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“That’s because she’s easy and she’s a baby. Eventually, she’ll get bigger and mouthy and sneaky and shit.”
“Oh God, I hope not!” Anna cries.
I laugh. “Oh, she will. Kids do that,” I quip.
“Yeah, or they get arrested for stealing a patrol car their senior year and almost lose their scholarship,” Leona says.
She passes me a glass of wine, and I take it as I laugh.
“Or sneak out and run away to Nashville in the middle of the night with an underage girl in tow,” I state.
“Or leave school and the scholarship they and you worked so hard to secure, only to marry a dumbass and move across the country,” Leona continues.
“Or get married young and widowed young,” I add.
“Or run off on you after their father dies and leave you to run a farm alone,” Leona muses.
“Or get divorced and end up the single father of a baby boy, or come home one day to tell you they’re going to be a pot farmer, or you pick up a newspaper to read they got a DUI and are being accused of having an illegitimate child,” I conclude.
I swallow the entire glass of wine, and Leona passes me the bottle.
All their eyes come to me.
“Not to worry though. It’s all worth it in the end. I mean, look around this room, and you’ll see the reward that you reap.”
“Plus, you all have to take care of us when we get old and senile and streak down Main Street if we get a wild hair,” Leona quips.
Maxi sits down on one of the barstools.
“Not sure you two are helping,” Anna says as she fetches Maxi a glass of tea.
“Don’t worry; Hilton and Ralph will be here with pizza any minute,” Leona tells Maxi.
Erin and Ted walk in, and she looks around the room.
“What’d I miss?”
We fill her in and then Isley when she and Langford finally arrive, and the party turns into a celebration of both Weston and Anna’s and Corbin and Maxi’s big news.
Hilton finds me leaning on the threshold of the kitchen, watching them all enjoy the food and each other’s company.
He clasps my shoulders from behind and kisses the top of my head. “How are you holding up, my darling?” he asks.
I reach up and place my hand over one of his. “Look at them. They’re all so happy, and that makes me the happiest mother in the world,” I answer.
Garrett catches sight of us, and he elbows Langford. They walk over to join us, their brothers following them.
“What are you two over here whispering about?” Garrett asks.
“We’re just proud of you boys—that’s all,” I say.
“I’m the favorite though, right, Mom?” Weston asks.
I shake my head. “I never said that.”
“It’s okay. They already know it’s true; you can admit it,” he encourages.
“No way. I was the firstborn. I made her a mother,” Langford cuts him off.
