Persevere

Chapter 21

A/N: Two or possibly three chapters left! This chapter in Penny's life is coming to an end soon!

Thankfully, and it's more than a little embarrassing, but she knows what's going on so she gave me a room separate from Luke and Sam. Before I knew it Lani and I were dozing off in our seats out back. The family had set up some tiki torches and lit a small fire out back so that the kids could all spend time getting to know each other. Lani had so much fun running around and by the time she started to get tired she came to sit with me on one of the large beach chairs and both of us started dozing.

"Hey, sleeping beauties."

"Hmm."

"Go shower and rest." Jonah smiled.

"Right . . . the breeze, it's so nice." I smiled back.

"That it is, go on now. I don't want to come back and find you sleeping here."

"That wouldn't be a bad thing, but we're going now. Come on, princesa." I muttered, shifting a half-asleep Lani in my arms.

Lani showered with me and we just laid in bed, enjoying the breeze. For her, it's the knowing that her daddy is just in the backyard. She's a daddy girl.

"Mommy, we stay here with daddy?" Lani asked as we laid in the big bed after our shower.

"For a little while, then we'll go home."

"With daddy?"

"Yeah and the baby, well that's unless daddy has to go away for work." I told her.

"You have a baby in your belly?" She asked, laying her cheek on my not yet showing stomach.

"Yup, a little brother or sister for you." I smiled.

"Where's daddy?" she asked.

"He's . . ."

"Right here, Lani." he said from the door.

"Luke . . ."

"Just to put her to sleep." he pleaded.

"Fine."

He laid on the bed on Lani's other side making her smile as she snuggled up to her dad, but she was holding my hand the whole time. My little girl is growing up, five years old already and I feel like it all just slipped by us.

"She's getting so big." Luke muttered when Lani and I were both in that in-between almost asleep - half-awake state.

"I was thinking the same thing earlier." I yawned.

"Penny . . . can I stay?" he asked, bringing his hand up to my cheek.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please, just like this, you on one side and me on the other. Don't send me away."

"No, you can't stay." I said, closing my eyes.

"I love you, Penelope Toretto-Hobbs. Good night." he whispered.

When I opened my eyes the next day all I saw was hair. Lani's and Sam's since the pre-teen joined us in the middle of the night. The girls are still asleep so I just crept on my family a little. Samantha made me a mother for the first time, she showed me what real, unapologetic love looked like. Her and her father made me feel a happy I didn't know existed and now that's all hanging by a thin thread.

I'll have to talk to Luke today, we just need to get it over with. The direction of the conversation scares me though. My husband's actions are not to be applauded, he messed up and he knows it, but I love him and I don't want to break up or leave him. At the same time, I don't want to be left wondering what he's up to when he's out on jobs either. If what he wants is to be a single man, I won't stop him but he won't be coming back to me months later talking about how he regrets it. If he wants to stay with his family, he's gonna have to work to get my trust.