Violetta Craft's Arc

Chapter 50 of 65

The pediatrician cleared Elowen by Tuesday. Ear infection. Antibiotics. Fever gone by Wednesday morning. Violetta stood in Lymber's kitchen with the empty medicine dropper and looked at the calendar taped to the fridge. She had circled Saturday in red pen. Move day. Jordie found the house in two days. A small white place with a wraparound porch, two towns closer to the clinic than the old rental. Five bedrooms, but they only needed three. He signed the lease Friday morning and put her name beside his. He handed her a key on the porch that afternoon. "It's ours," he said. She closed her fingers around the key. It was cold and new and did not shake in her hand. Saturday came gray and cool. Paul backed the truck up to Lymber's driveway at seven. He wore his flannel and carried a coffee in each hand. He gave one to Violetta without a word and started loading boxes. Jett came down the steps in his leather jacket with the crib rails balanced on his shoulder. "Where's the baby's room?" Jett asked. "Upstairs. End of the hall. The one with the window over the yard." He nodded and kept walking to the truck. Lymber carried Elowen on her hip and a diaper bag on her shoulder. She followed Violetta through the new house room by room, setting things down where Violetta pointed. The sewing machine went in the front room off the porch. The kitchen boxes went on the counter. The crib went upstairs. By noon the truck was empty. By two the beds were made. By four Jordie had the couch pushed against the wall Violetta wanted and the television plugged in. Paul assembled the changing table in the nursery while Jett screwed the mobile arm onto the crib. Lymber unpacked Elowen's clothes into the small dresser drawer by drawer. Violetta stood in the nursery doorway. The walls were pale yellow. The crib had a white sheet with tiny green leaves. Elowen's stuffed rabbit sat in the corner of the mattress. A rocking chair faced the window. Her big girl room, ready. "Try it," Lymber said. Violetta lifted Elowen from Lymber's hip and set her on the rug. Elowen crawled to the rabbit and pulled it down and laughed. She did not cry for the old house. She did not look for Lymber. "Okay," Violetta said. Paul kissed the top of her head on his way out. Jett tapped the doorframe twice and followed him. Lymber stayed a beat longer. "Call me if you need me," Lymber said. "I will." Lymber left. Jordie came up the stairs holding a pizza box and two paper plates. He sat on the floor beside Elowen. Violetta sat across from them. The three of them ate on the rug in the yellow room. Her sewing machine waited downstairs. The senior dress was won. The next one was hers to choose.