Penny's Choice

Chapter 11

It took a moment for Jake's words to sink into Penny's brain.

"Is Jeremy okay?" she asked. "Was he hurt?"

"He wasn't with his parents," Jake answered. "He was at a sleepover at a friend's house."

"I'm glad he wasn't hurt," Penny said. "That would have been terrible for him."

"I imagine he's quite devastated, regardless," Jake said soberly, looking down at his desk. "It's a terrible situation."

"I know," Penny said softly. "I went through the same thing six years ago."

"That's right, you did," he replied. It sounded to Penny like he had just remembered that.

"There's something else," Jake said. "Jeremy's mother Grace listed me as Jeremy's next of kin. I need to go to Vancouver right away."

"Okay," she said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I don't think so," he replied. "I need to make sure Jeremy is taken care of. I don't know what that entails, so I might be in Vancouver for a while."

Penny nodded.

"Trish is canceling the rest of my appointments for this week," Jake stated. "The funeral is on Sunday. I don't know when I'll be back."

"You'll keep in touch, won't you?" she asked, suddenly realizing that she wasn't going to see Jake again for a while.

"I'll do my best," Jake said, standing up. "I have to go home and pack."

"Okay," she replied, standing up.

Jake hugged her tightly for a long time before he let her go.

"I love you," he said emotionally. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, too," she said.

He kissed her deeply and then he was gone.

Penny felt bereft when she went back to her cubicle. It felt like all the lightness and joy had suddenly left her life.

She tried to concentrate on her work but she was worried about Jake. She didn't know Jeremy, but she hoped he was okay. She knew how devastating it was to lose both your parents at the same time. At least she hadn't been a teenager when she'd lost hers.

Penny dreaded going home to an empty apartment, so she stayed extra late at work that night.

Jake phoned her from his parents' place late that night. She had been waiting for his call.

"How are you?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Tired," he replied soberly. His usual jovial manner was long gone.

"Did you see Jeremy?" she asked.

"Very briefly," Jake replied. "He's staying with Grace's parents, but I think I'm going to bring him to my parents' place."

"Really?" she asked, surprised. "Shouldn't he be somewhere that's familiar to him?"

"Grace's parents are a mess," Jake finally said. "They can barely take care of themselves, much less a teenager."

Penny asked Jake if his parents were okay with having a teenager in their house.

"My mom is ecstatic about having her grandson around," Jake replied. "She always wanted to be a part of his life."

"Oh," Penny said. She started to understand the dynamics of Jake's family a little better. It must have been hard for Margo and Bill to not even acknowledge that they ever had a grandson. At least now they could get to know him better.