Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
What Love Creates
By Lola Presents
Chapter 7
Several days later, Lincoln's alarm rang at precisely six o'clock in the morning, startling him. Sitting up, he rubbed his head and groaned. After taking a moment to adjust to wakefulness, he smiled.
Today was his birthday, and Lincoln couldn't wait for his workday to come and go. As much as he wanted his family to be there, he was most looking forward to goofing around with Clyde.
Lincoln made his way to the shower and prepared for work. On his way out of the door, he checked Ruth's cat's bowls and ensured no dirty dishes remained in the sink.
The drive to work was long, and the roads were packed. Lincoln turned on the stereo and inserted an old CD. Soon, the song "Material Girl" rang from the tiny speakers in his dash shortly after.
Lincoln wasn't really into that genre of music, but this song, in particular, reminded him of Lola, so he'd purchased it years ago and kept it a secret. Lincoln lost himself in memories of happier times, singing along with the tune, waiting for a light to turn green.
While Lincoln was relatively happy, he didn't feel entirely complete.
Several things were missing from his life, family and love being two of the most prominent. Yes, he knew Lola still loved him. But there's a big difference between loving someone from a distance and openly embracing them. They may as well be in different states.
Finally, he pulled into the parking lot and headed for the entrance, where he could see his boss waiting. As Lincoln passed through the double glass doors, his boss clasped him by the shoulder.
"Lincoln, my boy," he said. "We just received an email from the online exam proctor. Congratulations on passing!"
"Why, thank you, sir," Lincoln replied, eagerly shaking his boss's extended hand.
"In light of your achievement," the man announced proudly. "It would be my pleasure to offer you full employment, complete with health and dental benefits. What do you say?"
"Of course! I accept!" exclaimed Lincoln, genuinely happy for the first time in a while.
"Wonderful! We can discuss the details over lunch," his boss suggested. "In the meantime, we have a special assignment for you if you feel up to it."
"Sure, what is it?" prodded the young man.
His boss smiled.
"We'd like to move you up to the third floor," his boss told him.
"What?" gasped Lincoln. "The third floor? Seriously? Isn't that where they make Ace Savvy?"
"Indeed it is, my boy," ginned his boss. "Go on, gather your things, and head on up. Make sure to talk to Amber. She's expecting you and will sort you out." the man instructed, nodding toward the elevator.
"Oh, man!" cried Lincoln. "Thank you so much! I won't let you down."
Lola awoke a while later. Over the past several days, she discovered that she required much more sleep than usual. Of course, the princess figured that being pregnant was the cause, an assumption that Lisa later confirmed.
Still, her back was sore from so much lying around and becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Sitting up, she realized that something was different. She heard what sounded like muffled tears. Quickly, she gazed around the room.
"Hm," she thought.
The crying didn't seem like Lily's or even seem to come from outside. Rubbing her eyes clear of sleep, she peered at Lana's bed. Lola's twin had not yet gotten up, it seemed. Getting up and slipping into her bunny slippers, Lola plodded over to Lana's bed and pulled back the covers.
"Wake up, sleepy-head," she chirped.
Her smile vanished instantly, however. Lana was curled up in a ball, weeping.
"Lana?" she asked softly, taking a seat on the bed. "What's wrong?"
Lana looked up at her twin without moving her head and snuffled back some snot.
"My heart hurts, Lola. Go away," the distraught girl pleaded.
"Um, nope!" Lola chimed. "If you haven't noticed, I've been through quite a lot of hurt recently," Lola reminded her. "I can help if you let me. Or, I can simply listen. Now, what's bothering you?"
Lana pulled herself to a seated position and hugged her legs.
"It's Clyde," Lana admitted. "I had to let him go last night; it was the hardest thing I've ever done. Tightening lug nuts doesn't even come close."
Lola's gentle smile persisted.
"Why in the world did you do that?" she asked. "I mean, you both like each other, right?"
Lana snorted some more mucus.
"Yeah, but we didn't have anything in common. We both tried doing things the other liked, but Clyde couldn't! It made me question how I felt about him. If he isn't able to do for me, what I do for him, there's no future for us." Lana's tears began rolling again, and she laid her head on her knees.
"Oh, for goodness sake," sighed Lola as she gave her twin a hard shove. "He tried. That's the important thing. You don't see Mom sharing Dad's love for cooking, do you? Luna doesn't enjoy kale smoothies as Sam does, and I wouldn't say I like comics as Lincoln does," Lola informed her sobbing twin. "Who flipping cares? Nobody is perfect. How does he make you feel?"
"Protected?" whimpered Lana. "And loved."
"Well, there you go, ding dong. Get off your butt and do something about it," Lola said, dragging Lana to her feet and slapping her red ball cap onto her head.
"Listen, it may work out, and it may not," Lola admitted. "But if you don't try, you'll never know."
Lana stood there, rubbing one arm with the other and looking at her feet.
"Yeah, maybe," she conceded. "But I'm not good with this stuff. Leave me alone with some junk, and I can make a masterpiece, but love scares me."
Lola leaned in and pulled her sister into an embrace.
