Violet's Verdict

More rain. Collette splashed the car tires through the lamb-shaped puddle in the road on the way to the house. Inside, Carrie was preparing breakfast: tater tots, pancakes, fried ham, and fresh fruit. She was leaving the next morning at 7:00 with Shepherd and Malaya for the Mises conference in Alabama. She had finally almost finished reading all twenty or so required books for the week.
A vase of wildflowers sat in a ceramic pitcher on the counter from the girls’ hike the previous afternoon.
“Yeah, those girls,” said Carrie, shaking her head, “after the hike, I brought them to McDonald’s to get a movie from Redbox, so they get out of the car carrying the wildflowers, no shoes on, and they walk around the drive-through to get to the Redbox machine.”
In other news, Violet was going to have a baby boy in December. Collette had guessed that it would be a girl. She could only imagine Violet with abundances of tiny lace dresses and hair ribbons. But then again, Violet with a baby boy would be equally good.
Grandma arrived at 11:30 with fresh watermelon wedges, kiwi, carrots (for Carrie’s road trip), and treats for Troops as usual, while wearing colored strobe-light glasses (which were a joke gift from the Snicketts in the first place). She had come for her first introduction to Midsomer Murders over White Castle.
It was an easy, good afternoon.