0 comments/ 3306 views/ 5 favorites Lost And Found Ch. 01.5: Miracles By: Smokey125 Smokey Saga #54: "Lost And Found 1½: Miracles" *** The original "Lost And Found" (Saga #38) has become one of the more beloved pieces in my library, accumulating a few requests asking for more of these gals. God bless you, Faithful Readers To Whom I Owe So Very Much, this isn't the only (especially more recent) story some of you've asked me to Pen a sequel to, so more shall follow. There'll be another "Lost And Found" chapter after this, back-to-back: Saga #55, entitled "Where The Heart Is." This one I call "Miracles." I thought briefly of calling it something crazy, like "Let's Make A Deal Or No Wheel Of Fortune," but...no. We already had Cessy's story, so here's Penny's. Enjoy. *** Springtime Of Love (Penny's From Heaven) Three months later: Monday, March 2nd, 2015, 9:19 a.m. Iridescent sunlight danced through the swaying, translucent curtains in the mistress bedroom window, at 16730 Randall's View Terrace. Inside lay two slumbering angels spooning in each other's arms, enjoying another heavenly sleepy morning. One of the spoons was a 34-year-old brunette waif named Cecily, the other a 34-year-old blonde multimillion-heir named Penelope. The luxury nest's other occupant, a 4-year-old dachshund pup named Hollaweenie, was curled up downstairs in his doggy donut, dreaming blissful canine dreams. Light, cold breezes swished outside, activating the windchime in front of the house. Weekday warriors settled into the beginning of another slow work week. And spring was fast on the way to the fair city of Juniper. As with most dawns, Penny was first to awaken. Since Cessy had shown up at the door with her baby Weenie in November, Penny had taken her in, nurtured her, given her shelter, nourishment and several varieties of love. And in the three months since, she'd come to the conclusion that after four months on the streets, she couldn't blame Cesse for sleeping ten hours a night. After they'd celebrated Thanksgiving with Penny's Aunt Tracy, they shared a bit more wine, made a little more love, lay face to face in bed and stayed up the entire night, talking about everything. It was so enchanting there in the glow of nothing but the outside Christmas lights neighbors turned on. The night went so fast, before they knew it, brightness fell over them. It was astonishing. Any normal night, wine plus sex plus bed equaled utterly knocked-out sweet dreams. This, however, was not any normal night. It took a day and a half to finally sink in, just how incredible this reunion truly was. They were the same age, had first met when they were 5, then at 23, and now here at 34. They truly were one another's kindred spirits, soul-halves and fatemates, in the purest sense. As she did most mornings about this time, Penny laid a short pattern of kisses on Cessy, from spine to shoulder blade, silently letting her know she'd be getting up to tinkle now. She crawled down off the bed, gingerly rolled the blanket up to Cesse's ankles, and danced her fingertips over her piggies, giving her bare feet and toes their morning tickle. Cesse as usual twitched and giggled in her sleep, making Penny fall in love with her all over again. She trotted off to answer nature's call. Some mornings, Penny was undoubtedly in the mood. Some mornings, she was unspeakably amorous, and unwilling to take no for an answer. This was one of those mornings. Upon return, she slid the bedroom window open a crack, hopped back into bed like a cat, slunk up to Cesse, reclaimed her snuggly cotton pajama-clad body, and whispered. "Psst." "Yes?" murmured Cecily. "Good morning, Tigger...it's Lolita." Cesse's eyes jumped open as her body teemed and coursed with steamy devotion. She knew what this greeting meant: Now that we're both up, I want to play. And you will play with me. Naturally, thought Cesse, who was she to say no? She rolled over to face her lover. "Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo. Good morning, Loly." Taking an obligatory moment to savor one another's magnificence, they eased in. Soft kisses, fluttering eyes, tender vocalizations. The crisp late winter-early spring air acted as a refrigerant when their bodies grew warm. They kept their peejays on for the moment, relishing the soft, silky texture. They stroked, fondled and caressed, paws almost entirely concealed in the jammie sleeve cuffs. They whispered back and forth a hundred times how dearly they loved each other, amidst pecks, nuzzles, and other tender morsels of affection. It was like opening up a container of potato chips; once they got started, they couldn't stop. They let their hearts take over, rubbing against each other like kittens, until reaching the inevitable next level. Penny brushed back Cesse's hair and pressed her lips to her ear. The warm breath sent tingles all over Cessy, overwhelming her with one first big rush of passion. She squeezed Penny extra tight, grabbing one of Penny's legs between both her own and clamping it in a territorial vise of love. Penny slid down from Cecily's ear to her inviting neck. Cesse whimpered, rolling back her head, gliding the fingers of one hand up from Penny's spine, backwards through her satiny blonde hair, pushing the tresses up and over Penny's forehead, taking in its aromatics. Among others, her olfactory senses were pleased. Penny sucked on Cesse's neck until a prominent, mouth-sized hickey arose on her delicate flesh. Head flung back on the pillows, eyes snugly shut, Cesse groaned, enjoying the tingling pulse. She loved that all she could see of Penny at present was the top of her head, fair golden strands spilling everywhere. It conveyed a message of diligence, an indication that Penny was engrossed in the task at hand, committed to a job well, well done. It made Cessy feel so special and important to her. The lasses lay side by side, Penny's body only slightly overlapping Cesse's. Cesse brought her other quivering hand up to join its partner, hugging Penny about the neck, all ten fingers now toying with her hair. It held just the perfect amount of thickness: thick enough to hold its body, but not so thick that the digits in question got caught. Penny made everything so accommodating and ac-Cesse-ible for her, without even trying. It was all part of what made life with Penny James so enthralling: be it curling up on the sofa for a good movie, reading poems in bed, dining by candlelight, a handheld stroll around the block, playing with Hollaweenie, or even outings like grocery shopping. Penelope Isabel James somehow managed to do it all with a smile on her face, a sunny disposition towards her mate Cecily Selena Helmsley, and towards the rest of the world as well. Cesse supposed winning the powerball lotto jackpot helped, but still, money could do only so much. It could rent happiness, but couldn't buy it. Happiness came in installments. Since back in November, Penny'd been nothing but wonderful to her. It made sense, being that Cesse had reunited her with her best friend, little Weenie. But Penny surpassed even Cessy's most extravagant hopes in all areas: hospitality, friendship, generosity, compassion, resilience, loyalty, benevolence. She never wavered. She just gave and gave, not the least concerned with reciprocation or getting her fair share. She really was the most extraordinary person Cesse had ever met. Cesse didn't know how different—if at all—things would be to meet or fall in love with a real angel from the Afterland, but the distinction couldn't be that prevalent. She was no slouch in the lovemaking department, either. Cessy purred with love as Penny worked her way on down, unbuttoning Cesse's jammie top. She nosed under to greet Minnie and Daisy, Cesse's eager girls, whose nipples perked up, noticing the pretty face just outside. Cesse blindly reached to help, but Penny gently took her hands, kissed and laid them to the mattress, her signal to say, Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Just lie back...relax, and enjoy. You are my princess, and I wish to spoil you. Leave it all to me. A spell later, Cessy felt her girls exposed to the cool air. This sensation felt pleasant on its own, but didn't compare to the euphoria she fell into after another minute, as Penny took them in her hands, sucked them into her mouth...ever so lightly sank her teeth...and the air quickly turned from cool to very warm. As she could tell she was pleasing her, Penny shook her head back and forth, her own slo-mo rendition of motorboating Cesse. Cessy giggled as Minnie and Daisy bobbed like toy clowns on either side of Penny's face. It mattered not to Penny whether Cesse found this humorous. Penny was becoming seriously turned on. Each and every day, she loved Cesse—her mind, her soul, her spirit, her heart, her body, her 36C gals Minnie and Daisy—and Tigger, too!