"I know," she said. "It can be scary. But it's worth the effort. Believe me. And I'll be right here for you," Lola said, smiling. Then grabbing Lana's phone from the nightstand, Lola held it out to her. "Call him."
After meeting with Amber, Lincoln settled into his new office. It was much bigger than his previous cubicle and substantially more significant than his old bedroom. It took about twenty minutes to get everything in order, but eventually, Lincoln was satisfied.
Soon, a woman named Gretchen entered his office and handed him several stacks of panels.
"Here you go," she said. "This is the panel work for the latest edition of Ae Savvy. It needs inking by Friday."
"Thanks, Gretchen," Lincoln said, moving the stack to a more handy place. "I'll have it done on time."
For the rest of the day, inking was his primary thought. It was a privilege and an honor to work on his favorite comic. He only wished his tasks came after they added the dialog. Still, it was cool seeing the action before anyone else.
Of course, he signed a non-disclosure act, preventing him from discussing it with anyone. Nevertheless, it raised his spirits and saw him through the day.
"Hello?" said Clyde, answering his phone.
"Uh, hey. It's me, Lana," said the caller before sniffling again. "Listen, I've been thinking..."
"It sounds more like you've been crying," said the boy. "What's wrong?"
"I messed up," Lana admitted. "I shouldn't have dumped you like that. I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not used to dealing with things like this. I got scared when you couldn't keep up with me."
"It's alright," consoled Clyde. "I understand. But, you know, it doesn't matter. I love you, anyway. You're smart, brave, and talented, and you see the best in everyone and everything. Those are all things in which I am deficient. It's like, you make me feel whole."
"I-I do?" stammered Lana.
"Yes, you do," Clyde responded softly.
"Well, do you think we can try again?" asked Lana sheepishly.
"I'd like nothing more," announced Clyde.
"Great!" chirped Lana, wiping away her tears. "In that case, we need your help with something..."
Lincoln arrived home several hours later to find his best friend sitting on Ruth's stoop.
"Clyde?" he gasped. "I wasn't expecting you until later."
"I know, buddy," smiled his friend. "But I didn't have anything else to do, so I thought I'd come early. I understand, though, if you need to shower and change."
"Uh, yeah. Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself for a few?" asked Lincoln, knowing how blunt Ruth could be.
"Sure, man," replied his friend. "I have the cats to keep me company."
Lincoln went to the restroom, turned on the shower, and undressed as the water temperature stabilized. He stepped into the tub, and the warm water cascaded over his body, washing away the stress of the day and any ink he'd gotten on himself.
Lincoln lathered himself up, shampooed and conditioned his hair, then stood under the calming liquid for a few minutes, reflecting. What a trial life had become. It was as if his life was morphing into one belonging to someone else. He no longer felt connected. Perhaps, spending time with Clyde would rectify that.
Sighing, he ended the cascade of water, dried himself off, and put on fresh, more comfortable clothes. Dropping his workwear into the hamper, he revisited the living room.
"Uh, Ruth?" he asked of his aunt, who was nearly asleep in her recliner.
"W-What?" she sputtered.
"Where'd Clyde go?"
"Oh, he went to the backyard," she replied. "I think he said something about firing up the grill."
Curious, Lincoln walked through the living room and kitchen to the back door, and opening it, he walked through.
"SURPRISE!" yelled a mass of people.
"What?" gasped Lincoln, taken off guard.
"It's a surprise party, silly!" said Leni, waving. "You didn't think we'd miss it, did you?" smiled Lori, standing beside Bobby, with Lorianne and Lily playing nearby.
"Happy birthday, son!" announced Lincoln's father, coming into view. "Sorry about the email, but we thought you could use a pick-me-up."
Lincoln smiled and walked down the porch stairs. The grill was smoking nicely, a picnic table sat before him, and various games had gotten laid around.
"This is amazing, guys!" Lincoln smiled broadly. "I honestly didn't think anyone was coming!"
"There's someone else here who can't wait to see ya, brah," said Luna cheerfully.
Standing apart from Luan, Luna revealed Lola holding a small wrapped box. The girl ran to Lincoln as fast as she could, with a grin that could stop evil, and wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh, Lincoln!" she nearly cried. "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too, Lola-bear," he said before tilting her head upwards.
It was a risk, but he didn't care at this point. He wasn't going to skirt around the bushes any longer. Pressing his lips to hers, he gave Lola the most passionate kiss he'd ever delivered.
"I'm never going to get used to that," Rita grimaced slightly.
"Eh, at least they're happy," declared her husband.
Remembering her gift, Lola suddenly pulled away.
"Oh! Lincoln!" she declared excitedly. "You must open my present first, please?" she pleaded.
Lincoln looked at the table full of gifts, cake, soda, and ice cream.
"Shouldn't I at least blow out the candles," he asked, "before they burn down?"
Lola nodded begrudgingly and shoved him into a seat before the cake, and everyone began singing the birthday song to him. Then, grinning wildly, Lincoln drew in some air, pursed his lips, and blew the candles out.
Half expecting them to reignite, he eyed the candles for a moment. When no flames arose, he looked at Luan questioningly.
