"Thank you. They're so pretty. How was your journey?"
"Good. I can't believe you're living out here."
"I know… if you'd asked me two years ago where I'd be right now, I would have told you that I'd have a condo in the city with a job that required me to wear crisp white shirts, fitted navy suits, and shoes with red soles." She glances down at her mud-encrusted boots. "I still miss the idea of those shoes."
"Boots are way better for your feet," I laugh. "Especially in your condition."
Her hand automatically goes to her belly, protectively. "The only thing that good for my feet right now is being off them. I swear that elephants would be shocked at the size of my ankles right now, and my ass… don't even get me started."
"You talking about your ass again," a voice says. A tall man in a plaid shirt, torn jeans, and muddy work boots has ambled closer to take the flowers from Danna. "Looks pretty good from where I'm standing."
Danna rolls her eyes. "I swear these guys… the bigger I get, the more they seem to love it."
"There's just more of you to go round, sweetheart." He holds out his large work-rough hand. "I'm Samuel."
"This is my cousin Maggie. She was just a kid when I last saw her. Now, look at her."
Samuel nods. "I'm sorry for your loss, Maggie. Dale was a good man."
"Thanks." I nod somberly but feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up my cheeks again. People say that as though I have a right to be mourning for him or a right to be proud of who he was when actually too many years have passed for me to have any claim on him at all.
"Come on in," Danna says, resting her hand on my arm kindly.
We make our way slowly to the house, at Danna's pace. I estimate that she must be at least seven months pregnant from the size of her and the way she's waddling with her legs slightly open. "When are you due?"
"I've got seven weeks left, officially," she says. "It's twins, though, so they're definitely going to come earlier. The hospital is talking about a C-section, but one of the babies has their head down. I'm hoping to find a midwife experienced in home birth and twin delivery so I can have them here with the family around."
"They'll only let two of us into the hospital," Samuel says. "I've told Danna that it doesn't matter. We'll draw straws and film the whole thing. We could even live-stream the delivery."
"Because that's what every girl dreams of," Danna mutters with another eye roll. "I'd rather be here with all of you than in some cold and sterile place. You guys have delivered so many calves out here, a couple of babies shouldn't be any trouble."
Samuel snorts. "Now, if I'd have said that, you'd have hit the roof."
"True," she chuckles.
We're at the front of the house now, and Danna begins to introduce me. There are so many men and so many names that I feel almost dizzy with it all. I'm ushered inside, through a mudroom where I leave my sneakers, and into a big open kitchen with oak cabinets, two huge cord sofas, and a dining table that looks like something out of a medieval banqueting hall. It’s filled with the most delicious aroma, and a woman bustles at a massive range cooker. She turns when she hears the movement at the doorway.
"This is Maggie. Maggie, this is Jackie. Momma to all these huge men."
Jackie smiles and laughs. "They weren't this huge to start with."
"It's all your cooking," Danna says, resting her hand lightly on her mother-in-law's arm. It's so nice to see that they have that kind of affectionate relationship.
"I'm glad to meet you," Jackie says. "We don't see much of Danna's family up this way."
"Only Uncle Walter, Aunt Claudine, and Jolene have been so far. And your Dad and the boys."
"And Danna's dad," Samuel says with a little smirk that doesn't go unnoticed by Jackie.
"What about your momma?" I ask Danna. Her face falls, and I know immediately that I've put my big foot in it.
"Mom passed."
"I didn't know. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," Danna says. "You're going through the same thing right now. I still miss her every day."
One of Danna's men throws his arm around her shoulder and gives her a reassuring squeeze. I think his name is Zack, but I can't be sure. "If there's a girl in there, she's gonna be named Kathy."
"I think the chances of there being a girl in there are pretty remote," Danna laughs.
"Yeah, but the chances of me giving you twins was also pretty remote."
Danna grins, rubbing her hand over her huge belly. "I still can't believe you guys got me to agree to six pregnancies."