—just as much, if not more. Cesse held her breath, trying not to focus on the light touches passing over her tickle spots, and instead on the attention her erogenous zones received. She wasn't sure how Penny'd react if she suddenly burst out laughing. Fortunately, Penny decided to flip around on her belly, undo her own pajama top, and set Hansel and Gretel free on her girlfriend's tummy. Cesse was now treated to a view of Penny's pleasingly round rump. But her vision grew fuzzy as she felt her inner thighs being rubbed... ...As well as Minnie and Daisy being toyed with by the tops of Penny's lotiony soft feet, her toes teasing Cessy's nipples... Cesse gasped at the wild tit-illation. "Oh my Goddess," she muttered. Down at her midsection, Penny grinned. "Oh my Goddess," she quipped. Penny slithered her naughty hand beneath Cesse's bottoms, and squeezed her naked thigh, brushing Tigger's Howse. Cesse moaned in pleading desire, and a bit of hunny came out of her. Penny grew so excited at the warm feeling on her hand, especially since Cessy didn't allow full pussy access every day. Penny of course had to respect her wishes, besides which, she understood. Much as she adored Cesse, for a host of reasons, she couldn't make love to her twenty-four hours a day. The act would lose spontaneity, for starters. But the girls were keen on taking each generous opportunity as it came. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes afternoon, sometimes evening, occasionally twilight. Sex after midnight lent its own air of mystic splendor. They liked to activate their red and blue bedside lava lamps on these spicy nights, for a splash of hot and cool ambience. The next thing Cesse felt was Penny kissing her pussy through the pajamas. Actually, Cesse couldn't tell for sure, but she seemed to be French-kissing it, or just holding her oral grip and sucking. Whatever she was doing, it felt divine. Cesse gasped again as her juices surged. One hand still under her p.j.s, Penny groped and fondled, all the while sucking her angel's cunt through the fabric, turning her light pink panties a nice shade of lavender, her enthusiasm fueled by the groans of ecstasy behind her. Nothing made her happier than elating the queen of her heart. She was about to relieve her of her jammie pants when she felt her feet being massaged. Penny melted. She'd once shared with Cessy the deep, dark secret that rubbing her feet in just the right way turned her to jelly. Her feet were actually one of her own weakest erogenous spots. She found it intriguing that Cesse would choose this moment to cash in on her literal Achilles' heel. In any event, she wasn't about to complain. Indeed getting dizzy and intoxicated with passion, Cecily decided to toss a little love back Penny's way, by taking her feet one by one...rubbing them...kissing them...nibbling her toes... ...And transforming Penny James into a primal animal in the process. Penny went so fast from playfully turned on to ragingly blind horny, she was afforded no time to consider the effect. Only half paying attention, Cesse too was unaware of the enormity she'd just added to the situation. Next thing she knew, Penny veritably ripped her pajama bottoms and panties right off her legs in a single fell swoop. All four nipples twitched to rock-hardness almost instantaneously. Tigger and Lolita heated up and began bubbling like cauldrons. Ignited like wildfire, Penny went right in for the kill once she had Cesse's cunt exposed before her. Cesse shrieked as Penny devoured her. The electrifying sensation blew her mind to smithereens. Penny's brain had turned to gooey gray matter itself, but not so much that she couldn't focus on her task. Cesse let go of her delicate hind paw, so she scrambled to the foot of the bed and spun around, losing as little precious time as possible to resume eating her, now with the added privilege of seeing the pleasure she was bringing. And quite the privilege it was. Cessy whipped her head to and fro in passion-laced abandon. Each whip was accompanied by its own varying pitch of shout. Wavy brunette hair flew every which way. The ruffly pillows took plenty a wallop. Cesse grabbed one, twisting and throttling, just to give her hands something to do. Penny now lay on her belly between Cesse's legs, pinning her ankles and feet to the bed. She hungrily sank her teeth in again and again until that flesh was ripe, raw and red. All the blood having rushed to her cunt and clit, Cesse had turned a beautiful shade of maroon over her entire pussy. Penny gnawed and dug at her, as if squeezing citrus fruit, draining out more and more love juice from the deepest re-Cesses. Penny held her open with her hands, licking and eating, smearing her face in pre-cum. Cesse couldn't handle much more. It was all getting to be far too intense for her to take. Her lungs cut off her ability to scream any louder. But it would be hardly any longer now. It was too much. It almost felt like torture. Finally, at long last...Cessy felt the tip of Penny's nose tickle her swollen clit...and the Earth exploded. Cesse flung the pillow anywhere, and reached straight back with her hands to grasp the headboard. Her head tilted directly in the same direction. On the verge of laryngitis, she shrieked her final feral shrieks, wordlessly singing Penny's praises to the heavens. Penny shut her eyes tight, proudly and joyfully feeling her girlfriend's cum conjured forth, christening her face. Sometimes they came on one another's faces, sometimes hands, toys, vibrators...Cesse had once had even her toes caked, in the froth of an amazing foot job. They loved trying all different methods together. After first settling in, they began taking quarter-frequent excursions to the sex toy shop, just for shiggles, to see what they might find. And so depending on their moods, sometimes they played with external toys, sometimes with their own built-in machinery. This morning, Penny had opted simply to take on the role of cunning linguist. Sometime later the same morning, after the smoke had cleared and all maintenance was taken care of, Penny took a wobbly-walking Cesse downstairs to whip her up a hearty brunch of gravlax in lemon and dill sauce. *** Had it been anyone else the hospitable Penelope had taken into her extravagant home, she'd have found herself in a tricky situation. That incomparable Wednesday just before Thanksgiving, Penny'd told Cesse she couldn't bear to turn her back out into the cold, and meant it. And with such a soft, giving heart, she'd have said and meant the same to any vagrant who found him- or herself at her mercy. But while pleased to offer her roof, she wasn't running a shelter. The upside was that her wealth opened literal doors to a number of alternatives, from an actual shelter to a hotel. Any persons in need would find themselves very fortunate at Penny's door, having arrived as Cesse did with the young canine lad who had become her best friend in the world. Nine days before, on November 17th, she took Hollaweenie on an early evening walk. They were crossing at an intersection with a school on one side and a dense wood on the other. They started into the street when the sky abruptly went dark with stormclouds. A tremendous, torrential rain soaked them. The sudden deluge was unnerving enough alone, but was joined one moment later by a vicious clap of thunder. The deafening noise was too much for poor Hollaweenie, who yelped in fright and dashed off as fast as his little legs would take him. Penny was also caught entirely off-guard, and lost hold of the leash. All she could see was him taking off in the general direction of the woods, and she couldn't hear a thing. It was a terrible circumstance. She couldn't chase after him with so little visibility, and if she stayed out too long in this mess, she'd catch cold. She was forced to hurry back home, and to spend the next several days making calls and pinning up posters. She was heartbroken. The following week was a seven-day anguish: lying awake in bed wondering if he was all