a try.” She pulled a form out of a folder and handed it to Vivian. “Fill this out and bring it back with you Monday morning.”
“Monday. Yes, thank you.”
“You’ll begin your training at ten o’clock.”
Vivian had walked halfway to the boardinghouse before her new reality sank in—she was a working woman. Helping Aunt Alma unpack boxes of fabric and thread and stock shelves in her dry goods store in Portland didn’t count. On Monday she would begin her first real job. She was finally on her way to becoming a self-reliant woman.
A surge of hope powered Vivian’s steps as she strolled down Fourth Street Saturday morning. At the corner, she stepped up onto the boardwalk. Nell walked toward her down Bennett Avenue and waved. In Nell’s other hand, a paper-wrapped bundle dangled by the string that bound it.
“You finished the blanket,” Vivian said as they walked.
Nell sighed. “Just last night.”
“But you finished it. When you set your mind to something—”
“Yes, well, it’s a Sinclair trait, which means I’m not the only one.” A smile reached Nell’s blue eyes. “Any success in your search for employment? ”
“I went to the telephone company when I left you Tuesday and spoke to Mrs. Hartley.”
Nell’s eyebrows arched. “And?”
“And I start work at the telephone company on Monday.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Vivian wasn’t sure how she felt about being a telephone operator, but she was thankful to have a job.
Nell paused at a busy intersection and waited for a donkey cart to pass, barely turning her head to the right. “This is Myers Avenue.” Shespoke the street name in a whisper. “We have to turn left to get to Poverty Gulch where Eleanor lives, but good girls don’t frequent Myers.”
Blameless girls. Girls who weren’t living a lie. Feeling like an impostor, Vivian followed her sister’s lead and looked straight ahead as they continued down the hill behind the depot.
They’d just walked under the trestle and down into the Gulch when three little girls ran toward them in flour-sack dresses, all of them shouting her sister’s name, their arms open wide. “Miss Nell!” “Mith Nell!”
Nell pulled them into a hug. “Girls, this is my sister, Miss Vivian.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” they said in unison.
Nell introduced them. “These are the Zanzucchi sisters, Jocelyn, Jaya, and Julia.”
Smiling, Vivian looked at each one in turn, spending more time on the youngest sister. “Girls, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The oldest of the Zanzucchi girls smiled, then focused her dark-eyed gaze on the package in Nell’s hand. “Is that for Miss Eleanor’s baby?”
“Yes, it’s a blanket.” Nell looked down at the youngest child, who still clung to her leg. “But now, I have a little something for you.”
“For uth?” The big-eyed girl looked about four years old.
“Yes. For you.” Nell poked her belly, and she squealed. “For you, and for you.” When she reached for the other girls, they jumped back, giggling.
Vivian couldn’t help giggling too while inwardly struggling to understand God’s reasoning, or at the very least, His timing. Nell was so good with children and longed for one of her own to present to a husband who adored her. And here she was, taking a baby blanket to awoman who’d lost her husband and would have to raise a child on her own. It made no sense to Vivian.
“But it’s not our birthday, Miss Nell.” This big sister stood just as poised as Ida always did.
“It’s not?” Nell asked.
A frown creased the littlest one’s chin, and she shook her head, causing ripples of sunlight to flow down her long raven hair.
Nell pulled three candy sticks from the pocket of her calico skirt. “We’ll just have to call these an ‘I love you’ gift.”
“Candy!” Jaya rocked side to side while Nell handed out the candy.
“You’re welcome. But you have to go straight to your papa for permission.” Nell glanced
“Monday. Yes, thank you.”
“You’ll begin your training at ten o’clock.”
Vivian had walked halfway to the boardinghouse before her new reality sank in—she was a working woman. Helping Aunt Alma unpack boxes of fabric and thread and stock shelves in her dry goods store in Portland didn’t count. On Monday she would begin her first real job. She was finally on her way to becoming a self-reliant woman.
A surge of hope powered Vivian’s steps as she strolled down Fourth Street Saturday morning. At the corner, she stepped up onto the boardwalk. Nell walked toward her down Bennett Avenue and waved. In Nell’s other hand, a paper-wrapped bundle dangled by the string that bound it.
“You finished the blanket,” Vivian said as they walked.
Nell sighed. “Just last night.”
“But you finished it. When you set your mind to something—”
“Yes, well, it’s a Sinclair trait, which means I’m not the only one.” A smile reached Nell’s blue eyes. “Any success in your search for employment? ”
“I went to the telephone company when I left you Tuesday and spoke to Mrs. Hartley.”
Nell’s eyebrows arched. “And?”
“And I start work at the telephone company on Monday.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Vivian wasn’t sure how she felt about being a telephone operator, but she was thankful to have a job.
Nell paused at a busy intersection and waited for a donkey cart to pass, barely turning her head to the right. “This is Myers Avenue.” Shespoke the street name in a whisper. “We have to turn left to get to Poverty Gulch where Eleanor lives, but good girls don’t frequent Myers.”
Blameless girls. Girls who weren’t living a lie. Feeling like an impostor, Vivian followed her sister’s lead and looked straight ahead as they continued down the hill behind the depot.
They’d just walked under the trestle and down into the Gulch when three little girls ran toward them in flour-sack dresses, all of them shouting her sister’s name, their arms open wide. “Miss Nell!” “Mith Nell!”
Nell pulled them into a hug. “Girls, this is my sister, Miss Vivian.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” they said in unison.
Nell introduced them. “These are the Zanzucchi sisters, Jocelyn, Jaya, and Julia.”
Smiling, Vivian looked at each one in turn, spending more time on the youngest sister. “Girls, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The oldest of the Zanzucchi girls smiled, then focused her dark-eyed gaze on the package in Nell’s hand. “Is that for Miss Eleanor’s baby?”
“Yes, it’s a blanket.” Nell looked down at the youngest child, who still clung to her leg. “But now, I have a little something for you.”
“For uth?” The big-eyed girl looked about four years old.
“Yes. For you.” Nell poked her belly, and she squealed. “For you, and for you.” When she reached for the other girls, they jumped back, giggling.
Vivian couldn’t help giggling too while inwardly struggling to understand God’s reasoning, or at the very least, His timing. Nell was so good with children and longed for one of her own to present to a husband who adored her. And here she was, taking a baby blanket to awoman who’d lost her husband and would have to raise a child on her own. It made no sense to Vivian.
“But it’s not our birthday, Miss Nell.” This big sister stood just as poised as Ida always did.
“It’s not?” Nell asked.
A frown creased the littlest one’s chin, and she shook her head, causing ripples of sunlight to flow down her long raven hair.
Nell pulled three candy sticks from the pocket of her calico skirt. “We’ll just have to call these an ‘I love you’ gift.”
“Candy!” Jaya rocked side to side while Nell handed out the candy.
“You’re welcome. But you have to go straight to your papa for permission.” Nell glanced
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