A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back with a new chapter. I'd also like to address something from the last one.
I had a lot of people ask me why I made Carol a bitch. See the thing is that I needed someone to play that role, and I chose Carol. Selfie Improvement doesn't apply in this story. Which is kinda funny since it's one of my favorite episodes. Enjoy!
Sunday, December 24
23 weeks and 1 day
Lori squinted as a bright light was shining in her face. She put her hands over her eyes, and began to walk forward. She peeked through her fingers, and her mouth fell open as she found herself in an all white room. Her eyes hurt from the light that didn't want to leave her alone.
Her ears picked up a sound, coming from far away. She cupped her hands over her eyes, and saw a small object in the distance. She began walking towards it, using caution.
She was able to pick up the sound more clearly now. Wait, was that what she thought it was? No, it couldn't be. Her feet picked up speed as she walked closer to the sound.
Something told her that she needed to make it there faster. When the sound became really loud, she stopped. She looked down at her feet, and she could feel tears in her eyes.
Laying under her feet, was a small bassinet. Inside, a baby dressed in all purple. The baby had light tan skin, and soft black hair. They were crying, their little face red and arms outstretched.
Lori reached down, and picked the baby up. "Shh it's okay," she said quietly. "Mommy is here."
They began to calm down as Lori rocked them in her arms. They latched on to her shirt, their eyes looking up at her.
She wiped her eyes as she looked down at the little person in her arms.
"I don't know what you are, but I love you," Lori said.
The baby rolled over, resting their face in her chest. "Mama," they babbled quietly.
Lori's eyes widened. "Did you just say 'Mama'?", she said. "Bobby! Come here!"
Bobby appeared next to her. "What is it, Babe?"
"The baby, they just spoke," she told him.
"Oh, yeah! She did!", Bobby said, taking the baby from her arms. "That's my girl."
Lori blinked. "We-we have a daughter?"
Bobby nodded. "Of course," he said. "And she's perfect."
"Mama! Mama!", the baby said as she reached out her arms for Lori.
"My-My daughter…"
"Mama! Mama!"
Lori's eyes opened, and she brought her hands down to her swollen stomach. She sighed in relief, and she felt her baby kicking away. She looked next to her to see two blurry figures near her.
"Mom will be back soon, Lily," said a voice. "Until then, you get to stay in here with me."
"Mama!", Lily cried as she tried to escape from Leni's arms.
Leni held onto Lily tighter. "No Lily!", she said. "Here, why don't you play with Mr Teddy?" Leni grabbed a teddy bear from beside her bed and handed it to Lily.
"Baba!", Lily babbled as she reached out for the bear.
Leni handed to her, and the baby squealed with delight. "There you go, good baby," she said. "Oh, hey Lori!"
Lori wiped her eyes. "Hey, Leni," she said. "What's wrong with Lily?"
"Oh, Mom went to the store, and Lily wanted to go, so she's been crying for like an hour," Leni said.
"Aw, poor baby," Lori said. "Has she eaten yet?"
"Not yet"
Lori threw the covers off of herself, and sat up. "Here, I'll take her," she said.
Leni looked at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I've gotta eat anyway," Lori said as she got up. "Hey Lily, you wanna go get some 'num-nums'?"
Lily eyes lit up, and she held out her hands.
Lori picked her up, and Lily spread her legs across Lori's belly.
Lori's eyes widened. "Why do you keep doing that?", she said.
"No baby," Lily said. "I baby."
Lori sighed. "Yes, you're my baby," she said, kissing Lily's head. "Let's go eat now, okay?"
Lily smiled and clapped her hands happily.
Lori headed out into the hallway, where her siblings were already getting into their usual Christmas Eve antics.
Lynn and Lucy were running around looking for the presents, Lincoln was outside sledding in the freshly fallen snow, and Lola was trying to get on Santa's Nice List.
Lori made her way into the kitchen, where her father was busy working on Christmas dinner. He turned around when he heard her footsteps. "Good morning, honey," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"My back hurts, my feet are swollen, and I'm hungry, but other than that, I'm fine," she said.
Lynn Sr. frowned. "I'm sorry, Lori, I know pregnancy is tough," he said. "I can't help with the other stuff, but I did make some pancakes earlier." He pointed to the counter next to him.
Lori's mouth watered as she looked at the giant stack of pancakes sitting in front of her. She looked over to see Lily eyeing the stack as well.
"Oh, Lily is hungry too," Lori told him. "Leni said she hasn't eaten yet."