right, coping with the lonely solitude around the house during the day, the sad feeling while out knowing she'd be returning to an empty home, her heartbeat the only one around. The consideration to get another pet would arise now and then, but she didn't want to. She didn't want another dog or cat, fish or bird, bunny or rodent, reptile or amphibian. All she wanted was her beloved Hollaweenie. She'd only had the dachshund pup for three weeks, since the end of October—hence his name—and when she brought him home that first Friday afternoon, he was so friendly and adorable, she had to show him off. So she put him on his new leash and sat with him outside on the porch to greet the trick-or-treaters. Late that night, after the kids had come and gone, she plugged in her Christmas lights, sat with Weenie in the blinking multicolored glow, and they watched holiday TV specials. A week and change later, when a disheveled Cecily Helmsley appeared at her door with the sweet young pup, her downtrodden homeless state was the last thing Penny noticed. She was so thrilled, she welcomed the vagrant in with open arms, offering her a shower, food, and to launder her clothing. It crossed her mind that the woman was a stranger and could hypothetically be any number of dangerous things, but...she'd returned her dog. Her instinct told her anyone honest enough to bring Hollaweenie back, homeless or not, deserved her gratitude and hospitality. It was the least she could do. And it paid off. The homeless woman turned out to be a delightful guest and, surprise of surprises, an early short-lived friendship. As children in the mid-'80s, the two lived on the same street in Green Plains, until Penny's folks, the Jameses, relocated across town. Eighteen years later, Penny's luck had run down the drain. Her parents died when she was only nine. She was an only child and had few remaining relatives, save for her Dad's sister Tracy, with whom she stayed the next several years. When she grew up and gained access to her parents' inheritance, she put herself through a few semesters of college, but her folks weren't the wealthiest on the block. She'd been living with some roommates as the money started running out. She got a part-time job at the Juniper Mall, but quickly found there weren't enough hours to perform her job, keep up her studies and sleep. Something had to go. So sleep it was. *** And Now For A Not Quite So Brief Penny-Wise Flashback Twelve years earlier: spring-autumn 2003 A friend took Penny out one night to unwind. At 23, she enjoyed a drink or seven, and at some point during the course of the night, went home with someone who wasn't her friend. Her drunken stupor led into a one-night stand of which she couldn't remember an iota. Worse yet, a few sleepless, hectic weeks later, approaching her finals, she discovered she was pregnant. Lost And Found Ch. 01.5: Miracles She was so panicked she didn't know what to do. She had no clue who the father was—much less how to get in touch with him—and nor did the friend who'd taken her out. But she did have enough presence of mind to realize that she had eight months to figure things out, so she went ahead and finished studying for her exams. Unfortunately, things weren't to look up yet. In fact, they'd get even worse before being any better. As Penny knocked herself out studying, the lack of sleep took its toll. She could barely stay awake enough to get herself to the mall, let alone do her job duties. And so it was goodbye job, hello unemployment. The meager benefits she received barely afforded her food or gas after paying her roommates rent, and soon she couldn't scrape together even that. The timing couldn't have been worse for her shelter situation. Once she departed from her roommates', the first she thought to do was naturally call Aunt Tracy. But this option was as soon discarded, as she remembered Tracy was on vacation. And Penny didn't have her key to the house. She'd returned it once she'd moved out, proud to be independent and on her own. Great. How stupid of me. Now what? She guessed she'd have to sleep in her car—an old thing, but at least she had paid it off long ago. This arrangement would do for now. It wouldn't work when the baby came, but that was months away, and Tracy would certainly be back by then. In the meantime, she still had to eat. Preserving the gas she had, she returned first to the mall, and filled out every application she could. She couldn't shower or make herself presentable for interviews, but she'd deal with that if and when the time came. It didn't. By autumn, life clearly wasn't done treating Penny like she just ran over its dog, because that was precisely the next thing it took: her car. Her only source of shelter and protection left. Once it finally broke down on her, she figured she could either waste away to zilch until someone came to drag it away from her, or...no, that was pretty much it. So that was all she wrote. Goodbye car. She was beginning to really starve. Her belly and breasts were getting bigger, and the rest of her was getting smaller. In addition, unusual pregnancy cravings crept in to compound her regular famishment. She had to wait for her aunt to return home, and while she did, difficult as it was, she could see she'd have to start asking strangers for handouts. Oh, God...well, here goes nothing. *** Cold Stone-Bottom Monday, October 13th, 2003, 11:37 a.m. Five months into her pregnancy, the homeless and destitute Penelope James had begun spending the whole of her days begging folks for a bit of coin. Her noticeable baby belly helped her out, even if by means of emotional manipulation. But, if it worked... Unable to gauge any kind of reaction at first, Penny tried individuals at random, one at a time. Not in large groups, just anybody who seemed possibly in a generous mood. Bit by bit, she encountered all sorts of different responses to her plea. There were those who outright refused her entreaties, whether politely or otherwise. Others decided against donating to her, but offered instead to treat her to a bite to eat, which she as gladly accepted. Rarest of all was the odd individual who chose to open his or her wallet, if only to turn over a single good old American greenback. Every little bit really did help. One especially soggy, dreary Monday morning, Penny wandered aimlessly, walking around, nothing to do but frown. She softly cried, shivering, feeling terrible for herself, wishing it wasn't raining so someone would believe her tears were real. The outside world could be so cold to the homeless—figuratively, and literally. Right when Penny believed her day could get no worse— VROOOOOMMM—splash! Penny jumped as the murky rainwater pelted her legs. She gasped, and out broke a wracking sob. "Thank you!!" she screamed tearfully after the quickly vanishing car. "That was just what I neede-e-e-e-ed!" She endured the next hour, till the rain inevitably tapered. As if at last shining mercy upon her, the sun broke through. Grateful, but with still nothing else to do...she just kept walking. *** A-Y-E—Five-Oh Monday, October 13th, 2003, 1:25 p.m. Wishing right about now that her parents had named her anything that didn't remind her she was broke, Penny dried off, but smelled still of mildew. The next corner she rounded brought her within sight of an outdoor shopping center. Hmmm...guess it can't hurt to try my luck around this place as anywhere else. Let's see, what have we here...Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, Barnes & Noble, T.G.I. Friday's, Amish Market, Yankee Candle, GameStop, Hallmark, Harry & David— She did a double take. Harry & David?? Oh, goody! They give out free gourmet food samples! Oh, yay!! She was about to make a beeline when something else caught her attention. Hallmark's door jingled as a shopper bounded her way out. Penny did another double take. The young woman who had just exited skipped off the curb, and then...continued skipping. She was visibly just about Penny's age—young, but a grown woman—smiling, and literally skipping her way across the pavement. How...interesting, thought Penny. Her purse bounced at her side. Swinging back and forth from her hand was a purple shopping bag printed with ghosts, witches and jack-o'-lanterns. Penny deduced she must have been pretty happy about her purchase. This unusual but charming display took Penny's mind off gourmet food samples. Anyone this excited about a simple retail buy, it couldn't hurt at least to ask. The lady slowed up skipping in her tennies as she reached her car and went to retrieve her keys. Penny rapidly mustered courage and hastened up behind her. "Excuse me, ma'am!" she panted. The woman turned. "I'm really sorry about this," Penny began, trying to choose tactful wordage. "I don't mean to impose on you, but...I'm...I'm, well... "I'm homeless." The young woman's mouth slipped open as her eyes clouded with reflexive sympathy. "...And, um...I so hate to ask you this, but...is there any possible way you might be able to...help me out with...some...money?" Penny waited, holding out hope as her acquaintance thought it over. The woman looked from her pregnant belly up to her wet, messy eyes. Her deliberation began to go on so long, Penny was thinking she'd overstayed her welcome, as it were. She sensed she'd made her uncomfortable, and didn't feel incredibly comfy now herself. She was just about to apologize and leave her alone when— The young lady reached into her purse, forwent her keys, and pulled out her wallet. Penny gasped at the sight. ...Oh my gosh, really?? She was met with a smile punctuated by a proud nod. "Yes, I can." Penny could hardly believe it. This really was her lucky day! But, belief remained possible, compared to a moment later. Her new friend plucked out a single crisp bill. Penny closed her eyes, silently praying. Five?...Ten?...Dare I hope...twenty?? She felt the money being placed in her palm. She looked down. Her mouth collapsed open. "And that is real," she heard the generous lady tell her. "Not counterfeit. You can take my word for it." Penny could now no longer believe her own eyes. "OHMYGOSH!" she squealed incredulously. "...Ohmygosh! FIFty DOLlars?!" "Well, I can see you're carrying another life inside of you, and so I presumed you're not getting drunk, and...you look like you could use a couple good, nourishing meals. Besides, I'd probably just fritter it away on something unnecessary myself." Before Penny knew it, her eyes involuntarily dampened once more. "OH my GOSH!...I c—...I can't believe this! I...you...you're an angel, lady! You must've been sent from Heaven! You're a wonderful person! God bless you!!" She was two verbal exultations from giving it back and saying she couldn't take it. She almost felt guilty, till her angel spoke again. "No, no, God bless you. Now you put that in your pocket, or somewhere—anywhere—it can't be seen. Then go ahead, run along and get some healthy food in that baby belly. I really hope things start looking up for you." Penny choked up. She swiped at her glistening eyes as tears blurred her vision. "They already have. Miss...Unbelievably Sweet Lady, I...I...words...fail me. I...nobody has ever done anything like this for me before, and...you may not know me, but I don't take anything for granted anymore. Ever. I have become the most thankful person in the world. I'd give you a hug, ma'am, but I don't wanna get you all dirty. But I don't know how to possibly thank you!" The cherub only smiled benevolently. "Hey, it's okay. You can thank me by just enjoying yourself a nutritious meal." Penny watched with welling eyes as her lifesaver for the day got into her car and waved goodbye. Again, she had to fight off the urge to hand back the cash. She did need this; she literally couldn't afford to be selfless. She still couldn't quite believe it. She had to keep from getting carried away, reminding herself that she wasn't going to luck out and strike gold like this with everybody. She had to be calm and handle this prudently. She clutched the paper rectangle to her chest, wondering what to eat. Then she remembered: there was a T.G.I. Friday's right here. Well, I.W.N. Friday, but Penny was still T.G. right about now. Sorry, Harry & David, not this time! She didn't care if she attracted any uninvited attention. She didn't care about uncertain stares or whispers. She was about to enjoy a fantastic lunch...legally. Her day had been saved. *** Hormones And Horseshoes, Act 1 Wednesday, October 15th, 2003, 5:14 p.m. The hearty meal she'd enjoyed courtesy of Friday's two days ago had eaten up only a fourth of her miniature fortune, and had newly energized her. In contrast to her hopeless state of mind at the beginning of the week, she afterwards felt all but invincible. True, she remained destitute overall, and mustn't forget it. But if one person had shown such unconditional charity to her this week, another person could do just the same next week. It was always possible, Penny told herself. Not incredibly probable...but possible. She'd hoped the Friday's staff wasn't offended she hadn't left them a tip. But if her appearance was any indication, hopefully they understood. She soldiered on, wondering where her path would take her next. The following two days saw her continue to meter out her money as prudently and economically as possible, consuming the most nourishing meals at the best bargains. As she sojourned forth late Wednesday afternoon, a standalone building with a gas station appeared to her right. Oh, look over there. What's that? she asked herself. That? That looks like...oh, yeah—that's Cedar Convenience. One of those 24-hour stop-'n'-shops. Let's go in there! ...What for? Maybe they sell lottery tickets! Penny chuckled wryly at herself. OH-HO-ho, no, you don't. I know what you're up to. And the answer is no. Why not?? We already got luckier than hell once this week; why can't it happen again?! You just answered your own question. When has lightning ever struck the same person twice in the same week?? But...but...I want to! OH! You want to! Well, that changes everything! Of course, we have to now! Penny had to admit, much as one part of her didn't want to squander her money, another part reasoned it could be an interesting idea. Stupidly interesting, perhaps, but like it or not, the remains of this $50 would be gone sooner or later. She could only hold out for so long before needing more nourishment, and how much could a lottery ticket cost? A buck? One smacker? A single simoleon? By swapping out an item or two, she could just as adequately fill her belly with $9 worth of grub as with $10. Cedar Convenience was this part of Juniper's answer to Royal Farms, complete with the gas station, deli, island and eating/resting area beneath a TV. But these Farms weren't half common themselves. Cedar was an upscale store, carrying all the top brands at the nices' prices. This was another wonderful setting for Penny to pick herself up something yummy, sit, relax, and enjoy. And what a handy time at which this was coming. Much as she had felt energized earlier, her legs were retiring. On top of which, she was feeling a bit dizzy. On top of top of which... Ohhhh...my...goodness. Something else was suddenly happening. It was a semi-familiar feeling, but wasn't the perfect time for it to come on. This was one of the things they'd told Penny would happen while she was pregnant, and she frankly found it hard to believe at the time. Of course, this was at one scant week. After the first month, she believed it. This may not have happened to Penny as frequently as to other expectant Moms, but when it did, it hit hard. And it had a tendency to mess with her mind as well. There were lots of unique treats here amid the big name snack foods. She wandered through the aisles, looking for something both healthy and tasty. She picked up a bag of salmon-flavored pita chips and turned it over to study its contents and nutrition facts, just as another young lady turned the corner and joined her. Penny heard her speak. "Oh, I just love pussies, don't you?" Penny dropped the bag to the floor. "What did you just say??" The woman looked at her innocently, and a bit alarmed. "...I said, 'Oh, I just love those things, don't you,'" she explained, pointing at the bag on the floor. "The chips. They're...good." Penny took a moment to process this and compute that her hormones were indeed playing tricks on her. "Oh...oh-oh, yes! Y—...yes, of course," she stammered, picking the bag back up. "I'm-I'm sorry. You just...startled me there." "Oh, gosh! Well, in that case, I'm sorry!" the girl giggled, patting and rubbing Penny's shoulder. The action was merely cordial, but felt...better than it should have. Penny smiled and chuckled back, closeting the shiver going through her body. She brought it to the checkout. She'd buy it, hold on to the rest of her money