Chapter 43
Chapter forty-three
Anna
“Well, would you look at that?” Nora exclaimed, walking with Anna to the milking pen’s gate. The morning sun was already up, the pasture covered in mud from a heavy rain overnight.
“What?” Anna grimaced, shading her eyes from the sun. A headache had been plaguing her all morning. Constantly. A row of cows were waiting outside the milking barn. Around fifteen in total, their legs a muddy mess from the wet pasture. “They’re waiting for us?”
One of the cows even mooed as they approached. Tilly flapped her hands. “Are they saying hi?”
Nora waved to them. “I think so?”
“Yeah!” Tilly ran to the fence’s side. “Hi cows!”
Dust and the sharp smell of manure was in the air. The cows were not the only ones waiting. Once they entered the front gate, Tatertot was right inside, his white and orange fur sprawled on a nest of towels.
“Are you in charge?” Anna scratched under his white chin. “Is this your spot now?”
Tatertot purred louder. It seemed right. Nora had the barn. Anna had the warehouse. And Tatertot had enough of an ego to claim the entire milking barn. The cat leaned into her touch as she kept rubbing, scratching all the way under his chin. “You are happier here too, huh.”
Tilly jumped on the concrete. “Cows, cows, cows!”
“They’ve been waiting for you.” Anna rested her aching head against the cool siding. “Is Simon going to join us? I thought he was already here?”
Nora switched out her shoes for rubber boots she’d found in a storage shed. “There’s a cow about to give birth in another field. He went to go look and help.”
The storm had blown itself out over the night, leaving puddles and a heavy atmosphere in its wake. The cloudy skies matched her mood. Anna pushed on her side and grumbled. “Lucky cow. I’m ready now. Once the baby is out I can help more.”
The boots Nora put on left prints in the mud. “These boots fit just right.”
Anna nodded, her aching head still pressed on the siding.
“Hmm.” Nora put her hands on her hips. “You’re in the dumps this morning, huh?”
“Oh.” Immediately Anna pushed from the wall, forcing a smile. “I’m trying not to be.”
“Did you talk with Atlas? Tell him what’s happening?”
“Yes.”
Nora made exaggerated steps toward her. “Andddd?”
“He wanted to rush in and be a hero.” Anna said. “But I told him no.”
“. . . So he isn’t going to do anything?”
“He is going to talk with everyone.” Anna made slow, careful circles on her temple with her fingers. “How did dinner go?”
Nora sighed. “Well, I also tried talking with everyone last night.”
“What did they say?”
She stomped down hard on her rubber soles. “Nothing! They just listened and Stella passed the peas.”
Anna stopped rubbing. She could feel the edge of irritation, but instead closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “Well. That’s a shame.”
“That’s it?” Nora frowned. “That’s a shame?”
“I can’t get upset about it, Nora. The androids don’t care as long as they get their data.” She shook herself. “Nevermind. We still got the better deal. Anyway, look at those cows waiting. Let’s go get them in.”
“But, Anna!”
Anna joined Tilly at the milking barn doors. Tilly already had a tote bag filled with brushes and combs by her side, and her feet were already covered in mud. She picked up a brush. “You have the magic touch, Tilly. The cows like you.”
“Yeah! I think they like that they all got names now.” Tilly scratched under one’s chin. “Don’t you, Buttercup?”
Anna also scratched under the cow’s chin as she leashed the first one up. She looked up to see Nora, hands on her hips, still scowling. “Don’t be mad, please. It helps when I keep busy, okay Nora?”
The two of them locked eyes. Nora’s fiery ones matching her tired ones.
“Alright. Fine. Let’s keep busy then.” Nora turned away first. “I’ll go get the stuff set up.”
Anna walked to the milking area, to the equipment that still needed cleaning, starting to wash it down.
Working, keeping her hands busy, was the answer.
It was calm and peaceful here. So much so that she was able to ignore anything about deals and chips.
By the time they got through half the cows, she’d even managed to laugh a little with Nora.
Nora nudged Anna and pointed over to Tilly, who was climbing the fence railings. “Hey, Anna. Mind taking Tilly around the field to check on the water? She’s got endless energy today. Maybe see the new baby cow? I’ll finish here.”
“Sure. That’s a good idea.” It took two tries for Anna to fully stand, needing to first scootch to the edge of the chair. “Maybe all the walking will help get this baby out of the way as well.”
“One can only hope.” Nora chuckled. “I’m going to miss seeing how much you waddle though.”
Anna called Tilly to her to walk the field.
Her headache was almost fully gone as she followed the little girl, who jumped in every mud puddle on the walk.
She stepped carefully behind her in the rubber boots Nora had worn earlier.
This pasture area extended into three different sections, able to be closed off to let the grass recover from grazing.
At the far end of one pasture was a lean-to, a smaller shelter only partly enclosed from the elements, but still with fencing around it.
Tilly ran ahead. Anna didn’t bother calling her back. What trouble could she get into here? They were literally alone. The only humans out here on Mars. A lot of the habits about sticking close, keeping your head down—those would have to be let go.
But still . . .
“Not too far, Tilly!” Anna quickened her footsteps, which stuck in the mud, keeping the little girl in her sight.
Nothing might be dangerous to Tilly out here, but she could always cause trouble on her own.
Humans usually could cause trouble, and that was why she was wearing that chip in her neck in the first place. Her eyes glanced upward.
That drone was above, still observing.
When Anna finally made it across the field, Simon was there. He’d pulled Tilly back by his side and was answering her questions in a hushed tone.
“Oh.” Anna breathed, joining them. In the middle of the lean-to was the baby calf, only a day old, tucked up by its mother.
Both were staring warily at them watching, black and white patterned.
After a few minutes the mother ignored them, turning to the hay while the baby wobbled on spindly tall legs.
“She’s so tiny!” Tilly stared at the tiny animal, reaching out with her hand. “When can she go out to play?”
“Anytime, really.” Simon smiled down at her. “They usually separate the babies already, but I asked them to leave this one. I figured we could manage it okay.”
Brushes were out, but soon Tilly lost interest in the cow and instead began looking at the horses in the next field over. Simon brought one of the horses out, halter on, and gave her the brush to use on its back.
He stepped back toward Anna. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Anna said. “Between you, Nora, and Atlas, I answer that question ten times a day. I’m as good as I can be.” She pointed at the newborn calf. “Simon. This place. I love it here so much.”
“I’m glad.” Simon patted her on the shoulder and went back to Tilly.
Anna watched the cow until her mood entirely lifted.
Then she walked back to her home by herself, humming nursery rhymes, with the drone still hovering overhead.
Nature made sense. The little calf with her mother would soon be her and everything about right now, all the uncertainty, would be behind them.