The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond Read Free Page A

always
smiles at the person and gives them the peace sign, but Mom or Gam
usually always
takes my hand, as if to say I belong to them, which I do. And even though I know they love me, at moments when people stare like that, I still wish I could vanish.
    Stop thinking about things you can’t change, Violet.
    The house was getting extremely toasty warm again and the kitty yawned.
    â€œBoy or girl cat?” D asked.
    I shrugged. “I dunno.”
    â€œDid you tell Mom yet?”
    â€œI was going to surprise her,” I said, but the truth was I hadn’t even thought about it.
    â€œWell, make sure it doesn’t have fleas or any animal diseases,” she said as she headed to her room. “And you should take off those wet clothes and clean up that milk,” she commanded. Like most older sisters, Daisy is the boss.
    â€œAfter I do, will you take me to the pet store? I have my own money,” I asked.
    â€œIt’s raining,” she replied.
    â€œSo?”
    She had that look on her face that said she really didn’t want to, but for some reason, maybe because I’d finally gotten a wish, she said, “Okay, in a little while.”
    I cleaned up the mess and was heading to my cave with the kitten when the back door opened again. This time it was Poppy, my grandpa.
    Poppy and Gam live close by and they’re at our house or we’re at theirs so much, it’s sort of like we all live together. Either Gam or Poppy are always here when I get home from school because Mom has funny hours at the hospital where she works in the NICU—Neonatal Intensive Care Unit—as a doctor who takes care of teeny-tiny just-born babies.
    Poppy is taller than six feet with skin that’s starting to get wrinkly, especially around his eyes when he smiles. He wears his gray hair long and sometimes in a ponytail.
    â€œHi, Poppy.”
    Poppy kissed me on the forehead and asked, “How’s my girl?”
    I was about to tell him about the cat when he started fussing about his umbrella. He couldn’t get it to close. “I swear they make umbrellas to break! They could make umbrellas to last a lifetime if they wanted! And this idiotic rain interrupted my golf game!”
    Patiently, I waited for him to notice the kitten I was holding.
    Finally, he did. “Whose cat?”
    â€œMine. Mom said I could have one this morning. And guess what—today I found one.”
    â€œSerendipity,” Poppy proclaimed as he patted the kitten’s head.
    Another new word to add to my book. That was two in just one day. But before I could ask what it meant, Poppy gave me the answer. “Means ‘getting what you want by what seems like chance’ . . . What’s its name?”
    â€œI didn’t give it one yet. It’s a stray. Don’t know if it’s a boy or girl. I don’t have any food or a bed for it or anything. But Daisy promised to take me to the pet store in a little while.”
    Poppy touched my shoulder. My clothes were still wet. He didn’t have to say a word. The look he gave me told me I needed to get out of wet clothes and into dry ones in a hurry. “I know,” I said. “Put on dry clothes.”
    I gave him a peck on the cheek and handed him the kitten. “Thanks,” I told him, and rushed to my room.
    On my way, I passed D’s door and knocked twice. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”
    â€œYeah, yeah!” she yelled.
    In my cave, I changed my clothes fast, grabbed my word book, and wrote down
penchant
and
serendipity.
The definitions would have to wait.
    â€œSerendipity,” I said out loud, and smiled.
    I hope I get some more of it.

5
DAISY’S LI’L SIS
    A t the pet store, the lady told us it was a girl cat and I decided on the name Hazel because of her eyes.
    â€œIt’s a cute name,” Daisy agreed.
    Unfortunately, because I bought a cartload of stuff, I was a few dollars short at the