Chapters (38)
- one
- two
- three
- four
- five
- six
- seven
- eight
- nine
- ten
- eleven
- twelve
- thirteen
- fourteen
- fifteen
- sixteen
- seventeen
- eighteen
- nineteen
- twenty
- twenty-one
- twenty-two
- twenty-three
- twenty-four
- twenty-five
- twenty-six
- twenty-seven
- twenty-eight
- twenty-nine
- thirty
- thirty-one
- thirty-two
- thirty-three
- thirty-four
- thirty-five
- thirty-six
- thirty-seven
- epilogue
Violet’s heart broke for the boy. He clung to her and allowed himself to cry for another minute before facing his father, then trudged into the house.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Wilson.”
“Me too, Violet. Me too.” He shook his head. “But he’s in trouble and I can’t take care of him by myself.”
“Chet’s in trouble?” She glanced at the house and saw a living room curtain move back into place.
“He’s suspended from school for the second time this year. The first was for fighting, and hell, I understood that.” He shook his head and adjusted his glasses with a sigh. “This one, though, is for a full two weeks because he stole lunch money from three other students in his class. One little girl says he threatened to hurt her if she told.”
“Lunch money,” Violet said, thinking of all the change she’d slipped Chet. “I hate to hear that, Mr. Wilson.” She placed a sympathetic hand on his arm and squeezed. “I’m sorry for all you’re going through.” She glanced at the house once more and saw Chet peering out a different window. “I’d better get home now.”
Mr Wilson hesitated and then blurted, “His mama has never done right by him. He needs a woman to take care of him. My sister can do that. He deserves a good mother.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Violet smiled and walked away, hoping it was true.
Alice Glenn was again waiting for her daughter at the door. She waved Violet in and crossed to the sofa. “We need to talk. Sit down with me.”
Violet would rather have been anywhere but under Alice’s steely stare. She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her ankles in Southern lady fashion, a perfect imitation of her mother’s posture.
“Violet, we are going to have to speak to your father about your condition.”
Too many things were twirling through Violet’s mind. It took her a moment to realize she’d informed her mother she was pregnant. Now what? She decided to tell a version of the truth. “Mama, I lied to you. I am so sorry. I knew you and Daddy would try to keep me from Johnny’s side, and I thought the only way you’d take me seriously was if I was carrying his baby. I’m not. We’ve never,” here she paused and looked down, “never done anything like that. I’m sorry, Mama.”
Alice found she’d been holding her breath and released it slowly, in little relieved gasps. She threw her head back and said a brief prayer for patience. “Are you sure, Violet? You must tell me the truth.”