"What?" she said innocently.
"Nothing," replied Lincoln, slicing the first piece to have the cake explode in his face.
"Ha, ha!" laughed Luan, producing the real cake from within a picnic basket. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. Things are going to pop from now on! Get it?"
"Huh?" implored Lincoln, confused at her punchline.
"Never mind," said Luan. "You don't get it now, but you will."
Lincoln looked worried until Lola shoved her box into his hands.
"Go ahead! Open it!" Lola nearly screamed. "I can't wait anymore!"
Carefully, Lincoln inspected the package, then untied the ribbon. Nothing happened, so he assumed Luan had nothing planned. Peeling back the paper revealed a small cardboard box about three inches square. Carefully, he opened the box. Inside was a photograph of some sort.
Lincoln pulled the photo from the box and stared at it. It took a few moments for its content to register on him.
"Lola?" he whispered, looking up at her.
Lola was rocking on her heels and smiling.
"What do you think?" she asked impatiently.
Lincoln stared at the image once more. There, nestled within the static, was clear evidence of pregnancy.
Lincoln couldn't believe what he saw. In his hands laid an image of his child, the child he and Lola created. His heart filled with emotion, and his ducts laid low the ramparts. Tears began flowing down his face as Lola embraced him and pulled him to a stand.
"I love you so much, Lincoln," said Lola as she cried sympathetically.
"I love you too," Lincoln replied as best he could.
"Awe!" came the unanimous response from the crowd.
Eventually, they parted, ready to accept the others' gratulatory wishes, when Lincoln noticed Clyde and Lana holding hands a short distance away. The pair were staring at each other the way he and Lola did. Walking over to them, he clasped Clyde on the back.
"Looks like things worked out, eh?" surmised Lincoln, chuckling afterward.
"Yeah, thanks for being so cool about it, buddy," thanked Clyde, beaming at his date. "She's perfect."
"Well, what's everyone standing around for? It's party time!" yelled Luna, hitting play on her boom-box.
Music pumped through the backyard as the assembled guests ate cake and ice cream, danced, played cornhole, basketball, or cards, or sat and gossiped.
Lincoln lost sight of Lola temporarily, but eventually, he found her hungrily downing some cake. Sitting beside her and assembling a plate of his own, he bumped her shoulder playfully.
"I can't believe you're eating for two now!" he exclaimed over the noise.
"Yeah, I know," Lola agreed. "It's odd being this hungry. It's like, all the time now." Swallowing her bite, she sighed and patted her belly. "I'm going to have to go on a HUGE diet after he arrives."
"He?" asked Lincoln. "What makes you think it's going to be a boy? There's nothing on the ultrasound about gender."
"Just a feeling," Lola shrugged.
"Well, my money's on a girl, what with this family and all," Lincoln chuckled.
"I don't care what it is," Lola stated. "We're going to love it, regardless."
"Yes," agreed Lincoln. "That we will."
Soon, the crowd began chanting, "dance, dance, dance!"
Lincoln looked up to see everyone staring at them. Gently caressing Lola's hand, he stood and pulled her from the picnic bench.
"Shall we?" he asked in as sophisticated a voice as he could muster.
"I'd be delighted," Lola nodded, flashing her eyes at her partner.
The couple walked into their family's midst, who parted and encircled them. Luna changed songs to one more fitting and stood back with the others. All eyes were on Lincoln and Lola as they began their dance. Lincoln led, moving gently and slowly.
Yet, the gaze he gave Lola displayed something much more passionate and beautiful than any dance. Together, they swayed and paraded around the ground. Soon, the violin concerto Luna had picked ended, and everyone began clapping.
"Listen," said Lincoln's father as the man walked up to them. "Lola, Lincoln," he said. "Your mother and I have been talking, and we feel like we've done you a disservice. You're free to see each other whenever you like. However, we've already repurposed your room, Lincoln, so..."
Lincoln laughed, hugging his father.
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine here. Besides, it's halfway between work and your house."
"Yeah, but Ruth won't take Lola, too," Lynn sighed.
Lincoln looked at Lola.
"That's alright. I'd rather Lola be around family right now. I can't look after her when I'm at work. If it's alright with you, Lola," Lincoln announced.
Lola lunged at her brother, nearly snapping his neck with her arms.
"God, I love you! You're always thinking of my best interests. While I am a bit disappointed, I understand," Lola cooed. "At least we don't have to hide our texting now!"
"What now?" gasped their father. "You were texting this whole time?"
Smiling, though still embracing and staring into each other's eyes, they laughed happily, confirming his query.
The party continued for another two hours, and everyone was exhausted when Luna stopped the music.
"Well, guys," announced Rita. "It's about time to go. Everybody cleans something up, okay? We can't leave Ruth's yard a mess."
Once the ground had gotten cleaned and everybody said their goodbyes, Lincoln wrapped his arms around Lola again. Standing beside the family van, he felt more at home than ever.
"Goodnight, Princess," he said lovingly.
"Goodnight, Prince," Lola replied, smiling.
Then, they kissed one more time, paying no attention to hoots emanating from the van.
