The Green Rising

Chapter Four

Exhausted from the day's events, I slept through the cacophony of the Parrish family arriving at the cottage. Saturday morning, I awoke to Luc, the girls and the three Parrish children--Connor, Laura, and Tara--chanting “Fishy, fishy in the brook, we all caught you with a hook, Daddy fried you in a pan, and Mommy ate you like a man,” followed by the children snickering. I let out a yawn that stretched my body from head to toe and pulled myself off the bed, amazed that I wasn’t glued to it since I’d slept for so long. It had been months since I had a full night’s sleep.

“What time is it?” I muttered to Luc as I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of milk.

“It’s a couple minutes past nine,” Luc answered. He set the bucket of fish into the sink and my stomach knotted in protest to the smell. “I thought you’d have breakfast ready for us, but I’m glad you got your sleep.”

“Sorry, I don’t have it ready. I didn’t even hear you guys leave,” I replied as I buried my nose into my palms to alleviate my nausea. “How was the fishing?”

“Oh, they were definitely biting. We kept fifteen fish and threw back several others. Biscuits and gravy sound good?” Luc asked as he turned on the stove and oven and removed a skillet and baking sheet from the cabinet.

I nodded, then pulled the ingredients out of the refrigerator and pantry. As we cooked the meal, I listened to Luc and the kids talk about their fishing adventure and the ones that got away. None of the children corroborated Luc’s embellishment of exactly how big those fish that got away were.

As the smell of breakfast wafted through the house, Mike and Carrie came out to join us. Dark circles ringed her eyes. She carried the baby low and her pregnancy had been less kind on her body than mine had been on me.

“Well you’re looking fat and sassy, Carrie,” Luc said with a grin, knowing perfectly well he’d get away with it.

“Yeah, yeah. So I’ve got a bun in the oven. What’s your excuse?”

“Someone has to eat all the food Lily turns up her nose at. You look great.” He stirred the scrambled eggs and seasoned the gravy.

Carrie said, “You’re all belly again, Lily.” She sized me up the way women tend to do to each other. “You’re still losing weight, aren’t you?”

I gave her a hug. “Thankfully, we don't have much longer of this.” I greeted Mike and set the table as Luc scooped breakfast onto the plates.

“So what time are Beavis and Butthead going to be here?” I asked, hoping Luc had rescinded their invitation.

“Who are Beavis and Butthead, Lil?” Carrie asked.

Luc rolled his eyes. “Edgar and Caleb will be here around two. I told ‘em we’d eat about three,” he said before he forked some eggs into his mouth. “You are going to be on good behavior, right?”

“I solemnly swear that my behavior will be just dandy. I will not be making promises for how the baby will behave. He might not be so good. I do hear that I have excellent aim though.”

Mike chuckled. “Sounds like you’re making some good friends, Lil.”

“If good is the type to pull a gun on a sleeping pregnant woman, I’ve made two great friends.”

“Ha. If they knew you as well as we do, they’d keep that gun trained on you.” Mike and Luc chuckled.

I shifted my food from one spot to another on my plate to stave the nausea while they continued to laugh. “Funny, Mike, really funny. I have a feeling you’re going to love Edgar.”