"Dada! Dada!", Lily said, reaching out her arms.
"Come here, sweetie," Lynn Sr said as he grabbed Lily from Lori's arms. "I'll take care of her, now you go eat."
"Thanks, Dad," Lori said. She walked over to the counter, putting four pancakes on her plate. She grabbed the bottle of syrup, and smothered them in it.
"Hi dear sister"
Lori turned around to see Lola standing there. "I'll take that for you," she said, reaching out her hands.
"It's okay, Lola," Lori said, picking up her plate. "I've got it."
"Oh, but I insist," Lola said, grabbing the plate from her. "What kind of sister would I be if I let my poor, pregnant older sister carry her own plate that's so so heavy?"
Lori raised a brow. "Fine, since you're being so nice today."
"Thank you, dear sister," Lola said as she headed into the dining room.
She sat the plate on the table, and pulled a chair out for Lori. "There ya go, dear sister," Lola said.
Lori took her seat, and Lola pushed it in. "Is there anything else I can get for you? Milk or juice?"
Lori thought for a moment. "Milk will be good," she said. "The baby doesn't like orange juice, gives me heartburn."
Lola smiled. "Be right back!"
Lori began to dig into her stack of pancakes, when she felt a kiss on her cheek. She turned around to see Bobby standing there.
"Good morning, Babe," he said, placing his hand on her belly. "How are my girls today?"
Lori's eyes widened, and she put down her fork. "What did you say?"
"I asked how you and the baby are today?", he said.
Lori released her breath. "Oh, we're fine," she said. "The baby has been really active today, and my back is kinda sore."
"Aw, I'll have to give you massage later, Babe," he said. "Lincoln and I have been outside playing in the snow. That kid really knows how to sled."
Lori returned to her food. "Yeah, he does," she said. "I remember when he lost it in Mr Grouse's yard once. It was literally impossible to get it back."
Bobby laughed. "I think I remember hearing about that."
Lori scrapped her fork against her plate.
Bobby frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She turned to him and sighed. "Sit down."
Bobby took a seat next to her, and grabbed her hand. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."
"I'm not sure how to say this, but I had a dream last night that was literally so strange."
"What happened?"
"I was in this room that was completely white, and I saw something in the distance," she began. "I walked closer and closer, and that's when I saw it."
"What did you see?"
"There was a bassinet, and it had a baby in it, our baby," she continued. "And it was a little girl, and she was so beautiful, Bobby."
Bobby's eyes widened. "We had a daughter?"
Lori nodded. "We did, and I loved her, she was perfect," she said, her lips quivering.
"Aw, Babe, don't cry," Bobby said, reaching out to hug her. "That's a really cool dream you had though, I wonder what it means?"
She hugged him back. "I don't know, but it made me want to find out what the baby is."
"But I thought we agreed that we'd wait?", Bobby said, confused.
"You're right, I really do wanna wait," Lori said. "Though with how my family is, I really do have a feeling that it's a girl now."
Bobby put his hand under her chin. "If it makes you feel better, then maybe we'll ask the doctor to look next time."
"Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah, it can be our little secret."
Lori bit her lip. "Sure, I'd like that," she said. "You know what else I'd like? That massage you promised."
"Sure thing, Babe," Bobby said as he got up.
He began to rub her shoulders, and she closed her eyes. "Ah yes, a little to the left, now the right-Oooh yes."
"Feeling any better?",Bobby asked.
"Very much, thanks Boo Boo Bear," she said.
"Anytime, Babe"
"Lori!", Lincoln yelled as he came running into the dining room.
"What is it?", Lori asked.
He held out a piece of paper in front of her. "This is for you," he said.
"Oh?", she said, grabbed it from him. "Oh!"
Bobby raised a brow. "What is it?", he asked.
"It's a letter from the University," she said. She began opening it, being careful to not tear it.
She read through it, a smile forming on her face. Bobby began to smile too when he saw her face.
"What does it say?", he asked.
"They got my emails about being interested in them, and they want me to apply," Lori told him.
"Oh! That's great Babe," Bobby said.
"Yeah, it is," she said. "And I'm happy that they're interested in me. Though, I'm not sure if I can take it."
Bobby frowned. "How come?", he asked. She took his hand and put it on her stomach. "Oh…that's right."
Lori rubbed her temples. "I really don't want to think about this right now," she said. "It's too stressful."
Bobby put and hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to think about it right now," he said. "You wanna go take a walk?"
"Yeah, I have a headache," Lori said as she stood up.
"I'll get your coat," Bobby said, going into the living room.
