Work Text:
Eloise was halfway through her iced tea when someone dropped into the chair across from her.
She looked up, smiling automatically, but the smile faded the moment she got a proper look at Penelope. "Hey." She frowned. "Did something happen?"
"Honestly, I don't know," her friend admitted, "your brother's acting strange."
Her concern was unmistakable and Eloise tried to make light of things. "When isn't he?"
"El," Penelope replied exasperated.
"So, how is my dear brother acting so strange?"
"I'm not really sure. He's just elusive."
The thought hit her, and she blurted it out. ‟Do you think he found out?”
Penelope’s expression tightened. "Maybe that's exactly it."
"Hey, maybe it's something else," Eloise said quickly, but she knew she'd only made things worse.
Penelope was rarely this insecure about her relationship. Pen and Anthony were one of the strongest couples she knew. Yet, this story had become a burden for her friend. Penelope had even told her how she had dreamed about it.
"But—"
"No buts," Eloise said more firmly. "He loves you."
Eloise had no doubt about it.
"That doesn't mean he wants to marry me."
Eloise knew Penelope was right. Still...
"I'm marrying Phil."
"Oh. My. God. Are you serious? Did he propose? How? When?"
Eloise smiled at Pen’s reaction and then she began telling her about the proposal, one that her younger self would never have imagined saying yes to because marriage had never been part of her plans, nor children. Yet she was going to marry a widow and become a stepmother of twins because she loved Phillip and his children.
That was why she was certain that if her brother knew about the ring Penelope had bought, he might be acting strangely for any number of reasons, but he wouldn’t say no to her.