for the moment, sit in the rest area, and savor these. "This is all for me, for right now," she smiled. "But I'm sure not all for good." The cashier rang it up. "That will be two dollars and seventy-nine cents, please." Penny retrieved her funds. "But, I will give you this item for free, with a strapon, if you can flash me your tits." Penny whipped her gaze back up. "Excuse me??" She received her second awkward gape. "...This...item comes with a rebate, Miss," reiterated the cashier, turning the bag over to show her. "You see? If you have a coupon, you can cash it in, for two bits. And then this particular bag is free of charge." "Two bits"?...OH—a quarter! Again, Penny realized what she was really being told. "O—...ohhh!" she exhaled. "Oh, yes, I see. Well, I-I have no coupons, but thank you anyway. I'll certainly keep that in mind." Blushing in embarrassment and starting to sweat, Penny took the bag back to the rest area and sat. She wasn't meaning to appear standoffish, but she kind of hoped no other sweet pretty dollies would talk to her. This was getting to be a bit much for her to take. Unfortunately, her hope was in vain. They seemed to be drawn to her like magnets in this store today. The next young lady who approached her was holding a magazine, drinking a slushee through a straw. "Hi there." Penny looked up. Oh, geez, this girl's gorgeous too! Oh God, for Your sake, why are You doing this to me? "Oh, hello...how, um...how are you?" she asked, trying not to look directly in the girl's eyes. "Oh, fine. Just fine, thanks." She looked thoughtfully out the window. "...Tickle your cunny with a feather." Penny's pussy leaked a bit of pre-cum. "What??" Sure enough, here came awkward stare and pause number three. "...I...said, particularly sunny weather," the girl repeated, pointing out the window. "Y'know...'s real nice outside." Penny blinked six times in rapid succession. Okay, seriously, God, pleeeease. This was kind of cute at first, but it's not funny anymore. Enough is enough. "...Of course! Of course. I'm sorry. My bad." The young woman furrowed her brow in a bit of concern. She slowly slid down into the seat across from Penny. "Are you okay?...I mean, I'm...my apologies, I know it's none of my business, and I'll leave you alone if you wanna be, you just...you just look a little like something's bothering you." Penny's face softened. "Oh, you're really sweet. No, I'm...I'm so sorry, I'm just kind of out of it today." "Oh, well, that's too bad, but, hey, nothing to be ashamed of. Anything I can maybe help with?" Anything you can maybe help with? In theory, um, YES. Realistically? I doubt it. "Ah..." Penny gave a good-natured chuckle as she pulled open her bag of chips. The salmony aroma toyed with her nose. Oh, good gosh...I love salmon waaaay too much. That is not gonna help get my mind off pussy. "Well, you see, Miss, I'm not really the sort to come right out with the fact that I'm a homeless bisexual pregnant woman. Those things tend to startle folks right off the bat. So, I prefer to ease into them." The stunned young lady dropped her magazine and slushee cup onto the table with a plat! and a clop! "God, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed. "W—I-I mean about the homeless part. That's terrible!" "Yeah, I'm not too crazy about it either." Her eyes fell upon her new acquaintance's magazine. "What're you reading?" "Oh." She turned it cover side up and tossed it in front of Penny. "Have a look." Penny's eyebrows jumped. For half a second she saw a random cover image of Penthouse flash before her eyes. She shut them, blinked, shook her head and looked again. Electronic Gaming Monthly. Oh, Lord, this is such torture...I've gotta make it stop somehow. "Oh...oh, cool, you're a gamer?" "Yeah. There's a great article in here on Halo. They're working on bringing out a sequel, hopefully by the end of next year. And it looks like it's gonna be huge. Major multi-player action. And I don't just love video games, either; I love all kinds of games. One of the main reasons I dropped in here was actually to buy a powerball ticket." Seeeeee, Pen?? her impulsive side crowed. Seeeeee what? We should automatically buy a lottery ticket just because this babe's gonna? This...this super-smokin' hot babe?... "Oh, something of a gambler, eh?" "Well, if you mean someone who lucks out, then yeah. If you mean someone who can whip the house in Vegas, then, uh...no." They went on gabbing. Fueled by this attractive estrogen injection and the pregnancy hormones, Penny's friend Lolita between her legs was soaking her panties and starting to drive her insane. She started feeling that if she couldn't have a release soon, she might just jump this innocent girl's bones. Penny didn't even know if the doll was a legitimate adult. She didn't look a day over 20. The girl—whose name was Adia—for her own part, was none the wiser. She thought they were just having a friendly chat. Lost And Found Ch. 01.5: Miracles "So, what do you do?" Penny asked, trying to keep her libido's aching hunger in check. "I'm a student," said Adia. "In science and biology. Besides games, I love animals. I wanna be a zookeeper when I get older." "Oh, that's fantastic! I'll have to come by your zoo someday." "Absolutely, you bet! Maybe I can give you a romp and make you drown in cum like a versatile whore." The chip in Penny's hand broke into a dozen small pieces. "P-pardon me??" Adia raised an eyebrow. "...I said, maybe I can give you a comp, and take you around and come with me, eh...you know, like on a personal tour. "...Or-or something." Penny slowly nodded for the fourth time. But unlike her first three infernal temptations, it was no longer so easy for her to just giggle it off. Her pregnancy hormones, combined with all this imagined innuendo, had her blazed up hotter than equatorial Africa. Her pussy was pounding. Her clit bulged unbearably. She couldn't take this another second. "I'm...I'm-I'm-I'm sorry, I've...I've gotta hit the restroom all of a sudden, uh...really really bad. Be right back!" She jumped up, praying Adia didn't see the dark damp spots in the front of her pants. "Want me to come with you?" she heard Adia offer. "No, thank you!" She hastened to the ladies', praying it was empty. She got inside, darted her eyeballs all about and detected no women. Or men. She dashed into the closest stall, smacked the door shut, latched it with one hand, jammed the other into her panties, and sat down. Don't look, unborn baby. Mommy's going to have sex with herself now. Um, Pen, are we really about to do this? Do what? Jill off in a convenience store restroom? Can we say, "Duh"?! I—...isn't that a little...kinda...gross? Maybe so! On the other hand, who the hell cares?! But, Penny— This is not up for debate. Now either we cum in the stall, gosh-damn it, or we cum in the stall. But— Zip it, and I'll buy you a lottery ticket. Deal. Give Lolita my best. Already drenched, Lolita greedily gobbled the petite digits fed her, drooling for seconds as Penny retracted them. Over and over, she teased herself, then granted the frustrated Lolita the passion she so craved and needed. As she sat on the royal throne plunging herself into oblivion, she allowed herself to revisit the lust-driven misunderstandings she'd encountered in the last few minutes. "Oh, I just love pussies, don't you?" she'd thought she heard the first woman say. "YES," she mouthed intensely, picturing the girl naked. "I do. And I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Is it tasty?" No objections here, Lolita ecstatically opined, trying to swallow her owner's fingers whole. "But I will give you this item for free," came the cashier's voice, "With a strapon, if you can flash me your tits." "You've got a deal, good kinky merchant," Penny whispered, putting herself back at the checkout counter. She imagined herself whipping her top completely off, dropping her bra, freeing Hansel and Gretel, and subsequently asking the cashier to please grope them...sublimely, and thoroughly. Her girls swelled, their nipples hardening at the illusory touch. Happy to be included, they said. "Tickle your cunny with a feather," Adia chirped sensually. This one drove her crazy. Penny was actually a little afraid of feathers, because she was really was very ticklish all over. Not that she'd ever been tickled in, on or around the genitals, but should someone happen to threaten it, Penny didn't see herself holding up