Before he could grab it from the rack, Lola snatched it. "Sorry Bobby, but I'm taking care of Lori today."
Bobby laughed. "Hey, that's okay," he said. "Gotta make sure you get a lot of presents tomorrow, huh?"
Lola looked away. "No…maybe", she said. "That is none of your business."
He held his hands up. "Alright then, little Princess."
Lola went into the dining room and put Lori's coat on for her. "There you go, can't have you getting sick on Christmas!"
"Thanks, Lola," Lori said. "Come on Bobby."
"Hey, I'm right here," he said, waving his arms.
Lori giggled. "I know, silly," she said, turning to look at her siblings that were in the room. "We'll be back in a little bit, you guys be good."
They waved their hands at her as she and Bobby went out the door.
They shivered as they felt the cold, winter air touch their skin. The entire neighborhood was covered in snow, the trees hung low with piles of snow covering their branches. The sidewalk leading to the house was slippery, a nice coating of ice covering it.
Lori grabbed onto Bobby's hand, clinging onto him for warmth. Luckily, they both had winter boots so that they could grip the ground easily. They began walking, making their way out of the Loud's yard.
She was happy that she wasn't pregnant during the summer, as the heat would be brutal. She didn't mind winter as much, as it left her feeling warm and cozy on the inside.
"So, got anything you wanna talk about?", Bobby asked.
Lori sighed, her breath visible in the cold. "I think we should talk about the future," she said. "The baby will be here in eighteen weeks, and soon we'll both be graduating. What are we gonna do?"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down a bit, Babe," Bobby said, putting his hand in front of him. "I think we can both come up with something that works for us. Just because we're having a baby, doesn't meant we have to give up our dreams."
Bobby was right. These past few weeks, Lori had been worried about what her future held. She dreamed of moving in with him, and going to college. Throw a baby in there though, and it becomes more complicated.
"You're right, I-I think I just need to think about what's happening now, right?", she asked, turning to him.
He nodded. "Yeah, don't get so stressed out," he said. "It's bad for the baby."
Lori touched her stomach gently. She could feel it jump around with every little move the baby made. It was becoming more real to her. There was an actual person in there, and one day she would be responsible for them.
"I think we should talk names," Lori said. "Even though we don't know what they are yet, they at least deserve a name, right?"
"Yeah, they do," Bobby said. He turned his head to the side, and put a finger on his chin. "Well, for a girl I like Mackenzie."
"Really? Well, I like Katarina," Lori said.
Bobby looked at her. "What about for a boy?"
"Dayton," Lori said. "It's a good name."
"I like Max"
"These are all good," Lori said. "But I'm not sure that they fit."
Bobby thought for a moment, his lips puckered and eyebrows furrowed. His face lit up, and he turned to Lori. "I think I have one."
"What is it?", Lori asked with curiosity.
Bobby leaned over and whispered in her ear. A smile grew on her face as she heard his words.
"Oooh, those are perfect!", she exclaimed.
Bobby smiled. "I'm glad you like them, Babe," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "So, it's settled then?"
"Lori?"
She couldn't answer, as she felt a sharp pain shoot through her stomach. She doubled over, clutching her stomach with her hands. "Bobby…help," she said, reaching up for him.
He got down so that he could look her in the eyes. "What is it?", he said, worry in his eyes.
She looked up at him. "I think…I think the baby is trying to come."
Bobby's eyes widened. "Oh…oh god, it's too early!"
"Just…please, take me back home," Lori said, grabbing onto his shirt.
He picked her up, bridal style, and carried her home as fast as he could, being careful not to slip on the ice.
When he reached the front door, he opened it as fast as he could.
The other siblings turned to look at Bobby their eyes widening as they saw the look on his face.
"What's going on?", Luna asked, getting up from the couch.
"It's Lori, she thinks the baby is coming," Bobby said, carrying Lori over to the couch.
The others gathered around Lori, asking her questions she couldn't understand.
"Give her room, guys," Rita said as she came into the room. She pushed through her children to get to Lori. "What's going on?"
"My-My stomach, it hurts and-and it's tight," she said, leaning forward and letting out a groan.
"Let me see," Rita said, getting down next to Lori. "Hmm, it could be Braxton-Hicks."
Bobby looked at her, confused. "What is that?"
"They're practice contractions," Rita told him. "They're not real, but they're still painful. I had them with all of my pregnancies."
She turned and looked at Luna. "Luna, get your sister some water."
Luna nodded, and headed into the kitchen.
