There was nothing better than succumbing to the sweet release of slumber after a long day of working tireless hours.
That was something Rita Loud always looked forward to. After dealing with a rambunctious set of eleven children, four pets, and a husband, as well as working many hours as a dental assistant, she always felt her nightly rest was well deserved. Adding her daughter's boyfriend and her grandson to that equation made it all the better.
It seemed as thought lately her rests weren't as long. Every now and then, one of her children would come down to sleep in their bed after having a nightmare. She had an almost two year old who still woke up in the middle of the night, crying out for her mommy.
Despite all of that though, she was able to feel at least somewhat rested and ready to start the next day.
"Mom!"
Her eyes twitched open as she heard the yell not far from her ears. Using her arms as a prop, she reached to her nightstand lamp, fumbling around for the switch.
Once it was on, she squinted to adjust her eyes to the newfound brightness. Before her, stood three figures.
Her face softened when she saw her oldest daughter standing before her, with tear stains on her face. With her she had her boyfriend, along with her son, who was currently crying in her arms.
Rita rubbed her eyes. "Lori? Bobby? Are you okay?"
Lori shook her head. "No, Luis has been crying for the past hour, and nothing we have done has helped him," she said, her eyes threatening to spill over. Bobby simply nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She felt her husband stir next to her, as he sat up and motioned for the kids to come closer. "Come here, kiddos," he said, yawning.
The teens moved closer, with Bobby climbing into the bed, while Lori stood next to her mom.
Rita reached out her hands. "Come on, let me see that baby," she said.
Lori sniffled, and placed the screaming infant into his grandmother's arms. She sat up a bit, holding him with one arm, and patting the empty space next to her with the other.
She climbed into bed next to her mom, turning over on her side so that her head was snuggled into her neck. Her mom placed an arm around her back, pulling her in closer.
"Shhh, it's okay," she attempted to soothe both the crying infant and her daughter. It was to no avail, as his little face was still scrunched up, small tears in the corner of his eyes.
She looked over at her daughter and honorary son. Their eyes had dark circles underneath them, indicating they hadn't slept in awhile. Their faces gave off the expression of sadness, mixed with frustration.
That made her frown. After having eleven children herself, she knew that raising them was no easy task. Not everyone could handle the messes, endless crying, and sleepless nights. It was hard for her as an adult. She couldn't imagine what it must be like for two teenagers.
Lori snuggled in closer to her, and Bobby did the same with Lynn Sr.
"I-I just can't take it, I can't," Lori spoke softly, her voice hoarse. "I love him so much, b-but I'm just always so tired."
Rita sighed, pulling her in closer, and began rubbing circles on her back. "I know," she said. "Your father and I know this feeling very well, trust me." She and her husband shared a knowing glance.
"He just…never stops crying," Bobby said. "It seems like it anyway."
Lynn Sr. stroked the teen's hair. "That's part of being a parent, it can be hard," he said. "But everything can be solved. You just have to be patient."
He watched as his wife laid Luis across her chest, lightly patting his back as he continued to squall. Lori reached out a hand, and lightly rubbed his soft, brown hair.
She felt herself begin to calm down when she saw the face her son was giving her. His eyes were open, red from his crying fit. What stood out the most to her though, was the small smile he gave when he felt her touch.
"Hey, it's okay, baby," she whispered. "Mommy's here."
Bobby looked over at the scene, and rolled over. He placed his arms around his girlfriend, squeezing her stomach.
They watched as their son began to calm, as his loud cries turned into whimpers.
Lori moved in closer, so that their faces weren't far apart. "What's the matter, munchkin?", she cooed.
She watched as he stuck an arm out, touching her face.
"I think he wants his mommy," Rita said.
Lori slowly sat up, leaning against the pillow. Her mom lifted up Luis, and laid him across his mom's chest.
The sounds of his whimpers stung in her ears. "Shh," she shushed him as she rubbed his back. She felt Bobby move up next to her, scooting in so that he was close to them.
He grabbed one of Luis's hands, and playfully stuck it in his mouth. "Nom nom nom, this is yummy," he said.
They watched as their son's face quickly went from sadness, to confusion as his dad tried to 'eat' his hand.
Lori laughed. "He's so confused," she said. "Is Daddy trying to eat your hand? Huh?"
Bobby continued his shenanigans by forming claws with his hands, and stuck them under his son's armpits. "Uh oh, it's the tickle monster!"
Luis laughed as he tickled him, all of his sadness quickly forgotten. His laugher was like music to the new parents' ears.
Bobby took his hands back, a smile on his face. Lori looked down at her son, who had a smile himself, though it was mostly drool.
She got close to his face, and began talking in a baby voice. "Daddy is silly isn't he?"
The baby responded by grabbing her hand, and sticking her index finger in his mouth.
"Aww, isn't that precious?", Lynn Sr. said.
Rita reached over and began stroking Lori's hair. "I think I know why he was upset," she said.
The teens looked up at her.
"You two being stressed out made him stressed, too," she continued. "Babies pick up on those kinds of things."
Lori looked down at the baby laying on her chest. His sweet, innocent face made her melt instantly. She placed a soft kiss on his hair. "I'm so sorry, baby," she said sweetly. "Mama doesn't mean to make you sad."
"Yeah, we're sorry little guy," Bobby said, taking Luis's hand and kissing it.
The baby grabbed his hand back, and stuck his fist in his mouth.
Rita and Lynn Sr. smiled at the scene. "See, you two are great," he said. "He's in good hands."
"I think so, too," she said. "And you know if you two ever need a break, there's a house full of people who would love to help you with Luis."
"Yeah, that's what family is for."
Lori looked back at her son, who was beginning to fall asleep. "You're right, Dad," she said. "He has plenty of aunts and an uncle who would love to squeeze these chubby cheeks," she said, pinching one of his cheeks. "Isn't that right, Boo Boo Bear?"
She glanced next to her to see Bobby sleeping on her shoulder, a trail of drool leaving his mouth.
Rita yawned. "I think it's time we all get back to sleep," she said, laying her head down on her pillow.
Lori nodded, and laid Luis between her and Bobby. She turned onto her side, watching his chest go up and down.
She gave him one last kiss on the head. "Good night."
A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with a new story. It is a semi-sequel to Unexpected as it will feature Luis with each of his aunts and uncle! So no, this is not a single one shot as I will be adding chapters to this. Until next time!