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Sibling Rivalry
Date: 12/22/2023, Categories: Exhibitionist & Voyeur, Author: byYDB95
... into peals of laughter, while Penny and Jan exchanged uncomfortable looks. Dad turned around, looking about as angry as Penny had ever seen him with her sister. "That's enough!" he snapped. "I would never say anything that chauvinistic, and you know it!" "That's right, Jan, he wouldn't," Penny said. "Curtis either. I'm sorry you won't get to meet our brother. He's teaching English in China and couldn't get over here." "Oh, I heard! Sounds like he's on a wonderful adventure, though," said Jan. "You know, when I was fresh out of college I wanted to do the same, but my father talked me out of it." "It's never too late," Cornelia chirped. "We know," Dad said. "That's why we're thinking of giving it a try ourselves." "What?!" Cornelia snapped. "Just when we're getting you settled here?" "Relax, sis, the house will be here anytime they want to come back," Penny said. "Not the point!" Cornelia said. "Look, Professor, this isour family house now, and I'd like to know my daddy's nearby when I need him! "I think that sounds great, Dad," Penny said. "It's about time you got to do something you really wanted to do." She turned back to Jan. "I'm sure he's avoided telling you just how much he helped out with our mom while she was dying. Believe me, he was a saint." "How would you know, Penny?" Cornelia griped. "You were never around." Dad looked over his shoulder at Jan. "Don't you just love how they never grow up? Now, both of you, that's enough." Both ...
... of us? Penny was used to being lumped in with her sister when only Cornelia had been out of line, but it never stopped stinging. But she knew better than to bother trying to open her father's eyes about his baby, and spent the meal doing her best to make conversation with Jan. She was pleasantly surprised at how much Jan knew about some of the theorems she'd worked with in college, and even managed to ignore Eric's two pathetic girls-suck-at-math jokes, both of which naturally had Cornelia in stitches. She counted it as a win when Dad announced he and Jan were retiring for the night, and suggested the kids either go out for a drink or watch a video in the front room. Before Cornelia could announce that she didn't want Penny joining her and her man anywhere, Penny said, "I've got a novel I've been trying to finish. I'll stay in." Cornelia, who had indeed been about to say just what Penny had anticipated, smiled through her irritation at not being able to get her digs in at her sister. "Then I guess it's just us, Eric?" "Yeah, there's a great margarita bar down the way I've been wanting to try," Eric said. Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, I hate that place." "Well, if you'd rather play Monopoly or watch some old movie..." "Margaritas it is," Cornelia conceded. While Penny was gathering up the last of the dinner dishes to wash, Cornelia hugged her father. "Thanks for the shrimp. We'll try to keep it down when we get back." "So long," Eric said, making eye contact ...