very long before going insane. It was her adventurous, daring side which viewed this ominous scenario as a turn-on. "Tickle away, Adia," she grinned, feeling the tingles where it mattered. And torment me a little too while you're at it, cutie, added Lolita. The big gal may fear feathers. I, conversely, love them. While Penny and Lolita did not always see eye to clit, there were no actual feathers in the ladies' room, or in Penny's ticklish pussy. All Penny had to do was imagine the blade of one of those evil little plumes swirling near her weak spots, and all systems were go. "OHHHGOD!" Penny shrieked, prior to the realization that she wasn't in the privacy of her own home. "Uh-oh...whoops." Hee hee heeeeee...gotcha, lady. Be quiet, Loly. I'll be quiet when I want to be quiet, slave; I own you. And just for that— "Maybe I can give you a romp and make you drown in cum like a versatile whore." Penny gasped and whipped her head back so sharply, it whapped against the wall. Rats, that's gonna hurt later. Never mind that, Penelope. Listen up; this is your pussy speaking. And you will do as I say. G-spot. NOW. Penny indeed felt the stirrings deep up there willing her to take it to the level of no return. She knew she couldn't resist. Columns of sweat ran down her forehead and dripped off her face. She strained, cringed, reached up inside for her magical billion-dollar spot, desperately pumping to get at it. Lolita insisted she replay the suggestive phrases she thought she'd heard earlier, over and over in her head. They echoed against one another, words bumping about. The intensity grew and grew, built and built, with each replay. "...Flash me your tits..." "Tickle your cunny..." "I love pussies..." "...Give you a romp..." "...Strapon..." "...Whore..." "...Feather..." "...CUM." And as if precisely on cue, Penny hit her g-spot just as Adia's voice said the magic word. The first wave of utopian bliss...more powerful than any orgasm she could fathom...nailed her...head on...like a speeding bus. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" Something told Penny that someone must have heard that one, but she paid zero heed. She could see through walls right now. She was in the throes of the orgasm from the future, and no silly little thing like reason or caution would stifle it. Penny couldn't believe such an innocent facet of life as being pregnant could bring on such incredible bouts of hidden, unknown, unBELIEVable sexual torridity. Such unbridled sizzle. Such raw, primal, blindingly hot...hot... ...Hotness. She was out of nouns. She was so far gone, she was losing parts of speech. Faculties dropped left and right. The stall borders on either side were all that kept her from crashing to the floor. Once her fingers touched her g-spot, they all but literally shot off sparks in her blood-engorged cunt. After the umpteenth laser electrified her pussy, cum began splattering out. Her glistening face grimaced to the ceiling in howling madness. Her back arched over the manual flush fixture. Synapses fired off in her libido like a pinball machine gone haywire. Her heart beat a lightyear a minute just to get the blood to her puffed crimson cunt. Each nerve ending sent crazy signals of white heat to her brain, ricocheting back through her every cell. The next thing she knew, Lolita gushed out a small waterfall to bring the whole show to a marvelous firework culmination. Penny didn't know she was through cumming until a minute after it happened. She went on groaning, whining, gasping for breath, catching it as she wound down. Without concept at the moment of time, space, matter, of any of the sort, Penny was compelled to wait for her eyes to roll back in the correct position, and for her skin to lose its flush. Unfortunately, she hadn't a towel, but she unraveled a generous amount of toilet paper and tidied up a bit while her blood redirected and her legs decided to work again. Finally, she discarded the tissue, flushed, peeked outside to a luckily still empty ladies' room, and washed her hands. Good Lord Almighty, I cannot believe I just...jilled myself off...in a (more or less) public restroom. Well, I do believe I TO— Don't you dare say, "I told you so." Okay, fair enough. But you still owe me a lottery ticket. Promises are promises. Yes, yes, fine. But if we starve, it's your fault. Yeah, 'cause one lotto ticket costs a fortune. Sure, that'll make you feel better. Hush the hell up. I'm done arguing with you. You make me tired. Oh, I make you tired. Uh-huh, and draining our coochie just now had nothing to do with it. Riiiiight. *** Hormones And Horseshoes, Act 2 Wednesday, October 15th, 2003, 8:22 p.m. When Penny at last emerged from the ladies' room, she was stunned to see Adia still sitting in the rest area. "Oh my gosh, Adia, you're still here??" she exclaimed. Adia looked up from her magazine to see her. "Oh hey, Penny! Well, someone sure was a busy little beaver, huh?" Penny's eyes went wide with apprehension. "What do you mean??" she asked with alarm. Adia turned confused again. "I...just meant you were ocupada for a good long time, jumpy! Why, what did you mean?" Realizing she hadn't actually been "caught," as it were, Penny calmed down. "Oh...oh-oh, nothing! Nothing at all! Just—...same as you!" she chortled. "Be honest, I was a little worried about you, girl," said Adia as Penny rejoined her at the table. "I mean, well, I didn't really have anything else to do today...and when you told me you were homeless, I felt so bad for you, I wanted to be able to give you a...a-I-I guess, a little companionship, if nothing else. And yeah, you were in there a while, but...well, not to toot my own horn, but I thought if you came out and I wasn't here anymore, you might be a little disappointed." "Aw, that's really sweet, Adia! Well, I'll be honest too then. I mean, yeah, it wouldn't have made my year if I came out and you were gone, but I'd have understood. I mean, I'd figure you've got things to do, places to go, and I'm actually pretty surprised you stuck around. But in a good way, definitely. I really do feel touched." Adia smiled modestly. "Oh well, there's another thing too," she added, gesturing to her mag. "Once I start into reading about video games, I can sit for eons. Put me on a two-day flight, give me a few issues of Nintendo Power, I'm totally set." Penny laughed. They sat and shot the proverbial breeze a while longer. The sun had gone down while Penny was making love to herself. Adia, as mentioned, didn't have much else to do, and Penny didn't have much of a choice. They got to know one another quite well as the evening hours passed. Adia Zuri Bethwell—whose name meant "beautiful gift" in Swahili—was 20, and indeed quite a gifted young lady. She was a lesbian, of Kenyan descent, young and idealistic, intelligent and quick to learn new things. She was equally interesting as well, able to contribute something to just about any conversation topic Penny could drum up. They went through more bags of snacks and enjoyed a couple of deli sandwiches for supper. Before they knew it, it was almost 10:00. "Oh, gosh!" Adia abruptly said. "We've only got an hour till the drawing! I've gotta get my slip!" Oh yeah, Penny thought. Well, now or never. "I'll come with you." Penny was less than familiar with lotto playing, so Adia showed her how to purchase them. She offered to treat Penny to one, but Penny assured her it wasn't necessary. They cost only $2, and she didn't want to push any luck she still had. "So when do they do the drawing?" Penny asked as they resumed their seats. "Right around 11:00." "Great, so what do we do?" "Basically, just randomly pick five of the numbers up here at the top, and then one of the red powerball ones at the bottom. Then we give our slips to the cashier and she'll print out our tickets. Then we wait for the drawing and see if any of our picks match up. And if they draw at least three of the same ones we picked, or the same powerball number we picked, we win!" "Cool, how exciting!" Penny commented. "Okay, any five?" She did as Adia instructed with her choices on her own play slip. They took them back to the front and got their tickets. One hour later... "Here we go!" grinned Adia, rubbing her palms. "Feeling lucky, Penny?" "Hee hee," Penny giggled, considering the few ways that query could be taken. "Well, I guess we'll see." "Penny, I just want you to know that if I win big, I'll share with you. I don't