Chapter Text
Penelope goes to her first wedding when she’s eight years old.
It’s a great aunt that Penelope can’t even remember the name of- Pearl? Petunia? She’s fairly sure it’s one of the two. Or wait, maybe it’s Patricia- but that doesn’t affect her excitement. She’s been watching Disney movies religiously recently, reading her fairy tales almost obsessively, consuming love story after love story- it’s safe to say that she’s a little bit in love with love. She can’t help it, there’s just something about the idea that two people could be able to see and understand each other so completely that speaks to her heart. Her mother thinks that she’s naive for believing in love the way that she does, with her whole heart, her sisters mock her for it- Penelope can’t bring herself to care. Her belief in love, even as a child, is a part of her, she wouldn’t be able to get rid of it even if she wanted to.
It’s that belief in love that makes her great aunt’s all the more magical. Everything from the music playing to the flowers in the middle of every table, it all feels like something out of a dream. The whole thing makes her wonder what her wedding will look like one day, and honestly she’s not entirely sure yet, all she knows is that Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid will be her groom and there will not be a trace of yellow. Penelope soaks in every moment and observes every tradition.
But there’s one tradition that she doesn’t know about yet, and it’s going to end up being far more important to her than eight year old Penelope will ever realise.
“Okay, ladies, time for the bride to throw the bouquet!”
Penelope really isn’t sure what the big deal is, but everyone else is getting excited, so she figures she should be too. She follows the other guests to the centre of the dance floor where they eagerly bunch together. Penelope squeezes her way through the sea of grown ups to the front of the crowd. Her great aunt (Persephone? Is that it?) grins at them before turning around. She raises the bouquet over her head once, and then a second time before finally throwing it the third time.
She doesn’t even really think much about catching it, too enchanted by the sight of the flowers flying through the twinkly lights, but the bouquet still ends up in her hands anyways.
Penelope blinks and then grins. This feels a lot like winning, and she really doesn’t win much.
She practically bounds over to her mum, vibrating with joy, as Philippa and Prudence sulk behind her. “Mum! Mum! Look! I caught the bouquet!”
“Yes, I can see that, Penelope, no need to gloat, it’s not ladylike,” her mother reminds her.
“S-sorry, mama,” Penelope apologises immediately, her voice halving in volume. “I was just excited.”
Her mum is quiet for a moment, something flickering in her eyes that Penelope doesn’t recognise, before leaning down to inspect the flowers and smiling at her. “Well, I can see why. Catching the bouquet is a rather big deal.”
“It is?” Pen questions, brightening a bit, she knew that she felt like she was winning for a reason.
“Oh, yes, do you know what they say about the person who catches the bouquet at a wedding?”
She shakes her head. “No, what do they say?”
“They say that the person who catches it will be the next one to get married.”
“Really?” Penelope grins before her brows furrow slightly. “But when am I getting married? And who am I getting married to?”
“More like who would want to marry you?” Prudence mumbles as Philippa snickers along unkindly.
Penelope frowns, for a moment she wonders if her mum will tell Prudence to stop, that being mean also isn’t ladylike, but she doesn’t do that, she just ignores it. “Well, you’re a little too young to be getting married right now, that will have to wait until you’re a bit older, but as for who you’re going to marry… I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.”
Two days after the wedding, Penelope knocks a boy off his bike by accident with her yellow hat. He laughs with her about it instead of yelling at like she’d assumed he would, and the moment she hears his laugh she knows that she’s met the love of her life, and the minute she opens the door she tells her mum that she knows exactly who she’s going to marry one day.
She’s going to marry Colin Bridgerton, the flowers said so.