Violetta Craft's Arc

Chapter 12 of 65

Violetta finished the last skirt panel on Saturday morning and set the machine aside for the day. She had told Jordie a week ago that she wanted both families in one room before the baby came. He agreed, but only if they made it fun. So they spent Friday night at the kitchen table with a pack of pink cardstock and a black marker, drawing until they got it right. By ten they had a small stack of folded cards, each one tied shut with a strip of soft rose ribbon left over from the dress. Inside every card, in Violetta's careful hand, one word waited. Sunday afternoon they drove to her parents' house with the puppy in the back seat and the cards in a shoebox on Violetta's lap. Jordie's parents pulled in behind them. The tall house with the dark front and the yellow door was already loud when they walked in. Missy ran at Violetta first. Max was behind her holding a juice box. Jett stood by the stairs and lifted his chin, which was his version of hello. Lymber came out of the kitchen wiping her hands. Paul was setting chairs around the long table in the front room so both families could fit. Jordie's parents took the couch. Violetta stayed on her feet. She had rehearsed this in the car three times and still felt her heartbeat in her throat. "We brought something," Violetta said. She lifted the shoebox. "Everybody gets one. Don't open it yet." She walked around the room and handed a card to each person. Paul got his last. Missy bounced on her toes and held the ribbon like she might chew it. Jordie stood beside Violetta and took her free hand. "On three," he said. "One. Two. Three." Ribbons came loose. Cards opened. Missy read hers out loud first because she could not wait. "It's a girl," she said, and then she read the next line, slower, sounding it out. "El. O. Wen." She looked up. "That's my name. I mean, the book name. The one I gave her." Lymber put a hand over her mouth. Paul set his card down and stood up and hugged Violetta without saying anything, which was how he said everything. Jordie's mother started to cry a little and laughed at herself for it. Jett read his card twice and then said, "Elowen Daniels. Okay. Good name." Max asked if the baby was coming today. Missy told him no and explained the calendar with her fingers. The puppy barked at the noise. Violetta sat down on the arm of Paul's chair and let the room stay loud around her. The secret was out of her hands now. Both families knew the name. Both families knew the baby was a girl. She had one week and two days left on the dress, and every stitch of the rose overlay still waiting for her hand. She stood up and told Jordie it was time to go home.