Quite A Treasure Indeed

"I'm sure she didn't want to bother you because you're busy—" Penelope began. 

"Busy? No one is busier than her! She's running herself straight into the ground making sure Mom and I are okay but nobody is making sure she's okay. Every time I ask, she brushes it off," Percy said bitterly. 

"She's so optimistic every time I see her that I thought she was fine and could hold out until I graduated…but if she's been hiding how bad things actually are from me, there isn't anything I can do about it."

Penelope wasn't sure what to say. Sometimes she felt the same frustration that Roman wasn't actually telling her what was on his mind. 

He wasn't the most talkative person when it came to his feelings. He had certainly taken long enough to admit he liked her and that was only because she took the initiative.