“What do you mean?” I ask, totally confused. They're all looking at me, but I don't see the answer in their eyes. “Why is this all so funny?”
“I guess it’s just funny because nobody ever told you,” Stan finally says, wiping the corner of his eye. “We're… pretty well off. You could say that.”
“Really well off,” Tim insists.
“Multi-millionaires!” Tom hoots.
The other mother looks over in alarm again. Tim punches Tom hard in the arm, making Tom gasp and rub his arm fretfully.
“Shut up, man!” Tim hisses between his teeth. “You don't just go spreading that around!”
“Wait, are you serious? You guys are like… rich or something?”
“Well, sure,” Charlie shrugs. “Why do you think we’re going international? How did you think that we could afford all that?”
My mind races. I think back over the last couple months and realize all the signs have been there: the land, the organic distribution deals, the way people at the farm stand whispered and nodded proudly, like they were in the presence of local celebrities.
Yet, the broken chainsaw? Replacing the barn roof by themselves? All that?
“We don’t need to live fancy to be wealthy,” Stan says, as though reading my mind. “We have everything we need. Especially now, Vanessa. We have everything we need, you see?”
A wave of emotion surges through me as I look at all of their full, expectant faces. I realize what they are telling me is true. They have been feathering their nest all this time, waiting for me to come along, just like they told me. Waiting for their princess.
“So you don’t have to worry about paying,” Charlie tells me, and I hear the pride in his voice. “We'll take care of everything for you. Every little thing.”
“Vanessa?” comes the receptionist’s voice as the door swings open. “Your turn, sweetheart.”
I stand up, and all the guys stand up with me. The receptionist’s eyes go wide.
“Wait… hold on…” she protests.
“Just give us the biggest room you’ve got,” I suggest helpfully. “I don’t think they will wait out here while I'm in there.”
Sputtering uncomfortably, the receptionist shuffles ahead of us, a manila folder in her hand. She opens a door and steps back, looking almost frightened as I walk into the tiny room with five giant men escorting me.
“The doctor will be with you in a moment! Just put on the garment, open in the front!”
“Thank you,” Hank smiles at her as she practically runs away.
“I don’t think she liked us,” Tom shrugs.
“Really? You don’t think so?” Tim asks sarcastically.
“Okay, guys, let's get our princess up on this table over here,” Stan interjects authoritatively.
Immediately, I feel myself being gently pushed back and forth. The guys all help out, undressing me in that practiced way, then slipping the patient gown over my shoulders. Stan takes an extra second to gaze at me in wonder, the way he always does when I'm naked. He likes to just look at me.
I almost see myself in his eyes, too. I know I look a little bit different in subtle ways. Thicker around my waist, certainly. And my boobs are swollen and tender, but impressive. I can't wait to see what's coming next as my body is overtaken by the little life growing inside of me.
The guys lean against the walls in the tiny room as I sit on the paper that covers the exam table, trying not to wiggle too much and make those crinkling noises. There's a brief knock on the door before it opens and Dr. Francis walks in.
To her credit, she doesn't look terrified. She merely says hello to each and every one of them, nodding in a friendly but curt way.
“You must be Vanessa,” she smiles, offering me her hand to shake. “I'm Dr. Francis. Let's see what we've got here!”
She weighs me and measures my height, then has me hop back up on the table. When she pushes the gown up over my belly, I noticed that Tim and Tom avert their eyes and want to giggle. Now they're shy? That seems hilarious to me. They've done the most profane things to my body, but now they can’t even look at my belly? Hilarious.
“It all looks good,” Dr. Francis nods, she drags a rolling cart closer. “The jelly might be cold, sorry. Just gonna do a little ultrasound, here.”