“You all lit up like a bonfire of sparklers and mirrors. Somethin’ to do with young Johnny Perkins?”

“Well, I did see him last night. I think I’m going to marry him someday, Corinna.”

“Is that right? Well, I s’pose you could do worse. He a good boy from a good family, though his mama be one grumpy, spoilt woman. Spoilt as year old milk.”

Violet laughed. Corinna had worked for Mrs. Perkins for one week before informing her she had too many other houses to clean.

Corinna finished her coffee and began preparing supper. While she fried chicken, Violet swept the downstairs floors. The phone rang and she dropped her broom with a clatter.

“Hello?”

“Hey, doll. Just wanted to hear your voice. I have to get back to the basketball court and teach these jokers how to play in a minute.” She heard Red’s laugh in the background and wondered how Johnny had gotten into the school’s office.

“I’m helping Corinna clean, and then I’m doing nothing interesting at all while you run off to Tuscaloosa.”

“You could ride with us. I’m spending the night over there, though.”

“You know my parents would never go for that.” Violet bit her lip. “You’ll be back for lunch after church, right?”

“Yes, I promise. Coach is yelling. I have to go.”

“I love you, Johnny.”

“You, too.” Red must still be listening. She hung up and put the broom back into lazy motion. Soon Mama and Daddy would be home from shopping and she’d join them for supper and television. Theirs was the first house in town with a set, and it was a special point of pride for Doug Glenn. His family loved watching together. “Mark my words,” he’d say, “this television thing is going to be big. Someday nearly every house will have a set.”

When they arrived, however, Doug and Alice Glenn were arguing heatedly over something. Violet swept the back porch and listened as they stomped up to their room and closed the door, then resumed yelling. She decided she’d had enough Cinderella time and wandered into the kitchen to pester Corinna for a piece of chicken and some iced tea. It was on the table with a note: “Here, sweet girl. Love, Corinna”

She knew Violet very well.

Mama and Daddy wandered downstairs a half hour later, looking calm and determined to coexist. She set the table and the family ate in companionable silence, pausing only to ask for more potato salad or rolls. Violet did the dishes as her father fiddled with the television antenna so they could watch The Kraft Television Theatre. After that, Violet excused herself to read in her room, though she used the time to update her diary in greater detail about the wonders of sex.