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The Usual Rules Chapter 16 Summary

  • After Garrett drops her off at school on Monday, Wendy takes the bus to the hospital and gets off. She goes into the Obstetrics and Gynecology department.
  • She peers in at all the newborn babies and remembers how Louie was when he was a baby. A girl is standing in front of the window and asks Wendy if any of the babies are hers.
  • The girl's name is Violet and she points out her baby—a boy named Walter Charles. She's not much older than Wendy and asks for her name; Wendy says it's Kitty.
  • The girl says that Wendy can pretend to be her sister and they take a taxi together to Violet's apartment. Then they set about taking care of Walter Charles.
  • Violet admits that she was originally supposed to give her baby to a couple in San Francisco, but then she changed her mind at the last minute and decided she wanted to keep him.
  • When it's time for Wendy to leave, Violet tells her to come back and hang out with her and the baby any time.
  • Garrett is already home when Wendy returns, and he asks her how school was. Per usual, she says it was fine despite not having gone.
  • Carolyn comes over and says she'll read Wendy's palm. She tells Wendy that there's a lot of love in her family line and also that there's a woman coming her way… but to be careful with her.
  • Garrett says Carolyn is right: His mother is coming to visit for Thanksgiving and Wendy should definitely watch out for her.