"Doc, how is she? Is she… Is she gonna be fine?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Loud… We did everything we can but… it won't be that temporary. Her condition was in terrible state."

"Oh, God…"

"If you have time with her, please, make the most of it. She's in the other room… Resting…"

The man was escorted to the other room, which happens to be that there's a patient inside the other room. The patient is a young, beautiful, yet a weak, smiling woman on her bed, with a CPR machine with her.

Is this it? Was this supposed to be the thing that will be everything in his life. A young woman, who can't be able to pass her condition, who's also gonna die sooner or later?

"Who you feeling?"

The woman coughed. Weakly, painfully, and dryly. "Never felt better…" she joked. Seriously?

"You're joking now?"

"Hey, you're the one with a comedienne in the family. Besides… I… bet I don't have time…"

"No. Don't say that. Y-You don't know that, at all. Believe me, you're gonna make it. I just… I just know it. I—"

"Hey." The woman interrupted. "Tell me something that you remember."

"Huh?"

"Sorry. I meant to say is, do you remember something that we both agree on till then?"

"I… I don't really think—"

"It's the best time?" the woman snickered weakly. "Look, you can remember it. It was in our fifth date, in Jaune Juan's. I bet you remember something back then. You're the one who said it, and remembered it every time."

The man recalled and collected all his thoughts in a quick manner with his expression as if he was in a hurry, he needs to be quick about the question.

And then, he said it, with his heart content.

"I'm… I'm lucky to have you…"

"Bingo."

"But what's the point—"

With his words cut like earlier, her hand reached his face, and was in sudden shock. He stared to see his love, smiling weakly, and trying her best to make him calm.

"Listen, please. for the past six years, I realized that you really changed. From the video, to the most amazing change that you put all your heart in, I never knew that I was wrong about you. Really, I was wrong about you back in elementary, but… that was from the past. My point from all I'm saying now is… that I made you so happy, and not the way around it. And I'm glad that it stayed that way. I… just want you to remember something for me…"

"What's that?"

"Come closer."

The man came closer and leaned, only to receive a kiss on the lips for a split second.

"Promise me that you would be happy…"

"Christina…"

"I… Love you… Lincoln…"

With a smile on her face seen again, she already closed her eyes slowly, and her smile still retained.

A long, loud, beep was heard.

He broke down to tears.

She's gone…

Lincoln Abraham Loud was a man with many things, all given by his sisters. Lincoln was proud that he had ten sisters, two loving parents to support him. But never his long-time crush turned girlfriend Christina Taylor came into his life.

At first, he thought he might get some bad humiliation from her to make things even, but after recalling that Lincoln became a better man, a mature one after high school graduation, she wanted to make things better, by putting their relationship to test.

For the past years in college, Lincoln and Christina became close in college, sure they have ups and downs, but what matters most is that they were close and that matters. Of course, before the day after they graduate, they were official, and no one knows, not even his own family.

After seven years, Lincoln and Christina went to many dates, they were successful in their careers, and they were like a perfect couple… until everything change when the worst came.

Christina wasn't feeling well, and Lincoln became worried so they decided to head to the hospital. After several days of waiting and waiting, it was already confirmed that Christina was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which could possibly kill her in a year.

This worried the couple, mostly Lincoln, since no one loved him, except her and her only. But the two would always put their fate in the highest hopes, no matter how bad it will be. The two were getting fine, but each move that Christina make, she gets weaker and weaker, and sicker and sicker…

Sometime later, Christina was at work, and suddenly she passed out, her co-workers immediately called an ambulance to get her. Lincoln was informed about the news, and he immediately head to the hospital to see her dying girlfriend, telling him that everything will be fine. Lincoln denied the fact that things will be fine.

Guess what, a loud beep answered in agreement.

Lincoln was supposed to have a next plan with her. Take her on a date, propose to her, get married, have kid, and the future goes on.

But… it never happened.

In the present, Lincoln was present in the funeral. Her parents were trying to comfort him that she did underestimated him, even them. With Lincoln agreeing the fact that they were right. Afterwards, Lincoln started to head back home, in his home, were he and his girlfriend used to live in.

As days pass, some of his close family members came. Starting with the Loud family, Leni came in first cause she wanted to know how her baby brother was doing, even if she made overburnt muffins cause she was busy drying her hair. He was hoping that she doesn't come back, but in another time. Luna and Lucy came to give him a time of his life since Luna knows the place more than Lincoln, and Lucy proposing to the idea to take him to the museum. Then, three came. Lynn, Lola, and Lana. They were wondering if they want to come back to Royal Woods and take him to Dairyland to have fun, Lily and Luan came and provided as back up, with bad jokes that were famous in her career in her tour with Benny, and Lily competing in videogames. Lisa did came, but tried to give him a boring lecture about life, which wasn't that helpful. Rita and Lynn Sr just called him through Zoom to see if he's doing better, and like Lisa, they gave him another lecture about life.

All came. Except Lori, who said that she wanted to help, but knowing all what her sisters and parents were doing, nothing was planned well. So she back away, worried if he'll get violent. But no, Lincoln was never like that at all.

Next in line was his friends. Lincoln received a call from Clyde that things will be okay and try to promise what Christina said to him back in the hospital. He never called back in three days. Liam, Zach and Rusty came, but things weren't the wiser when Rusty started to get things ruined, and so does the other two. Liam promised that they won't come back. At all. Stella arrived at his home, and recalled the old times that he and Stella did once. But despite recalling past memories, they weren't that helping to put him in the mood. Ronnie Anne and Sid, who were about to get married, tried to take him back to Great Lakes City for some "Threesome Bonding City Time", which never got his interest. Luckily, Ronnie Anne called the Casagrandes in time, before they are the one who make more, more worse.

Everyday after work, Lincoln would head to the cemetery and pay his respects for his dead love. He was broken for so many days, he even started to almost loose his job. Luckily, his kind boss was there to help him, by telling him to leave, but gave his retirement, which was doubled, and giving the best of luck in his life.

Lincoln managed to get a job, at a café, and it was just a small bistro that was owned by a college friend of his named Drake West, the owner of the bistro, and he was lucky that he gave him a job with no further questions, and another thing to add it's only a one hour drive away from his house.

Despite all that, he was still broken in the inside. No matter how tough his life is, he couldn't even try his best to move on after Christina died. It mattered to him, and it mattered her back. No matter how many times that Lincoln try to move on, the vision of Christina was never, ever left away.

Sunday. On the first week of October, Lincoln head straight to the cemetery and placed a bouquet of flowers on her girlfriend's grave, and gave off some respects about her said grave.

"Hey Christina… I… I was hoping to stop but here for a while and know if you wanna talk. I… managed to get your favorite… Petunias are your favorite, right?" he sighed and began to breath slowly, and talked. "Look Christina, for the past few months, things weren't… easy for me. I mean, I have a new job, and Drake was kind enough to give me a job for free. Look, all I'm saying is that… I really missed you so much, I…"

He started to tear up, badly. His emotions were covering his head.

"I never was this happy… to move on about you. I really miss you, Christina. I just hope I'm there to see you again…"

Christina Taylor. Loving daughter and girlfriend. 2005 – 2034

With that, Lincoln stood up, and walked back to his car. After walking a mile away from the cemetery house, he grabbed his car keys and was about to pressed the car's alarm. Suddenly, something caught his eyes. Someone that he used to remember. The time where he and Christina used to spend their time in the park. All alone by themselves. A memory that he won't forget at all.

Wish Me Anew

Chapter 1

Simple Man, Simple Life