“You OK?” he mouths to me.
I nod.
“I can see you holding hands,” Bella calls out in a singsong voice from under the table.
Noah and I look at each other and laugh.
“You know, I was thinking,” Noah says to Sadie Lee. “Why don’t you all go out to Times Square with them and I’ll babysit Bella.”
“I don’t need babysitting,” Bella yells. “I’m not a baby!”
“OK, I’ll big-girl-sit Bella,” Noah says. “You deserve a night out, G-ma.”
Sadie Lee stares at him. I stare at him. Why is he offering to babysit on our last night together?
“But what about Penny?” Sadie Lee says.
Yes, what about me? I want to yell.
“Well, I was thinking that Penny might want to babysit with me?” Noah looks at me hopefully.
I instantly grin. Spending my last night at home with Noah is way more appealing than being swamped by the crowds of people at Times Square.
“Big-girl-sit!” Bella yells, correcting Noah.
“Big-girl-sit,” Noah says.
“But surely Penny wouldn’t want to miss Times Square at New Year’s?” Sadie Lee says, looking at me.
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” I say. “In fact, I’d prefer it.”
“You would?” Dad looks at me and raises his eyebrows.
I pray to the God of Gullible Parents for a miracle.
“Are you worried about all the crowds?” Mum says, looking at me concerned.
I hardly dare breathe—could my miracle have been granted so soon?
“Yes,” I say, and it isn’t strictly a lie; I do hate big crowds.
“Maybe it would be best if we all stay home tonight,” Mum says. “We have got to get up early for our flight tomorrow.”
“No!” I practically yell. I take a moment to calm myself down. I don’t want to give the game away. “I’d feel horrible if you just stayed in because of me and, anyway, there’s no point feeling bad about it. I’d be way happier babysitting.”
Bella emerges from under the table looking really cross. “I’m not a baby!” she says to me with her hands on her hips.
I laugh and pull her up onto my knee. “I know you’re not. I’m sorry.” Bella snuggles into me and I wrap my arms around her.
“I sure am gonna miss you, Penny,” she says.
“I sure am gonna miss you too,” I say in a fake American accent.
Everyone laughs, then Dad starts to nod. “OK then, if you’re certain,” he says.
I look at him and smile. “Yes, I’m certain.” I don’t think I’ve ever been more certain of anything in my life.
• • •
Once Mum and Dad and Sadie Lee and Sadie Lee’s friend Betty have headed off to Times Square, Noah asks Bella what she’d like to do.
She tilts her head to one side and thinks about it for all of a second before answering, “Please can we play princesses?”
Noah laughs. “Oh man. Who do I get to be? Princess Noah?”
Bella shakes her head. “No, silly. You’re the famous rock-star prince.”
“Good role,” I say, nodding my approval to Noah.
“Right,” Noah says, looking distinctly unimpressed.
“And Penny is Princess Autumn and I’m Princess Bella the Third.”
Noah looks at me and raises his eyebrows. “What happened to Bella the First and Second?”
“They were killed by an alien pig.”
I bite down on my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing.
“Go and get your guitar then,” Bella says to Noah. It suddenly dawns on me that I haven’t seen Noah play the guitar since the day we met.
“And, Penny, you have to dress up like a princess.”
“I don’t think I’ve got any princess clothes.”
“What about the dress?” Noah says. “The one you were wearing the night of the wedding party.”
“Oh yes.”
I run upstairs to Mum and Dad’s room and find the dress in Mum’s luggage. This time I don’t put the shoes or headband on. I stay barefoot and let my curls tumble loosely over my shoulders.
When I get back to the living room, Noah is sitting on the edge of the sofa strumming a beautiful black guitar with a pearly white fret board.
“OK, still majestic,” he says as soon as he sees me.
“Why, thank you, Prince Rock Star.”
“You’re welcome, Princess Autumn.”
Bella, who has gotten changed into a gorgeous satin princess dress in deep purple, looks at me and claps her hands. “This is going to be so much fun!” She turns to Noah. “Play her the song.”
“Which song?”
“The song,” Bella says, looking at him pointedly. “You know, the one you wrote about her,” she whispers loudly.
Noah’s face flushes. “Oh, no, I can’t, it’s not finished yet. How about I do one from Frozen? Bella’s seen the movie Frozen about seventy million times,” he says to me with a grin.
Bella claps her hands together. “Yes! Sing ‘Let It Go.’ Please!”
Noah plays a few chords on his guitar, then starts to sing.
Bella starts dancing around the room with her teddy bear. “I love this song,” she says to me breathlessly.
And as Noah carries on singing, I fall in love with it too. His voice is so beautiful, so soft and husky. The kind of voice that really makes you pay attention. I glance over at him and see that he’s staring at me intently while he sings. Is he singing it to me? Does he actually mean the words he’s singing? As the song builds and he gets to a line about overcoming your fears, he looks straight at me and I feel shivers run up and down my spine.