For a girl, how about Nicole? It means a girl who's victorious for her people."
"Oh, I like that," Loretta whispered. "Hunter would that."
Rachel smiled. "Nicole Wolf. If she has her daddy's eyes, Indigo would go perfect with it. Nicole Indigo Wolf."
"Doesn't sound right," Amy argued. "Indigo Nicole Wolf! That, I like."
"Indigo Nicole." Tears burned behind Loretta's eyelids. A girl victorious for her people. "Yes, that's beautiful, for both worlds."
"Your own name isn't half-bad. Bet you don't know what Loretta means." Rachel folded the dough over, then glanced up with a teasing grin. "Your momma and me picked it, mainly for the meaning."
"It's a variation of Laura, isn't it? Laurel wreath or something?"
"That's the common meaning. But in your ma's name book, there was another."
"Well? Give over." Loretta waited, watching her aunt. "What's it mean? Flat-chested and scrawny?"
Rachel threw back her head and chuckled. "Flat-chested and scrawny? Loretta Jane, I swear, no one can say you have too high an opinion of yourself. It means little wise one."
The color washed from Loretta's face, and she planted her feet on the floor to stop the chair from rocking. "It means what?"
"Little wise one." Rachel's smile faded. "You feelin' peaked? What's wrong?"
Loretta set her sewing aside and pushed to her feet. "Nothing, Aunt Rachel. N-nothing." Glancing dazedly around the room, Loretta pressed the back of her wrist to her temple, a feeling of unreality surrounding her. "I, um, think I'll get a breath of air."
After hurrying from the house, Loretta struck off across the yard to lean on the fence, her favorite spot because it afforded her a view of the rise. Still numb with shock, she stared off into the distance, remembering the night Hunter had recited his song to her.
"Oh, I like that," Loretta whispered. "Hunter would that."
Rachel smiled. "Nicole Wolf. If she has her daddy's eyes, Indigo would go perfect with it. Nicole Indigo Wolf."
"Doesn't sound right," Amy argued. "Indigo Nicole Wolf! That, I like."
"Indigo Nicole." Tears burned behind Loretta's eyelids. A girl victorious for her people. "Yes, that's beautiful, for both worlds."
"Your own name isn't half-bad. Bet you don't know what Loretta means." Rachel folded the dough over, then glanced up with a teasing grin. "Your momma and me picked it, mainly for the meaning."
"It's a variation of Laura, isn't it? Laurel wreath or something?"
"That's the common meaning. But in your ma's name book, there was another."
"Well? Give over." Loretta waited, watching her aunt. "What's it mean? Flat-chested and scrawny?"
Rachel threw back her head and chuckled. "Flat-chested and scrawny? Loretta Jane, I swear, no one can say you have too high an opinion of yourself. It means little wise one."
The color washed from Loretta's face, and she planted her feet on the floor to stop the chair from rocking. "It means what?"
"Little wise one." Rachel's smile faded. "You feelin' peaked? What's wrong?"
Loretta set her sewing aside and pushed to her feet. "Nothing, Aunt Rachel. N-nothing." Glancing dazedly around the room, Loretta pressed the back of her wrist to her temple, a feeling of unreality surrounding her. "I, um, think I'll get a breath of air."
After hurrying from the house, Loretta struck off across the yard to lean on the fence, her favorite spot because it afforded her a view of the rise. Still numb with shock, she stared off into the distance, remembering the night Hunter had recited his song to her.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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