Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
Who Love Chooses
By Lola Presents
Chapter 7
The carousel clock on Nova's nightstand sprang to life at six-thirty in the morning, startling her awake. She had only been using it for three days and already hated it. Nova sat up and tapped the top of the plastic tent that covered the little horses going round and round to silence the music.
"Wha-?" gasped Lorianne, sitting bolt upright.
"Go back to sleep, Ree," Nova said sleepily. "I must get ready for school, but I'll be out of your hair in a moment."
Lorianne laid back down and pulled the sleeping bag over her head as Nova got up and turned on the light. After grabbing some clean panties, socks from her drawer, and a new outfit from the closet, she flipped the light off and headed to the bathroom.
Nova stripped and relieved herself while rubbing the sleep from her eyes, then washed her face and brushed her hair. Finally, she put on her new attire and left the restroom. From there, she made her way to the kitchen, expecting breakfast, but arrived at a darkened room.
The little girl peeked down the hall into the living room and found her mother asleep on the couch. That was odd. Mommy never sleeps there. Nova padded over to her mother and poked her in the upper arm.
"Mommy? she said tenderly. "I'm ready for school. Are you going to fix breakfast?"
Lola rose and yawned. "I'm sorry, baby," I forgot to set my phone alarm. "Give me a minute."
Nova's mom stood and stretched, feeling something in her back pop. She entered the kitchen, walking like a zombie, and gathered some pancake mix, eggs, and bacon. Soon, their home smelled like the Waffle House.
Lori was the next to rise, sniffing the air. "Mmmm," Lori muttered, trying to stretch inside her bag. "Stupid bag."
Lori unzipped the bedroll, climbed from it, and stepped across the hall into the bathroom. There, she peed for what seemed the longest time, sighing nearly the entire time. What was it about the first pee of the day, she wondered. Why did it feel so good?
Finished, she cleaned herself and freshened up as much as possible, considering all her clothes were at her parent's house. Of course, she wasn't counting on the impromptu sleepover, so she didn't beat herself up. There were worse things than wearing the same outfit for two days.
Lori stepped from the restroom just as Lana emerged from the master bedroom. Lana's hair was unusually unruly, and she wore Lincoln's robe. Lori cocked one eye at Lana, her suspicious growing.
Lana began blushing upon seeing Lori and, shielding her face with her hand, moved past as quickly as she could. Something was up, Lori thought. But rather than follow her and confront things, she went back into the guest room to clean up.
Lana strolled into the kitchen, where Nova sat, eating her breakfast, and Lola was at the stove preparing food for the rest. Lana slowly walked up to her sister, her hands clasped behind her back and wearing a goofy grin.
"Did Luan just hit you with a silly stick?" Lola inquired, turning from the bacon and taking a sip of her coffee. "Or did you come down with a case of the Urkels?"
Lana giggled. "Apology accepted," she said before leaning in and kissing Lola's cheek.
Lola turned back to flip the bacon, smirking at Lana. "Welcome to the family. Now, if you don't mind, set the table. The others will be waking soon."
For the first time in years, Lana felt at home. Happily, she set about her task. Lana already had the plates and cups set out when Lori entered but still had the silverware to go.
"Good morning!" sang Lana. "How'd you sleep?"
"Alright, I suppose," Lori answered, stretching one more time. "A little stiff in the back, though."
"Go ahead and have a seat, Lori," Lola said. "The food will be ready momentarily."
Lori took the first available seat and poured some orange juice into her glass. Then, after taking a sip, she leaned back and relaxed until the food arrived.
"Good morning, family!" beamed Lincoln as he rolled into the kitchen just as Lola placed the last serving dish on the table.
"Morning, sweetie," said Lola.
"Indeed," Lana agreed. "It's a great morning!"
Lori narrowed her eyes. Something was up between Lana and Lincoln, and Lola showed no concern. Sooner or later, she'd get to the bottom of it. All she had to do was wait for one of them to slip up.
"Good. Morning," recited Lorianne, creeping into the room half asleep.
Everyone turned to greet her but instead burst out laughing.
"Hmmm," the young girl mumbled as she scratched her butt through her slightly oversized pajamas.
"Your hair!" gasped Nova. "It looks like you stuck your finger in a light socket."
Lorianne's eyes rolled up to try and see, but all she got was a mess of tangled bangs.
"I. Will. Be. Right. Back." she counted off, then headed for the bathroom.
When Lorianne returned, breakfast was well underway, but plenty of food remained. She sat down and spooned some scrambled eggs onto her plate, followed by a few pieces of bacon. Finally, she grabbed a pancake and doused it with syrup.