"Bobby, I want you just stay here with her," Rita said. "Get a pillow and prop up her feet."
Bobby grabbed a pillow from the chair, and put it under Lori's feet.
Luna came back into the room with a bottle of water. "Here you go, sis," she said as she handed the bottle to Lori.
Lori took it, and began to drink.
"If it's a Braxton-Hicks, the water should make it go away," Rita said. "We'll watch you, and if they keep coming back, and they're stronger, then we'll have to go to the hospital."
"Is my baby okay?", Lori asked.
Rita put her hand on Lori's belly. "Yes, they're just fine."
Lori smiled with relief. "Thank goodness"
"But, you'll have to take it easy for the rest of the day," Rita said. "Go up to your room, get in some comfy clothes. Just relax, we want that baby to stay in there as long as possible."
Lori took a few deep breaths, the pain starting to dissipate. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "It's starting to go away."
Lana ran up to Lori and gave her a hug. "Tell the baby it can't come out yet! We don't have the nursery ready!", she yelled, pointing at Lori's belly.
Lori picked Lana up and laid her across her chest. "Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure the baby stays in as long as it needs to, okay?"
"I sure hope so, because we don't have everything ready yet," Lana said.
Lori sighed. "Thanks for reminding me, Lana," she said.
Lana pouted. "Did I say something wrong?"
Bobby shook his head. "No, it's just that we've been saving up money for the nursery, and haven't been able to get much."
Lana looked at both of them, a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about? The baby has lots of stuff!"
Luna gasped, and grabbed Lana. "Now Lana, you know that all of that belongs to Lily," she said. "Lori's baby gets their own stuff."
Lana looked at her, confused. Then, it hit her. "Oh, right, my bad," she said. "Now put me down! I've gotta go check my reindeer traps!"
Luna laughed, and put Lana down. Lana ran out to the backyard, where a loud crash could be heard.
"I got one!", she yelled from the other room.
Lori and Bobby looked at the family. "Okay guys, what are you up to?", Lori asked, her eyebrows raised.
"Nothing, What makes you think we're up to something?", Lincoln asked, a cheeky smile on his face.
Lori sighed. "If you say so." She looked at Bobby. "Boo Boo Bear, can you help me to my room, please?"
She sat up, and Bobby grabbed both of her hands, helping her stand. He held her hand as they walked to the stairs, heading up to her room.
The rest of the family wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
"Boy, that was a close one," Luan said.
"Should we do something about Lana?", Lincoln asked.
"I don't know, I think she means well, she's just excited," Rita said. "But, we don't want her ruining the surprise."
Lincoln put a finger on his chin. "Maybe…we should give it to them now, ya know, as a Christmas present!"
"But, it's not ready yet," Leni said. "Their baby can't sleep in a room with no bed."
"That's why I have a plan," Lincoln said. "How about we work on it for the rest of the day, and we can have it done tomorrow."
"I don't know, Lincoln," Lynn Sr said. "It still needs a lot of work."
"Trust me, Dad," Lincoln said, waving his hand. "I know how we can do it."
Lynn put an arm around his neck. "I'm with ya, now what's the plan?"
Lincoln motioned for them to come closer. "Okay so here's what we do…"
Lori laid in her bed. Her head on a pillow, and her feet propped up. She watched as Bobby came back into the room, a bag of chips in his hand.
"Here ya go, Babe," he said, handing her the bag.
"Thanks, Boo Boo Bear," she said as she grabbed it. She opened it up, and began stuffing chips in her mouth.
Bobby laid down next to her, rolling over on his side and putting an arm across her belly. He made a funny face. "Are you really that hungry?"
Lori swallowed. "I can't help it, ever since I got pregnant, I eat like a horse."
"A cute horse"
Lori frowned. "You really think I eat like a horse?"
Bobby raised his eyebrows. "You're the one who said that."
"But you're supposed to disagree with me," Lori said, her voice getting louder. "You-you did this to me, Bobby!"
He was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"
"Just look at me," Lori said, moving her arms down her body. "I'm fat, my face is broke out, my feet are swollen, all I eat is junk food, and yet." She turned to him. "You're still here."
He moved in closer, putting a hand on her cheek. "Of course I am, Babe," he said softly. "I don't care if you're fat, or have zits all over your face." He put a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love you, no matter how you look."
Lori's lips quivered, and she felt tears threatening to run down her face. "You're just being nice," she said, sniffling.
He turned her so that she was looking at him. "Look, Lori, I mean what I say." He grabbed her hands. "And I mean it when I say…I think you're beautiful."
