“I don’t wanna go,” Penny face-planted on my bed and let out a loud muffled yelled.

“Well, when you move here you won't have to ever leave.” I grabbed more clothes from my closet and shoved them inside of my duffle bag.

Penny flopped over on her back, her yellow flowy dress barely l hiding her blue panties. She gave me a strong stare and frowned. Every time I brought this up she gets so flustered, she has no idea what she wants. She is basically being held back because of her dad. She doesn't want him to be alone or disappoint him in anyway.

“You know your dad is going to find out about us eventually, right?”

Penny nodded quietly while staring at the ceiling. I could tell she felt guilty and extremely nervous about the whole situation.

“I’m going to tell him about us, not right away, but it’s going to happen, Penny.”

“I know. I just — you have — he has to be in a good mood and he won’t be until after tax season. So please, talk to him after April?” Penny’s chest was rising up and down as she remembered how to breathe.

“I know the plan. I know how to talk to your dad and make him understand.” I crawled over to my little girl and kissed her delicate lips, “Now, go pack. We leave in three hours.”

Penny sat up on the bed and slowly moved her body at the edge. Penny grabbed her phone and read a text, she stood still as if something had just stabbed her.

“Penny?”

“M-my . . .” she mumbled. “Dad texted me that my — my mother is over,” she watched her phone carefully.

“Well, that not too bad. I finally get to meet her,” I smiled at her trying to bring her smile back.

“My mother used threaten me,” she blurted out. Her voice as cold as the Arctic.

“What?” I looked over as she stared blankly at her suitcase. “Penny?’ I sat down with her and wrapped her in my arms.

“She . . . is not a good person,” she closed her phone and looked my way. “She would threaten to take me away if I didn’t behave.”

“What do you mean? Behave?”

“She . . . is not a good person,” Penny repeated again. She was really worrying me.

“Penny, you can tell me anything.”

“She would threaten to take me away from my dad if I ever yelled back at her or my dad. Or if I didn’t get straight A’s. Or if I disobeyed the rules. I am supposed to listen to her and be the best I can be or else she would take me away. She would take me away from my dad.”

What the fuck?

“Have you ever told Brad about this.”

“No!” she snapped. “I couldn’t. She told me if I ever told him, she would take me away —,” she swallowed heavily.

“But she can't do that?” my blood boiling with rage.

“I know that now, but when I was younger I didn’t,” she was starting to tear up.

“Why don't you tell your dad?”

“It would only make his life more stressful. It doesn't matter anymore,” she wiped a tear. “My dad doesn’t know half of what that bitch has done or said to me,” Penny’s voice started to rise for the first time. She shot up from the bed and clenched her phone as a tear rolled down her face. “He doesn’t know that she calls me a Worthless Penny or that she wished she had an abortion because I ruined her body or that I am the biggest mistake of her life —”

I grabbed Penny and absorbed all her sadness as I hugged her tightly. I felt her shake in my arms as she sniffed and cried. My heart sank feeling all the pain she must have had bottled up inside of her.

“I’m right here. I’ll always be right here Penny. My Lucky Penny,” I petted her hair, kissing her head and hugging her tighter. I never want Penny to feel this way not if I can help it.

“She comes in my life twice a fucking year and always fucks it up. She always ruins everything. She’s going to ruin us,” she hugged me tightly and cried into my chest.

“She isn't going to ruin us. I promise.”

We embraced each other for a few minutes while her crying stopped. She held me tighter than ever before, as if she was afraid she was going to lose me at any second.

“I love you,” Penny said, looking up at me with her wet eyes.

My heart stopped as I looked down on her, blinking rapidly as if I couldn’t believe she said that. I couldn't believe she said it first.

I wanted to say it first.

Penny took a step back and looked down on the ground. “I shouldn’t have said —”

“I love you.”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have said that,” she pulled her hair behind her ear as she stared at her feet.

“No, Penny,” I sat down on the edge of the bed so I could be eye level with her. “I am in love with you.”

Penny let out a smile and then a frown right afterwards. She wiped off a tear with her palm, “Are you just saying that to make me feel better?”

I shook my head and smiled at her. I grabbed her dress and pulled her toward me, “I am dead serious. I love you with all my heart.”

She narrowed her big eyes on me and let out a faint smile.

“I knew for a while but you just happened to beat me to it,” I kissed her puffy lips.

She let out a little hiccup of laughter as she turned pink.

“I love you,” I said over, and over again as I kissed her all over her face.

“Okay. Okay,” she giggled from all of my affection as she pushed me away. “I believe you.”

“I promise you, nothing is going to be ruined,” I kissed her button nose. “I’ll always be here for you Penny.”