As the morning meal wrapped up, they heard a resounding screech, letting Nova know the bus had arrived. The first-grader hopped up, grabbed her book bag and lunch, then headed for the door.
"Bye, Mom, Dad," she called out.
"Have a good day at school, Sunshine," yelled Lola, peering from the kitchen.
"Well, that was a great breakfast," said Lana, patting her belly as she stood to clear her place. "Thanks for cooking it, Lola."
Before leaving, however, she leaned in and kissed Lincoln.
"And thanks for last night, too," Lana said, smiling broadly.
Lorianne put her hand to her mouth as she drew in a quick breath. The wheels in her head ground to a complete halt. Booboo was married! But Aunt Lola seemed to pay it no mind and was busy munching away at a slice of bacon!
Lori caught the act, as well as her daughter's reaction. The resulting emotions conflicted within her. On the one hand, she was happy for Lana, even though she didn't fully understand why Lola didn't seem to mind. On the other hand, Lori wasn't sure such displays of polygamy were best for her child. Lori continued to eat much more slowly than she would have otherwise. Her thoughts were too tangled to concentrate.
Soon, Lola also finished and got up to clean her setting. She pre-rinsed everything and placed them into the dishwasher, something she wished they had owned as a child. As she returned to the table for further conversation, she kissed Lincoln, sat, and took a sip of her coffee.
"So, Lori," Lola asked. "What are you going to do about school? Ree can't stay out forever."
Lorianne grimaced at the prospect of returning to school and didn't want to hear about it either. She quickly stuffed her mouth, finished her meal, and then placed her things in the sink.
"Oh, I don't know," Lori replied. "I guess I need to decide what my long-term plans are first. I may not even stay in Royal Woods. I may have to move if Leni is willing to hire me in one of her chain stores."
Lorianne didn't like what she heard, especially if it meant leaving Booboo. The little girl stood in place, trying to look like she wasn't eavesdropping.
But she totally was.
"To be honest, I never liked living in a big city," Lola admitted. "Small towns are better. Everyone knows you, and people do favors for each other."
"I don't know..." Lori sighed. "After everything that's happened, it might be best for Lorianne if we moved somewhere completely different and started fresh."
No! Lorianne couldn't let that happen. There was too much at stake. Family meant everything! The young lady looked around for something else to talk about but found nothing of interest except for Booboo. Yes! That was it. Lorianne would show them how much she loved him! That would convince her mother, for sure. Softly padding over to Lincoln, Lorianne thanked him with a rather unusual display.
"Thank. You. For. Everything. Booboo. I. Love. You." Lorianne said, counting the words off her fingers before cupping his face and kissing him square on the mouth.
A look of surprise flashed across Lincoln's face as the girl's tongue entered his mouth. Coming to his senses, he pulled her away quickly.
"Ree, no…" he said sternly. "That's…"
But it was too late. Lincoln had shaken the girl's confidence, and she began to bawl uncontrollably. Turning away, she ran to Nova's room and slammed the door.
"Lorianne! Get back here!" Lori yelled as she came to a stand, preparing to chase down her daughter.
"No!" barked Lincoln in a voice Lori had never heard come from her brother before. Then, in a much calmer tone, "Lori, let me handle this. Go calm her down and bring her to me. Please do not yell at her or reprimand her. Above all else, do not tell her she was bad. Tell her Booboo wants to talk to her."
Lori stared intently at Lincoln, trying to read his intentions, but all she saw was loving resolve. After glancing at Lola and Lana, she turned and headed down the hall.
Lincoln rolled into the living room and hoisted himself from his wheelchair to his recliner, then made sure the footrest was in the retracted position to allow the chair to rock, then waited.
*knock knock*
"Lorianne?" Lori said softly. "It's mommy. Nobody is mad at you, alright? Can you come out? Booboo has something he wants to tell you."
"Really?" came a sniffling voice through the door.
"Yes, baby," Lori responded, unsure of what Lincoln had planned. "Please, come out."
The door unlocked and slowly opened, and Lorianne emerged into her mother's arms. Lori smiled at her child, hugged her tightly, then turned toward the living room and patted her on the back.
"Go on, sweetie," she said, giving her daughter some encouragement. "He's waiting."
Lorianne padded into the living room and stood by Lincoln's recliner, staring at him blankly.
"It's. Not. Fair." Ree said. "How. Come. Lola. And. Lana. Can. Love. You. But. I. Can't?"
Lincoln smiled at her and patted his leg.
"Come here, Ree," Lincoln instructed her. "Let's talk about that."
Lorianne hesitated but couldn't resist her Booboo. He grabbed her around the waist as she reached out for him and pulled her across his lap. She came to rest against his left side, with her head upon his chest and legs across his lap.
