Lymber craft's Arc

Chapter 62 of 70

Lymber slid the test back into the drawer without opening the wrapper. She was not going to look tonight. She had one kid crying upstairs about a boy, and another one downstairs waiting for apples. She locked the drawer and went back to the kitchen. Missy was on a stool at the counter, kicking her heel against the cabinet. Lymber told her to stop kicking and eat. Missy stopped. Lymber wiped the counter and waited for the sound of Violetta coming down. Violetta came down twenty minutes later in a clean shirt. Her face was still puffy. She sat at the counter and took an apple slice and did not eat it. She said, Mom. Lymber said, yeah. Violetta said, Jordie asked me out. Lymber set the sponge down. She said, when. Violetta said, on the walk home. He caught up with her at the corner and said did she want to go to the movies Saturday. She had said yes before she thought about it. Now she was saying it out loud and her face was pink. Lymber heard Paul's key in the door. He came into the kitchen with his jacket still on and saw both of their faces and stopped. He said, what happened. Violetta said it fast, before Lymber could soften it. She said Vinnie broke up with her Monday and Jordie asked her out today and she said yes. Paul set his keys on the counter. He looked at Lymber. Lymber looked back. Paul said, Monday was three days ago. Violetta said, I know. Paul said, that's fast. He did not say anything else. Lymber pulled out the stool next to Violetta and sat down. She said, your dad's right. It's fast. Violetta's mouth started to go. Lymber kept going. She said, you told me yesterday you felt sick because you were already thinking about him. That feeling was real. Going to a movie on Saturday doesn't make it go away. It makes it louder. Violetta said, so I should cancel. Lymber said, I think you should tell him not this weekend. Tell him in two weeks. If he still wants to go, he'll wait. Violetta stared at the apple slice. She said, what if he doesn't wait. Paul said, then you found out something useful. Violetta laughed once, wet, and wiped her nose on her wrist. She said, okay. She picked up her phone and walked to the stairs, typing. Lymber heard the bedroom door close. Paul came over and put his hand flat on her back. He said, you okay. She said, yeah. He said, you sure. She said, yeah. He kept his hand there another second and then went to hang up his jacket. Lymber sat at the counter with Missy and finished the apples. The drawer in her office stayed locked. The test could wait until morning.