A/N - So! I know I'm working on like a gazillion stories right now but I just wanted to get this one out there and started because I keep thinking about it. I've written two (I think) little fics based on this idea already, and Hey There Delilah keeps playing during my going-to-work playlist so I just had to do it. I promise I'm still working on the others, even if it is not being published! Hopefully now that I've got two weeks of consistent work schedule I'll have more time to write and get on here. Hope you are all well, and hope you all enjoy this story as it goes!
Oh my God, this is really it, Penny thought as she watched her two pink suitcases go down the check-in belt. Her suitcases were going to New York... she was going to New York!
"Okay, you're all set!" Said the check in woman, handing Penny back her passport and boarding pass with a grin.
"Oh," Penny took her documents, quickly putting them into her bag. "Thank you." Turning to her husband and daughter, she smiled. "Lets go grab a coffee."
"Sure." Leonard took Penny's hand; the other hand was holding Isabel to his hip.
Isabel's eyes widened as they began to walk away and she turned to her father, patting the side of his head to ensure she had his attention. "Mommy forgot suitcases!"
While Penny giggled, Leonard explained, "she didn't forget, they're gonna be taken to the plane for her so she doesn't need to carry it around the airport."
"Air-por." Isabel said. Leonard still couldn't work out if she was attempting to correct him or simply struggling to pronounce the word properly and trying to practice.
They walked into a coffee shop and found a table. Leonard and Isabel sat down; Penny hovered for a moment while they got settled in and pulled out her wallet. "I'm gonna go order. Is, you want a hot chocolate or a juice box?"
"Mmm..." Isabel twisted her lips in thought. "Hot chocolate. And cookie!"
"Another cookie?" Leonard chuckled.
"Yup." Isabel nodded. "Please!"
Heading to join the two-person queue, Penny took a deep breath. She hoped Isabel would be able to sleep after her extra cookies, especially since Leonard was already tired and probably didn't need a hyperactive three-year-old to keep him awake. But she couldn't help it; she wasn't going to be seeing her daughter for... far too long. Penny couldn't help but to spoil her today - and she'd already secretly left gifts for both Isabel and Leonard before they'd left the house.
Once she had ordered and paid, Penny headed back to the table. Isabel had pulled her coloring book out of Penny's handbag and was explaining to Leonard that he had to help her color the dress in blue - "and tiara as well!"
"Okay, okay." Leonard chuckled, accepting a blue pencil from his daughter. Penny had yet to overcome her aversion to crayons, so they always used pencils or felt-tip markers. Sometimes whiteboard markers, as Leonard would discovered when they were missing from the pen holder by his board.
"And Mommy too." Isabel handed Penny a pink pencil. "You can put pink where you want, 'cause it's like your suitcase."
The three continued coloring even once their drinks had arrived, making light conversation as though Penny wasn't about to fly to New York. But today that wasn't the case. Too soon they were packing up the pencils and coloring book and Penny was double-checking that she had all she needed with her.
They walked in relative silence to the security area, Isabel in the middle holding both her parents hands.
"Well... I guess this is me." Penny said quietly, coming to a stop.
"Yeah, guess so." Leonard nodded.
"Mommy gotta go now?" Isabel asked, her eyes filling with tears.
"Yeah," Penny kneeled down in front of her daughter, taking both tiny hands in hers. "Mommy's gotta go now."
"Oh."
As Isabel's face crumpled and she began crying, Penny pulled her into a tight hug. "It's okay Izzie - Mommy's gonna be back before you know it! And you and Daddy are gonna come and see me in New York, okay?"
"How long?"
Pulling back slightly, Penny reached into her purse and took out a brand new coloring book and set of pencils. "Here. If you color in one picture a day, starting today, that's how long until you and Daddy fly to New York."
Pouting, Isabel took the pencils and coloring book, hugging it to her chest. "Okay. It's not that big, so not that long. Right?"
"Right." Penny nodded. "And you can get Daddy to take a photo every night of your new picture, and he'll send it to me."
"Can I be in the photo?"
"Of course you can, sweetness." Leonard smiled, picking Isabel up again to place her on his hip. Isabel immediately rested her head on his shoulder.
"God, I'm gonna miss you guys so much!" Penny wrapped her arms around Leonard and Isabel, resting her head against Leonard's other shoulder. She could feel Leonard holding her in tight, and after a moment she lifted her head to look at him with teary eyes. "I love you so much, Leonard."
"I love you too."
"Thank you for believing in me."
"Nobody deserves this more than you."
Face crumpling as though she was going to start crying, Penny shook her head. "I should go, before I..."
"Is okay Mommy," Isabel said quietly. "We see you in one coloring book time!"
"You're right, sweetheart." Penny smiled. "I'll see you both in one coloring books time."
"Text me before you take off. And call me when you land!" Leonard reminded her. "You know I'll worry otherwise."
"Don't worry, I will." Penny assured him. She'd charged two power banks to ensure her cell would have enough battery to be able to call him the second she was off the plane. "Don't play too many video games. And not too many cookies!"
"Cookies!" Isabel grinned. "Gonna have cookie on plane?"
"Maybe. If they have them."
"Gotta have cookies!" Isabel pointed out, and Leonard made a mental note to pack cookies for when he and Isabel would fly to New York. "They yummy."
"That's very true." Penny agreed. "Okay... so..." Taking a deep breath, she picked her purse up off the floor. "Wait here until I go through?"
"We'll be right here."
"Kiss kiss?" Isabel asked, and Penny leaned forward to give her daughter a kiss.
Next, Penny turned to Leonard. She looked into his eyes for a while, hoping she could tell him everything she wanted to say without words. After a moment, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.
Once they separated, Penny took a step back before she changed her mind. "Here I go."
"See you soon. Sooner than you'll know it." Leonard smiled. All Penny could do was nod, doing her best not to cry.
"One coloring book time." Isabel reminded them. As Penny began to walk toward the security entrance, Isabel called out "love you, Mommy! Bye-bye!"
"Love you too, Izzie!" Penny waved her hand. "Bye-bye!"
Isabel and Leonard continued waving as Penny disappeared through security and they could no longer see her. When Leonard stopped waving, Isabel hugged herself to Leonard's side. "For real, one coloring book time?"
"Yeah." Leonard nodded, before turning his head to smile at her. "One coloring books time."
"'Kay. I start in the car. I already miss Mommy."
"Me too, sweetness. Me too."
A/N - Fun fact: 'one coloring books time' is inspired by one choir rehearsal where I started a song solo but was still eating my post-sandwich tangerine, so the conductor told everyone 'we begin in one tangerines time!' and that is how I time things in my head every so often, and often used to explain time frames to children this way at work.