One Bride for Five Brothers

She stands on the front porch, shading her eyes with her hand. Even though she's not that far along, I feel like I see her swelling around the middle. Is that even possible? Her tits are certainly bigger. Her hair seems thicker and shinier. But I thought that it took a while for women to show in the belly on their first pregnancy.

Not like I know. But I might've googled it just a little bit.

“I think I want to walk,” she smiles.

I pull the parking brake and get back out of the truck and just stand there and stare at her. She thinks she wants to walk? Is she serious with this?

She tries to stare me down for a few seconds, then her shoulders slump.

“Fine!” she huffs. “You can drive me across the damn orchard!”

It's not a long drive, but it feels like a long drive because she seething in the passenger seat, and I can tell she's about to start spouting off. Stan is next to the back porch with a tool belt around his middle when we arrive. He walks over to greet us.

“Is this it?” he asks.

“Why is everybody always saying that?” she snaps at him, climbing down. “And don't tell me not to get out of the truck, either. I'll do what I want to do!”

Stan’s eyes go wide and he holds his hands up like he's afraid she's going to throw something at him.

“Charlie! What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything to her!” I insist as I haul a box out of the back of the truck and stack it on the porch next to the others. “She doesn't like being bossed around, apparently. But I told her she needs to take it easy. Right? Don't you agree?”

“Well I —” he starts, then flinches and shuts up when he catches the look that Vanessa shoots him. “You know what? I have no opinion on this. You can be mad at Charlie.”

“Oh, nice,” I grumble, realizing he's more than happy to let me take the heat.

“Let's just hurry up, okay?” she huffs. “I'd like to get on the road. You said we can have coffee, right?”

“No coffee, the caff —” Stan starts and then stops abruptly. “Never mind, never mind. I'm just going to shut up now.”

Stan hurries away with boxes, then returns with Tim and Tom a few moments later. They rush back and forth, averting their eyes carefully. Apparently Stan let them know that Vanessa was not to be messed with today. We all silently agree to give her a wide berth, although I suppose we’re all silently hoping that this is not going to be her attitude for the rest of the pregnancy.

But you know what? Even if it is? We’re going to deal with it. It'll be fine. It's just a new facet of Vanessa's beautiful personality.

But, seriously, I hope it's just temporary.

Finally, all the boxes are out and moved to her new room in the house. She paces around the porch until she can get back in the passenger seat. I watch the window as she buckles the seatbelt over herself and stares stubbornly out the front window.

“Well, I guess I better drive her,” I say to Stan. “Unless you'd rather? I mean, I don't mind. You could.”

“No way!” he laughs, tipping his head back as though this is the funniest thing in the world. “Wasn't that what you said first thing this morning? How it is your day and everything, Charlie? She's all yours, brother!”

“Yeah, fine, fine…”

With a sigh, I walk back around to the driver’s side and get in, giving Vanessa an indulgent smile before cranking the engine. The truck suddenly shifts and jiggles and she turns around, alarmed. Through the small window behind us, she can see my brothers all pile into the bed of the truck. Tim and Tom wave, smiling. Stan and Hank just grin.

“They're coming with us?” she asks nervously.

“Well, sure,” I answer reasonably. “You wouldn’t want them to miss the first doctor's appointment, would you?”

“But, but… I mean, you can't all come!” she insists, clearly alarmed. "I mean, what are people going to think?”

“Who cares what they think,” I shrug. “I have never cared much what people thought about us before, so why would I start now? Do you care, Vanessa?”

She stares out the back window as my brothers make faces at her like a bunch of idiots. Finally she breaks, chuckling softly to herself.

“No, I guess I don't really care,” she sighs, turning back around. “Let's get going!”