"Shhh," Lincoln whispered as he began to rock the chair. "It's alright. Booboo has you. Just relax."
Lori sat between Lola and Lana on the couch, waiting for something to happen. For about twenty minutes, nothing did. Lorianne cried deeply; on occasion, her body would convulse under the emotional strain. But eventually, the crying and spasms came to a stop.
"Are you ready to talk?" Lincoln asked gently.
"Mmhmm," Lorianne murmured, propping herself up on her elbow.
"Alright, then," Lincoln said. "First, don't ever be ashamed of how you feel. Nobody can take that away from you. Second, always discuss your feelings before acting on them. That can get one in trouble. I assume you have pretty strong feelings for me from that kiss. Am I right?"
Lorianne shook her head yes.
Lincoln nodded. "Can you tell me about them?"
Lorianne sniffled back some lingering mucus and began explaining as best she could.
"You. Love. Me. And. Never. Hurt. Me," she started telling him, looking from hand to hand, her eyes and fingers moving quickly. "You. Treat. Me. Nice. And. Always. Say. Good. Things. And. Tell. Me. The. Truth. And. Tell. Me. What. I. Do. Wrong. And. Right. And. You. Mean. Everything. To. Me. So. I. Wanted. To. Do. Something. Nice. For. You."
Lorianne paused briefly, planning her following few words carefully.
"You. Make. My. Heart. Tingle," she finally said.
"Alright, Ree," Lincoln said. "I understand what's going on, and I need to tell you something. It may not be what you want to hear, though. Are you willing to listen?"
Lorianne frowned but nodded.
"You are not in love with me, Ree," he told the young girl. "Something is missing from your life, something I represent. You're looking for someone who will love you unconditionally, one who will look out for your best interests, listen to you and is fair, one who is wiser than you, and who can keep you on the right path."
Lorianne nodded again.
"Ree," Lincoln said, gazing into her big, brown eyes. "That's the role of a father, not a boyfriend. You're getting the two mixed up because of how yours treated you. You're young and have plenty of time to explore those feelings. And when you do, you'll want someone on your level with whom you can learn and grow with side as you go through life together. Do you understand?"
Lorianne nodded slowly and began crying again, but this time in the form of release, not sorrow. Laying back down upon Lincoln's chest, she listened to his heartbeat for comfort.
"I will never leave you, Ree," Lincoln promised the girl, hugging her tightly. "As long as I live, I will be here for you."
There was not a dry eye in the room.
Lola and Lana silently wept at the display, clinging to one of Lori's arms and resting their heads on her shoulders. As for Lori, she began to understand why Lola and Lana fell for him.
As an older sibling, Lori didn't have much one-on-one time with him growing up. Typically, her parents would leave her in charge, which isn't conducive to bonding.
In the past, Lincoln was merely her annoying and dorky little brother. The twerp, as she used to call him. Sure, he had his moments, but his other antics offset them.
Only now did she see how sweet and thoughtful he was. Lori was proud to have Lincoln as her child's Uncle, and she knew then that he would never let her down. Some time passed before anything was done or said, but eventually, Lori decided to move things along.
"Lorianne?" inquired Lori as she stood and came over to the recliner. "I know you'd like to stay there forever, but Booboo has work to do. Do you think you can let him up long enough for him to do that?"
"Uh-huh," came Lorianne's reply.
The young girl kissed Lincoln on the cheek, slid down his lap, and headed to the kitchen to draw.
"Sometimes, I wonder how Dad did it with eleven of us," he exclaimed with a heavy sigh.
In turn, Lori, Lola, and Lana each hugged Lincoln and set about their business for the day. After which, Lincoln transferred himself back to his wheelchair and headed to the shed to start work.
About an hour later, Lori entered the shed and began browsing around. She started looking into some boxes, noting their contents. Inside were a random collection of things from Lincoln's past and present; toys, old comics, and stuffed animals.
Pulling one of the comics out, she glanced at the cover, which depicted two men in tights shooting lasers from their hands. Silently, she chuckled to herself. Lincoln took note and turned away from his work.
"What'cha doing, Lori?" he said with interest.
"Oh, nothing much," Lori replied. "Just looking around. You know, seeing who you are. You know, these comics aren't very accurate."
"What do you mean," Lincoln asked, cocking his head to one side.
"For starters, they wear tights," Lori explained. "Who does that? And their powers are lame. Lasers? How unoriginal."
"Well, what would you have them do?" asked Lincoln curiously.
Lori walked over to him and sat in his lap, draping her arm around his neck.
"I'd have them be more like you," she whispered, staring into his eyes. "You're the real superhero."
