Lymber craft's Arc

Chapter 27 of 70

Paul was awake when Lymber came back across the road. He was at the kitchen table with Violetta on his knee, feeding her from a bottle. Lymber set the ultrasound photo next to the sugar bowl. She said, she knows. He said, and. She said, she said congratulations. Paul nodded. He kept his eyes on Violetta. Then he said, come to the park with me later. Lymber said, why. He said, just come. He had a bag ready by the door when she came out of the shower. She did not ask what was in it. Violetta went in the stroller with a blanket. They walked the six blocks to the park. The gazebo was empty. Paul steered the stroller up the two steps and parked it in the middle. He sat Lymber down on the bench along the rail. He took the bag off his shoulder. He took out a small box. He took out a folded paper. He took out the pregnancy test she had left on the bathroom counter three days ago, still in its plastic sleeve. He set all three on the bench between them. He said, I want to do this right. He said, I already asked your mom last week. Lymber looked at the box. She said, last week. He said, before you told me. I was going to wait. I don't want to wait now. He opened the box. The ring was small. He said, I know it's not much. She said, Paul. He said, let me finish. He said, I love you. I love Violetta. I love this one too. He touched the test through the plastic. He said, marry me. Say yes here where nobody's filming. She said yes. He put the ring on her finger. It fit. Violetta dropped her bottle and Paul picked it up without looking away from Lymber. Lymber cried a little and did not wipe it. She had not planned to cry. She had not planned any of this morning. A woman with a dog stopped at the edge of the gazebo and clapped once, quietly, and kept walking. Then two women from the church across the road stopped on the path. One of them said, oh honey, and covered her mouth. The other already had her phone out. Lymber saw the phone come up. She did not turn her face away. Paul saw it too and did not move. Lymber said, tell them. Paul stood up. He said, loud enough for the path, we're getting married. And she's pregnant again. The woman with the phone lowered it, then raised it again. By the time they got home, Polly was standing in her doorway across the road with her arms crossed. She had already heard. Lymber walked over. Polly said, the gazebo. Really. Lymber said, he planned it. Polly said, well. It's out now. All of it. She looked at the ring. She said, at least he asked me first.