“Hospital coffee not that great?” Penelope asked, passing Josie a cup from the high-end coffee shop down the road. 

“MG broke the coffee machine,” Josie replied. She took the lid off and sniffed, a smile growing on her face at the smell. “Ah …” She led Penelope down the hallway towards the waiting room. “Hope and Landon are … taking it hard. And they’re sort of in the middle of a fight right now, but don’t mention it.”

“Not a peep.” Penelope mimicked locking her lips and throwing away the key. 

“But Lizzie and MG are excited to meet you,” Josie said, skipping to the brighter side with a toss of her hair. “I know we don’t all get to go out to lunch like we had planned, but I figure this is the next best thing.”

Today was supposed to be the big day - the day she finally introduced the girl she had been seeing for the last two weeks, but Landon’s brother ending up in the hospital had thrown a wrench in her plans. She planned a big lunch at their favorite restaurant to ease the introductions, but a hospital waiting room would have to do if Josie wanted to take their relationship to the next level tonight.

She pushed open the doors to the waiting room, smiling widely. “Guys, this is Penelope … my girlfriend.”

Lizzie sat up straighter in her chair. “So this is the Penelope,” she said, taking in the girl. “The one we’ve been hearing so much about?” Lizzie smirked. “When’s she finally going to spend the night?”

Josie choked on her coffee, wide eyes sliding over to Penelope, who just smirked back.

“Hopefully tonight, if you two could find somewhere else to be.”

Lizzie’s eyes lit up. Most of Josie’s dates were put off by Lizzie’s sense of humor and just stood by quietly until Josie took them to another room. She could actually enjoy someone who understood banter.

“Why? I have noise-cancelling headphones.” Lizzie leaned back in her seat with a smile. “I like this one, Jo.”

MG shook his head, smiling, stood up, and offered his hand. “MG.”

“Penelope.” Penelope shook his hand gently and then looked to Landon, eyes turning sympathetic. “I’m sorry about your brother.”

“Thanks,” Landon said stiffly. He turned his head, and Penelope took the hint that he didn’t want a conversation.

She and Josie turned to Hope at the same time. The redhead was asleep, curled up in one of the hospital chairs, her sweatshirt draped over her tiny body. 

“I’ll introduce you when she wakes up,” Josie told Penelope quietly. “She’s ... had a long week.”

Penelope nodded as Josie took her to their own corner of the waiting room, chatting quietly over their coffees.

Lizzie turned to MG. “We should probably stay at Hope’s house tonight anyways. You know, with everything’s that happened …”

MG nodded. “She needs someone.”