Last month, Kendra Caldwell and Joe Duggar welcomed their second child. Counting On even did a special about the birth.
But fans couldn't help but notice that Kendra's sister, Lauren, was awfully friendly and comfortable around the Duggar boys. Is she courting?
If fans are right about this, there's about to be an(other) Lauren Duggar in the family.
So, Counting On had their birthing special as Kendra popped out baby #2.
The Duggars have a bajillion babies, but it can still be exciting for the family.
One of the family members who appeared in the special was Lauren Caldwell, Kendra's sister.
Fans immediately zeroed in on how conspicuously cozy Lauren seemed to be with both Jason and James Duggar.
Lauren is 19 years old. Jason is 19 years old. James is 18 years old.
Not only do the ages match up, but so does some of the body language.
Lauren and James appeared to almost be breaking courtship rules in terms of how close their bodies were as they held their mutual niece.
Maybe they were just enamored with the baby, but ... the deep programming in a Duggar household isn't something that you just "forget."
And they were all over each other's personal spaces, even though they weren't front-hugging.
Incidentally, Lauren and Jason's families have previously denied that the two are courting.
But Jason was standing just off to the side, and fans took notice of that, too.
The Duggars and the Caldwells can insist all that they like that their young adults are just friends.
But how many times have we seen the Duggars marry family friends? That's more or less how it works for them.
They're Duggars. They can't exactly put themselves on Tinder and date like normal human beings.
(Well, Josh can do that first thing, but he shouldn't, and nothing about him is normal in the slightest)
Some Duggar fans have reasonably pointed out that appearing alongside each other ina photograph is not the same thing as courting.
But look at how long Joy-Anna Duggar was friends with the now legally embattled Austin Forsyth before they courted?
Kendra and Lauren Caldwell were both seen hanging out with Jana, Joy, and Jinger before Kendra joined the family.
And speaking of Lauren, Lauren Swanson's whole family appeared on Counting On.
Is Kendra deliberately bringing her sister around the Duggar family so that she and Lauren can one day pump out some double-cousins?
Honestly, who knows? We cannot speak to Kendra's thoughts.
We do know that it's pretty standard to have your siblings there when you yeet a whole baby out of body.
But Lauren doesn't need Kendra's intentions or her blessing to court one of the Duggar boys. That decision is up to Jim Bob.
Of course, with any luck, now will prove to be the worst time to get romantically entangled -- or as much as courtship allows -- with the Duggars.
Federal agents have been investigating the Duggars and their businesses, and we still only know a few pieces of the puzzle.
As much as we would love to see Jim Bob, Michelle, and Josh carted off to prison where they belong, we won't get our hopes up.
Still, this investigation could be enough that courtship will be the last thing on anyone's mind. Only time will tell.
