“I don’t know,” Penny replied. “I don’t know what to think about any of this. I thought Rowan and I would be happy together. That we didn’t need fancy careers if we had each other. And I thought that when I found my biological father, he’d be a nice man with a good job who would take me out to dinner or to see a show — not some psychopath who killed my grandmother.”
“What does your mum say about it all?”
Penny laughed. “She won’t talk about it. I’m surrounded by people who won’t talk about their problems. It’s frustrating.”
“She probably blames herself, you know.” Evie shook her head as she imagined what Penny’s mother must be going through. How hard it must’ve been for her when she discovered her own mother’s dead body and the police questioned her lover over the murder.
“I’m sure you’re right.” Penny played with her fork, turning the rice over and over in her bowl. “She’s had a hard life. I can’t blame her for not wanting to think about the worst thing that ever happened to her.”
“Especially since there was never any closure. She was so young, and the police investigated the case for years and came up empty. No one has ever paid for what happened. She had to get on with her life and put it behind her, so she did. We can’t blame her for that.”
“You’re right. I’ve been too hard on her.” Penny wiped her nose with the napkin again. “I’m a terrible daughter.”
“No, you’re not.”
“And a bad wife.”
Evie sighed and squeezed Penny’s arm. “No, you’re not. You’re a good wife, daughter and friend. We all have our hard days.”
“Maybe we got married too quickly. I knew we shouldn’t have rushed in, but we’ve known each other so long…”
“You didn’t get married too quickly,” Evie said, although she’d wondered about that herself when Penny had announced their engagement.
“We were virtually enemies up until last year. And we got married so fast. We’re still getting to know one another as life partners and friends. I used to think I hated him and now I love him so much, but it’s hard.”
“From what I’ve heard, marriage can be difficult. I don’t have firsthand experience of it and my parents have always been blissfully happy, but I know my sister’s relationship is often up and down.”
“What should I do?” Penny asked, eyes glimmering.
“I think you need to communicate with him about it,” Evie said.
“What if he still won’t talk?”
“Makehim talk. The two of you are partners now—you have to discuss things. Communication is so important in a relationship.”
“I know you’re right.”
“I had a serious boyfriend once. If we’d communicated more, perhaps things would’ve turned out differently. I often wonder about it.”
“I remember you mentioning a boyfriend, but you’ve never told me anything about him.”
“We lived together for almost a decade,” Evie replied. “I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together. But we didn’t talk enough, so I didn’t know he was unhappy — I thought we were both settled and strong in our love for one another. But I was wrong.”
“What happened?”
“He left me for someone else out of the blue.”
“I’m so sorry, honey. Do you think Rowan’s going to do that?” Penny’s asked, her brow furrowed.
Evie shook her head. “No, I don’t. But my point is, you need to communicate. My boyfriend and I didn’t talk about our relationship enough. I didn’t know he was unhappy—I didn’t see the signs. He didn’t like to talk, and I didn’t make him. Then he was gone before I realised what had happened.”
“That must’ve been hard.”
“It was devastating. It changed the entire course of my life. I had so many plans and an entire life built around him — a future marriage and children, an expanding photography business, a lovely group of friends. I lost it all that day. When he told me our relationship was over, that he’d met someone else, I left town. I moved back to Coral Island and started this bookshop.”
“You haven’t ever told me that story,” Penny said. “Thank you for sharing it with me. I’m sorry you went through that.”
“Thanks, but it’s all part of what makes me who I am. I’m not upset about it anymore, or at least, I’m not most of the time. Every now and then, I get a pang of regret.”