get the chance to help homeless people every day." Penny's heart melted. "Awww! Why, that is so kind, Adia! That's so...that's wonderful. Well, I'd like to say I'll share with you too—" Adia waved her off. "No, no, no, Penny. I'm fine. My family's not exactly loaded, but we're doing very well for ourselves. You bought that ticket yourself. What's yours is yours. I insist." "Well...this would be where I'd say, 'If you insist,' but you kinda just said that." "And our jackpot prize this evening..." intoned the announcer on the TV set, standing between the ball-spinning machines, "...For all five winning balls, plus the powerball...fifty-eight million, three hundred twelve thousand dollars." "Good Lord!" Penny shouted. Adia clapped her hands in anticipation. "Good luck, ticket holders, and as always, play responsibly," the announcer went on. "And your first winning number in tonight's drawing is!..." The first white ball rolled down the chute. "...39!" "Oh my gosh, I've got 39!" Penny said. "Wow, good job, babe!" said Adia. "'Kay, here comes the next one." "Second number...29!" Penny gasped. "Oh my God, I have that one too!" Adia's eyebrows jumped. "Are you serious??" "Here's your third number...6!" Penny shrieked. "No way!" she cried, showing Adia. "I have 6 too!" "Oh my God, you won!" Adia exclaimed. "Wait, wait, they're not done yet!" "Your fourth ball...is 52!" Now focused only on Penny's ticket, both girls screamed. "You gotta be kidding me!" Adia hollered. "Fifth and final winning number ball is..." "9??" Adia shouted at the screen. "9!" joined Penny. "9! Please, 9!" White ball number five rolled down the chute and plopped beside its four predecessors. It looked like a 6...but wasn't. "...9!" "AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" Penny and Adia chorused. They leapt from the table and embraced as the first five picks were repeated. "Oh my God, Penny, you're rich!" said Adia. "Whether you get the powerball or not, you just won a million dollars!!" Penny started to cry with joy. "Oh my goodness!...You mean my problems are over??" Is it okay NOW to say I told you so?? "Wait! Wait," said Adia. "What'd you pick for your powerball?" "Oh, uh..." Penny checked her ticket. "...8!" The first machine was stopped. The second machine, containing the red balls, spat one down its own chute. "And your winning powerball number this evening, ladies and gentlemen...here it comes... "...Is 8!" The girls' hearts all but stopped dead in their tracks. The lucky numbers again appeared onscreen, one by one. "Those winning numbers for you, once again, ladies and gentlemen— "6...9...29...39...52...and your powerball, 8. Congratulations to all our winners!" "Oh dear God, Penny..." Adia whispered in dumbfounded shock. "I...I think you may have to change your name, because... "...You just won fifty-eight million dollars!" Penny fainted. *** It Could Happen To You, Too... Thursday, November 27th, 2003, 4:24 p.m. "Homeless Expectant Mother Saved By Powerball Miracle," Penny read to her Aunt Tracy from her saved newspaper. "On October 15, pregnant vagrant Penelope James, 23, took refuge at Cedar Convenience, one of the finer quickie-marts in the city of Juniper, Minnesota. Reportedly, on a whim, James spent her last funds on a powerball lottery ticket, to find that she would choose each and every winning number, for a grand prize jackpot of $58,312,000." "And quite a story it is indeed!" Tracy assessed. They toasted with Juicy Juice. "Fifty-eight million congrats, Punky!" It was Thanksgiving. As tradition, Tracy had Penny come to her house in Rochester. The James family was never huge to begin with, and had unfortunately lost most of their kin. Penny's paternal Aunt Tracy, however, made it clear she planned to go nowhere, and would be with Penny for a long time to come. Understandably close to her one remaining relative, Penny was happy to hear it. Calling her "Punky" was also something of a tradition just between them, having watched the show together in the '80s. The little girl on the show's real name was also Penelope. Penny pretended it annoyed her, but secretly thought it was cute. She played along. "Thank you, Glomer." "Punky" James, in the meantime, had been living in a slightly larger than studio apartment. Thanks to her miracle, she could afford just about anything. So when Tracy returned from vacation, she took Penny to see a realtor, who handled things from there. "I am so thrilled for you, sweetie!" Tracy grinned, clasping her hands. "Everything's gonna be just fine now. Just promise me you won't let the wealth go to your head." "Oh! Nothing to worry about there, T.," Penny emphasized. "Trust me, I had time-a-plenty to think about it, and I'm going to do exactly as I had in mind if I ever came into this kind of money. I'm going to get a nice-sized, comfy place—big enough for me, my baby, and probably a dog—I'm going to put the rest in the bank, and look into some charities to donate to." "Well, I'm glad to hear that, Pens. Babies and pets cost a fortune, but, well, you've won a fortune. And I love the idea of charity. Hey, maybe I could help you found your own one day!" "Maybe...but not before the little dumpling down here comes along." "Oh yeah, so when's the little dumpling due?" "February 8th! Oh, my little dumpling! That's what I'm gonna call her. That's gonna be my nickname for her. I'm so excited!!" "Me too, Penny. You're gonna be a wonderful mother." "Aw, you really think so?" "Absolutely. Just remember a couple things. A: don't ever plan to sleep through the night again." Penny laughed. "Noted." "It won't be so funny six months from now. B: when you change the diapers, expect to see colors you never imagined." Penny didn't laugh. "...Noted..." "C: unless you have an extreme pain fetish, have the doc anesthetize your bottom half beyond natural belief." "...Oh my. Is it...uh...is it really that excruciating?" "More. D: have fun!" *** On January 3rd, 2004, Penelope Isabel James' life would change forever. It was not her baby's due date, and it was not her baby. In the middle of the night, she awoke to what she thought at first was nature's call. It was not. She did not recognize this feeling. She clicked on the light, and gasped in horror at what she saw. Her bedsheets were soaked in blood. She grabbed her phone and dialed. The next few hours were a dizzy blur as she was rushed to the ward. The last and only thing she remembered of that frightful twilight morning was a nurse coming in to solemnly address her. Lost And Found Ch. 01.5: Miracles "...Miss James?" "Yes? What?? Wh—...what's wrong with me??" She could likely have pieced it all together herself, were she not so freaked out. "Miss James...I am so sorry..." "...What?" Penny's heart froze. An abysmal eternity seemed to pass as the nurse said the next sentence. "...I'm afraid you've had a miscarriage." Penny went numb inside. She felt as if she had just died. Tears almost instantly spilled from her eyes like a broken dam. This was the one possibility that she never wanted to consider, even for a second. She didn't know what she thought all that blood was if not this, but here it was, right before her, in horrific living color. "...WHAT?!...But...but, I thought miscarriages only happened in the first trimester!" "Most do. However, terrible as it is, there are exceptions. Anomalies can happen right up to the due date. Again, I'm so sorry." "...No... "Oh, no...no, no, no...n—" "Miss James—" "NOOOOO!!" Penny buried her face in her hands and sobbed hysterically. "This can't be happening!" The nurse felt terrible for her. There were only so many things she could say. Penny raised her head. "Tell me this isn't really happening!" she screamed tearfully. "Tell me this is a nightmare! Tell me I'm dreaming!!" To her dismay, the nurse remained silent. "PLEASE!!" she bawled. "PLEASE, tell me this isn't really happening!!" Half an hour later, Penny began to stop crying, calm down and accept the real-life nightmare that had just occurred. It had already happened to her. She couldn't go back and make it not happen. She never knew anything could feel like this. The despair and agony were greater than she ever could've believed. Her heart was crushed to sand. She wanted to die. Her unborn baby girl had been taken from her, snatched from her womb before she ever had the chance to hold her in her arms. She didn't want to live if her baby didn't. But... Somehow, she reasoned with