tylwyth looked out at the crowd of mall-goers.
A small girl ran after her older sister and tripped. The mother swept the wailing girl up and held a tissue to her lip. “I told you not to chase your sister like that.”
The little girl nodded through her tears and hugged her mom.
Mrs.
“You can stay with us for as long as you’d like.” Mrs. Tylwyth released her. “Tomorrow, I’ll register you at the middle school.”
“I’m only here for a short stay.”
“And you can sleep right here with Tenley,” Mrs. Tylwyth ignored her. “I would do anything for your mother. She was a wonderful woman.” Her eyes filled with tears. “She took such good care of my Tenley. And now I get to return the favor.”
“Mrs. Tylwyth, I really appreciate it, thank you. I’m just staying for a day or two though.”
Mrs. Tylwyth was hearing none of it. “We’ll have to write Mr. Tylwyth and tell him the happy news.” She winked at Tenley, then squeezed Pennie’s hand and walked out the door.
Tenley groaned. “She means it when she says she’s gonna write him. As in by snail mail . They don’t have Internet on fishing rigs. It takes like two months to get a letter from him.”
Pennie tried to look surprised.
Tenley walked over to her desk. “I hardly even remember your mother. She only took care of me until I was, like, ten.”
“She was nice, Tenley.” Pennie walked into the room.
“Yeah. Sorry.” Tenley grabbed her phone and started texting. “As long as you’ll be staying here now, will you be in my nail art tutorial?”
Pennie looked down at her hands. “Okay.”
“Good.” Tenley smiled without looking up.
Pennie noticed the digital clock next to the bed. It was already five o’clock. Time went so fast on Earth. “ If you’ll agree to do what we talked about at school. Sign the form I need you to sign.” Pennie brought her hand to her temple. She was about to produce the hologram contract when Mrs. Tylwyth peeked into the room again.
“Girls? How about a shopping spree? I think Pennie’s going to need some new clothes.”
“Shopping spree! Let’s go!”
Tenley pushed by Pennie and ran out the door.
22
38:10:33
Hadley Beach
The mall was packed.
“This is perfect. I needed nomination clothes anyway.” Tenley hurried ahead.
It was taxing, trying to keep up with her. Already, Pennie was out of breath and they’d only just stepped into the mall.
Mrs. Tylwyth looked concerned for Pennie. “Tenley, could you slow down a bit?”
Tenley was a few stores ahead and showed no signs of slowing. A posse of girls about the same age as Tenley sneered at her as she hurried by.
“What’s with the sash?” One of them, a brunette with blond tips at the end of her long hair, scowled.
“Is she like a beauty contestant or something?”
“Toddlers and tiaras.”
“ Right ?” another girl snorted.
Pennie glared at them.
Mrs. Tylwyth looked worried when Pennie wiped her brow. An old lady with an oxygen tank sped by them.
“Let’s take a little rest, shall we?” Mrs. Tylwyth suggested.
Up ahead, Tenley disappeared into a store. “Thanks, Mrs. Tylwyth. Maybe just until I catch my breath.”
“You must be tired from the long trip. Florida is across the country.”
“It was a long trip,” Pennie agreed.
Mrs. Tylwyth led Pennie over to an empty table at the edge of the food court. Pennie dropped into a chair.
“Now that does feel nice,” Mrs. Tylwyth sighed into her seat. A father and toddler walked by holding hands.
“Did Gerty ever tell you that Tenley’s father’s has had a terrible time getting off work to come visit?”
For the past twelve years? Pennie wanted to say, but instead she nodded. Even Gerty used to fall for the letters Mrs. Tylwyth wrote, painstakingly concealing her own penmanship so Tenley would believe they were from her father. “Yes, I remember her saying something about that,” Pennie said. “That’s too bad.”
Mrs. Tylwyth looked out at the crowd of mall-goers.
A small girl ran after her older sister and tripped. The mother swept the wailing girl up and held a tissue to her lip. “I told you not to chase your sister like that.”
The little girl nodded through her tears and hugged her mom.
Mrs.
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