Lori closed her eyes as she felt the tears escape. "Oh Bobby…". She snuggled into his chest, his shirt becoming damp with her tears.
He laid his head on top of hers, his chin brushing against her hair. He rubbed her back, and pushed her head further into his chest. "I know that you probably don't see it the way I do, especially right now, but you are so beautiful."
"You think I'm beautiful even though I'm fat?", Lori asked.
"You're not fat, you're having a baby," Bobby said. "That's a wonderful reason to be 'fat'. When you told me you were pregnant, I was shocked, but I wasn't upset." He rubbed her hair. "I think I was more worried about how we would make this work. I had a job and a home in the city, I left my family, but I wouldn't do anything different."
He moved Lori up towards him so that she was facing him. He put both of his hands on her cheeks. "I don't hate you, Lori, I never could." He began wiping her eyes with his thumbs. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you." He pulled her in for a hug. "And there's no one else I'd rather have as the mother of my child."
Lori let out a sob as she put her arms around him. The last few weeks, she's felt so different. The rapid changes in her body made her feel fat, and ugly, and undesirable. The more she thought about it though, the more she knew she had picked the right guy.
"I love you so much, Bobby," she sobbed, snuggling into his shoulder.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too, Lori."
They didn't even notice it when they fell asleep. All they cared about, was being in each other's arms.
"Lori, Bobby, wake up"
"Mmm"
"Come on guys, wake up!"
Lori slowly opened her eyes. She was still wrapped in Bobby's arms, his head on top of hers.
"Lori, come on!"
She turned her head to see Lynn standing there, her arms crossed.
Lori rubbed her eyes. "What is it?"
"You guys need to get up, there's something we have to show you," Lynn said.
Lori turned back to Bobby, slowly shaking him. "Boo Boo Bear, hey," she said softly. "Time to get up."
He stirred, and opened his eyes. "Lori? Is that you?"
She giggled. "It is me, silly. You have to get up."
"Mmm, okay"
Bobby slowly sat up, Lori following his lead.
"Finally," Lynn said. "Now, come on you two."
Lynn started to head for the door, and Lori and Bobby followed. She lead them down the stairs, and to the front door. She had them put on their winter clothes, and led them outside.
"Lynn, what's going on?", Lori asked.
"You'll see~", Lynn said.
She led them to the garage. She opened up the door, and whispered something.
"Okay, now close your eyes," Lynn told them.
The couple covered their eyes, and Lynn grabbed both of their hands.
She led them into the garage. "Okay, now open."
They took their hands away from their eyes, and their mouths fell open.
The garage had been completely redone, and made into a small apartment. The walls were painted blue and pink, and there was a small loveseat and television. There was a small bathroom, and a bed big enough for two people. At the very end, there was a small nursery.
It had a purple crib, complete with a changing table and rocking chair. There were many stuffed animals, and a small sink for making bottles.
On the other side, Lori saw her whole family standing there, smiling.
"So? Do you guys like it?", Lynn asked.
"Guys, this is…amazing," Lori said, her voice shaky.
"It's incredible," Bobby said, looking around. "What made you guys do this?"
"Well, we figured that once the baby comes, our house would be even more cramped," Lincoln said.
"And you guys deserve your own space," Leni said.
"But, you'll still be close to us if you need any help," Rita said.
"Merry Christmas, guys," Luan said.
Lori went up to the family and gave them all a hug. "Oh, you guys are literally the best," she said, sniffling.
Lincoln looked over at Bobby. "Come on, Bobby, you're part of the family too!"
Bobby smiled, and gave them a hug as well.
"Our baby already has so many people who love them," Lori said. "I couldn't ask for a better family. I love you guys."
"We love you too, sweetie," Rita said. "And you two are free to stay out here tonight if you want."
Lori shook her head. "I think we'll go back to my room tonight. I want to see everyone open their presents."
Lola raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean your presents too?"
Lori shook her head. "No, I think I've been blessed enough this year. I have a wonderful family who loves an supports me, I have an amazing boyfriend, I'm having a baby, and now we have our own little apartment. I don't need anything else."
"We're so glad you love it, honey," Lynn Sr. said. He turned to his other kids. "Now, if you guys want Santa to bring you your presents, I'd suggest you all get in the bed."
The rest of the kids cheered, running back to the house. Their parents followed, leaving Lori and Bobby in the garage.
"This really is great, isn't it?", Bobby asked.
Lori nodded. "Yeah, it is," she looked down at her belly. "It really is."
