"Emma, hand me that paintbrush!" Mary Ellen called, one hand on her very pregnant abdomen, and the other flapping at her sister. Emma sighed and handed it to her.
"I don't know if you should! You are due next month..." She trailed off as Mary Ellen started to dab at the wall they were painting, a part of spring cleaning.
"I'm fine." She snapped.
"Are you so sure about that?" Curt said with a smirk on his face, walking inside with John Boy and Jason. Mary Ellen rolled her eyes lovingly, set down the paintbrush, and waddled over to him, then sat down uncomfortably on the bench.
"You would think you two were on your honeymoon." Jason teased, disappearing upstairs.
"Well, I hate being pregnant. I'm sure it's a boy. I bet it's as stubborn as I am. It won't be born already." She grumbled.
"It's not due yet," Curt said for the tenth time. "You have to wait."
"I know." Mary Ellen sighed, her impatient streak showing. Emma finished her spot on the wall, and poured some cups of lemonade. After handing them out, she headed upstairs. She sang an old lullaby to herself as she washed her hands in the sink. John, Grandpa, Grandma, and Olivia had gone to Charlottesville after church, leaving the kids, Curt and Mary Ellen to do some painting.
"Take it slow." Erin commanded, leading Mary Ellen around the room. Mary Ellen had been trying to get some exercise without going too far. Curt had been more than worried about her, as Mary Ellen liked to keep active.
Emma glanced nervously at Ben, who was storming around the room, face like thunder. Normally he would be out at the mill, but Grandpa and John were away, so they had told him to take a day off. He was in a bad mood after Jim Bob had threw a bucket of paint over his head, which he had washed off to the best of his ability.
Smirking, Emma grabbed a bed sheet and tiptoed up behind him. As Ben passed, she threw it over his head. She burst into laughter and tagged him. "You're it!" Ben groaned, pulled off the sheet, and chased after her. Emma shrieked and barreled past Elizabeth who had walked innocently through the back door.
"Watch it!" Erin screamed, pulling Mary Ellen to a corner.
"Erin!" Mary Ellen whined, shaking her off.
"You're it!" Ben laughed, tagging Emma. Emma giggled and set off after him in a hot pursuit. Dodging Mary Ellen and Erin, she chased him outside, past John Boy and Curt, and down the dirt road.
The two eighteen year olds kept running until it sank in that they had left the house. "Oops." Emma smiled, breathing heavily.
Ben smirked. "Emma, wanna go out some night?"
Emma stared at him. "Are you serious? What would Corabeth think! Oh, what a scandal!" She teased.
"I am serious. I don't care about her. It's no taboo. Look." Ben put on the most serious face he could muster, but that didn't take away the twinkle from his eyes.
Emma giggled again, before kissing him on the cheek. "All right. But don't tell Erin. Yet. Or she will interrogate me and try to give me fashion advice."