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Ah, Claudette didn’t tell her that part. Miriam must have assumed that after seeing Ade stand so close.
“I wish,” Ade says with a rueful smile before winking cheekily at me.
“So the two of you aren’t an item?” Miriam probs.
She really doesn’t mince her words, does she? Claudette just smirks at us.
I’m quick to say, “No, we’re not.” While Ade answers with, “Not yet.”
Miriam’s melodic laughter rings out in the evening air. “Well, we’ll sort the two of you out one way or another.
“Tara will be excited when I tell her there’s a baby on the way. You’ll be in excellent hands with her. She’ll learn everything she can about midwifery just in case you decide to have the baby up here.”
“Whoa, you’re thinking way too far ahead.” I only just got here. We don’t even know how long we’re going to stay.
“It’s always best to be prepared,” she replies, pulling out a torch to light up the path.
“When is the baby due?” Miriam wants to know.
Well, that’s something I calculated with the help of a pregnancy book Claudette picked up for me on our travels.
“The last week of May or early June,” I tell her.
“A Gemini baby. He or she will keep you on your toes. Geminis are said to be the smartest of all the zodiac signs.”
Unearned pride fills my chest. I like to think of my child as clever, but even if she isn’t she won’t be any less loved.
We finally reach‘Mountain Breath’and I stop to take in the sight in front of me. Nestled in between the trees are several dwellings, connected to each other with colorful paths that are lit up with solar lights close to the ground.
The cabins emit a warm and welcoming glow, beckoning us inside and out of the cold.
Wow! I’ve never seen anything so inviting. I can’t wait to go exploring here.
I’m suddenly overcome with emotions, and tears burn behind my eyes, demanding to be shed. They’re tears of happiness and immense gratitude.
Claudette is right, I truly am well looked after.
“Come on,” Miriam invites, pointing to the largest of the buildings. “You’ve come at the perfect time. We’re about to have dinner, and you’ll get to meet everybody. Dinner up here is a communal activity. We cook together, eat together and clean up together. It’s fabulous.”
We enter the two-story log building, sitting down on a bench in the mudroom to take off our shoes and hang up our coats. A heavy wooden door leads into the large kitchen where half a dozen people are at work putting on the finishing touches to the meal. Their heads turn as we enter, smiles greeting us.
After what Claudette told us about the center, I somewhat expected the occupants of this place to be depressed and anxious. But that’s not the case at all. Laughter fills the air and soft guitar music drifts toward us, played by two older guys sitting by the fire.
“Claudette, my favorite troublemaker,” a man in his early forties calls from the other end of the room.
Ian, I presume.
He walks toward her with his arms stretched out wide, engulfing her in a bear hug as soon as he reaches her.
He has an intimidating stature, and I get it now why Claudette said nobody would dare mess with him. If he scowled, he’d look seriously frightening.
Ian’s skin is tanned from all the work outside, and his eyes gleam with unwavering clarity.
“You look as handsome as ever,” Claudette says, cupping his face affectionately.
She then introduces us, and Ian takes a moment to study us closely. My stomach drops, and I feel like a bug under a microscope.
“We’ll talk after dinner,” he announces and turns back to Claudette with a smile.