herself, she had to find the strength to continue with her life. To go back home when all this was over with, to turn over her mattress, and line it anew. She couldn't wash her sheets clean, and she didn't want to. She only wanted rid of them, of the now everpresent heartbreak and tragedy they represented. Somehow...somehow, cold as it all seemed right now... ...She had to go on. Right now, however, lying in this hospital bed, she couldn't grasp a harsher truth than that she must simply move forward with her life. She was torn. Part of her wanted to stay here, clinging to the last disappearing morsel of hope that this really all still could be a horrible, surreal dream. Another part of her wanted out: just out of this place, out of this despicable experience, every memory of the ordeal behind her. And still another part of her didn't know what to do. It'll be okay, Pen...we'll get through it. We got through being homeless; we'll get through this. Are you serious?? Are you really comparing a few months of being on the streets to what just happened now?? One thing was for sure: she'd need time to be able to be okay and recover from this. A lot of time. She was a firm believer in the philosophy that time healed all wounds, all pain, but, oh...this was a tough one. This would require a lot of time before she felt purely happy again, fulfilled with the things she had and the keys to live her life contently. Probably about a decade ought to do it. She reminded herself that she'd just won the lottery, that she could do just about anything she wanted right now, that fortune had smiled upon her and blessed her with such a bounty...that she could have whatever her heart desired... ...Except...a baby. Money couldn't buy her this lost child. Not even $58 million. The lotto jackpot now seemed rather empty and meaningless. When she found out she was pregnant back in June, she was scared, but in a good way. She hadn't been homeless yet at the time, and with such a shortage of leftover Jameses, she very much wanted to continue her family's blood lineage. Eventually, several months in, even through the swelling, morning sickness, soreness, and everything else, she had her heart set on giving birth to her child. Well, maybe she'd get another chance at some point in the future, but... Oh, no. She couldn't think about that right now. She'd been hit too hard by this, and all she could fathom was the possibility of losing another unborn child. Unlikely, but even so. No, she'd definitely have to let a long long while pass before she could think about something like this a second time. She was still young, only 23. She'd have more chances...wouldn't she? This was such a difficult situation to consider. It hurt so bad, on so many levels. What to do now? Just go on living? She had the money, but what to do with it? Charity? Perhaps, but...somehow, after this, she didn't feel in such a charitable mood anymore. And she needed something more substantial to fill her time. Something to keep her busy. She stayed with Aunt Tracy a little longer, not feeling like being on her own just yet. One morning, Tracy fixed them sausage and eggs for breakfast. Penny took one bite and loved it. "Mmmm!" she exclaimed. "Oh my God, Aunt Tracy, this is amazing!" Tracy smiled modestly. "Glad you like it, honey." "Can you teach me how to make it?" "Well, sure, but Penny, sweetie, it's not that complicated. Just a few eggs and sausage patties. Anyone could do it, really." "Well, then, could you teach me to make more stuff? I'd love to learn how to cook like this." So Tracy shared some culinary skills and tricks with her eager niece. To Penny's surprise, thinking she'd merely enjoy cooking, she fell in love with it. Penny didn't remember her folks doing very much cooking, but the talent was apparently in her genes. Because when she served her very first dish—Salisbury steak with steamed veggies—Tracy commented with one mouthful that it was absolutely delish. That Penny should be a professional chef. Actually, what she said at the time was— "Oh, Pehwwy! Difw ifw afhuhloohwy delihw! Iu hwuh we uh bruhfefwuhfwul hwef!" Naturally flattered and proud of herself, Penny didn't think a world of it yet. She just liked hanging out with Aunt Tracy, and wasn't really keen on going back to her empty small apartment, with that mattress and its melancholy memories. She'd flipped it, laid new sheets and disposed of the old, just as planned, but the mattress itself remained tarnished with the irremovable stains of blood and heartache. She was afraid sleeping on it would cause her nightmares of déjà vu. There was also a couch in her flat, but Aunt Tracy's guest room bed was much comfier and more welcoming. And she liked knowing she wasn't alone in the house. Also, her small apartment didn't have much of a kitchen. Now with her growing intrigue and newfound prodigiousness in the culinary arts, Tracy gladly passed over her generous kitchen for Penny to cook in, to her heart's content. There were only so many things Tracy could teach her, and Penny soon went from student to full-fledged graduate in her aunt's own private academy. She started bringing home cookbooks and surfing the web for recipes galore. And Tracy started being able to look regularly forward to whatever her gifted niece might decide to whip up tonight. Penny was all too eager to get creative with her dishes. Once she'd absorbed all she could in the one-chef operation at her aunt's, she became hungry (pun intended) for some interaction, to take her craft to the next level. This was wonderful for keeping her busy, but she enjoyed it so much, she wished to be even busier. So she found and joined a weekly-meeting cooking club. Before she knew it, she was making friends, sharing recipes, trading tips, and coming home to DVR'd shows on The Food Network. Then came her turn to host meeting at her humble abode, as all members did, which was a little nerve-wracking, but great fun. She threw herself into it as the rest of her 20s went by. It wasn't often she found things to do that she loved, that she was genuinely good at, and that carried weight in the socioeconomic world. Unfortunately, she joked to herself, only one field would pay her to jill herself into magnificent orgasms. And she wasn't prepared to go near that field. The memory of what happened now as long as a decade ago was a boulder that wouldn't budge—not that she expected it to—but in the ten years since, Penny could hang things around it, camouflaging its presence. This way she wouldn't forget, but had enough hobbies and interests in her life that the boulder didn't plague her day-to-day life. And after the same decade living with her beloved aunt, they mutually decided that Penny should have her own space. Besides which, Tracy was relocating herself—to beautiful San Fran, California—craving warmer climates. So once more, they met with the realtors, who now had good news to share with them. In the middle of town, the Twelve Pines suburb, a new development property named Hect's was going up. Construction was just about finished on one of the neighborhood lots, called Randall's View Terrace, and soon the dwellings could be moved into. It was extravagant, but that was okay. Penny's responsibility watching over this lottery money never waned, and so it remained no object. The minute Penny and Tracy walked in, they knew it was perfect. Case closed. Three weeks later, she'd gotten in almost all her stuff. It was really difficult to say goodbye to Aunt Tracy, but Penny James was in her 30s now, a big girl who could stand on her feet. And Tracy would still fly up to see her on the holidays. By now the summer of 2014 was approaching. Without need to seek work, Penny was free to essentially do what she pleased in her own, brand-new two-story luxury nest. She familiarized herself with every nook and cranny, and gradually unpacked her boxes. There was really no rush. She spent most of her time frolicking in the kitchen with her pots and pans. She went on meeting with her cooking club, now eager for the next hosting to show off her cool new pad. The rest of the time, she went more or less into summer hibernation, vegging out and taking it easy. Finally, by the time October arrived, she'd gotten just lonely enough to want some company. It was time to get herself a doggie companion. And to love, cherish and treasure it as if it were her own child, which it was. And which it is. To be concluded.