Another Door Opens

9 - First step, post-breakup - get drastic hair makeover

- EDEN -

"Despite being very hungover based on all the empty wine bottles outside Luna's front door, you look brighter than ever, Eden."

Penn had picked me up from Luna's, needing to wait a few minutes for me to finish brushing my teeth when he arrived on time, but still way too early for my wine and emotional disclosure driven evening last night. 

"I make the assumption you had a good night with your friends?" he laughed, beginning the drive to Elodie's house. Apparently Piper wouldn't relent in her determination to come to breakfast with Penn and I all afternoon yesterday, to the point where Elodie caved and told Penn he could take her. She didn't bother to communicate this with me, but I was happy to hear the news from Penn last night, even if the words of his text were a bit blurry with how many squashed grapes I'd consumed by then.

I believe my headachey and light sensitive brain could only groan in response, and I hoped Penn knew to interpret whatever hungover language I was speaking.

Penn chuckled again as he continued driving towards Elodie’s house, thankfully keeping the talking to a bare minimum until he parked the car out the front. Piper was already racing her tiny little legs down the driveway and jumping up into the back seat before Penn had even turned off the ignition.

“Good morning, Piper,” Penn turned around and greeted her. “Tell me, before I get out of the car and go talk to her, is your mother in a good mood or a grumpy mood?”

“She’s always grumpy, Great Uncle Penn,” Piper said with a grin.

I actually snorted, which was slightly too much exertion, too suddenly for my tired brain to handle. I groaned again as Penn got out of the car to go speak to Elodie, presumably about where we were going and when we would be back.

"Are you feeling okay, Aunty Eden? You look tired, or maybe sick," Piper asked me carefully, leaning through the gap between the driver and passenger seats and putting the back of her hand against my forehead to check my temperature like I'm sure Elodie must have done with her a few times.

I laughed at her and reached for her hand, kissing the back of it. "I'm perfectly okay, Pippy. Just a little hungover."

"What does 'hungover' mean?"

"Um... It means my body and my brain are still waking up after the big and fun night I had with my friends last night."

“Will I be hungover tomorrow after a big, fun morning with you and Great Uncle Penn?”

Second major snort of the morning, and boy am I starting to wake up properly now. “I sure hope not, Pippy. It doesn’t quite work like that. I’ll explain it to you when you’re a bit older, okay? Let’s just focus on getting some oily, salty, delicious food and very strong coffee in our bellies.”

“But I don’t drink coffee?”

“Nor should you, but I need one and we can get you an iced chocolate instead. What do you think? Send you back to Mummy on a sugar rush?”

Penn slid into the car chuckling, catching the tail end of my proposition to Piper through the open window. “I’m sure Elodie would love nothing more than that, Eden.”

“Yeah, well,” I said, turning to grin at my uncle. “Not my problem.”

He laughed and shook his head, and rotated around to make sure that Piper had her seatbelt on before we continued on to the cafe. “Ready, Pippy Longstocking?”

“How many times do I need to remind you, Great Uncle Penn? My hair is blonde, not red, and I’m not even wearing plaits today,” Piper groaned, not finding our uncle’s name for her as amusing as I did.