It was almost anguishing for the two to decide which of their families they were going to tell first. Ronnie Anne's would be less punishing on the ears, but they'd want to celebrate. And if you got pulled into a Casagrande celebration, you were not getting out before it was over. Or without a full stomach.
But Lincoln's sisters were…well, they were his sisters. Just five of his siblings were enough to tear down half of Royal Woods if they got riled up. If all ten of them were, it was even worse. Just because most of them were adults didn't mean a sisternado couldn't be formed. And he had the benefit of experience-he'd seen reactions to all 9 (so far) of Lori's pregnancies, both of Leni's, when Luna and Sam adopted a girl, and so on and so forth.
Pregnancies and children were BIG deals.
So, they settled on a middle ground. Two people outside the normal dynamic of either the Loud family or the Casagrande family. Two people that could relate to their dread of telling the rest of their families. Close family themselves: Lori and Bobby. The first actual union between houses. The two teenage sweethearts had gotten married the summer after they both graduated High School.
Ironically, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne remembered more about each other from that day than the actual ceremony. Both made fun of the other for being all dressed up, him in a tux and her in a dress that she had really wanted to change out of. Two 12-year-olds who most definitely were NOT dating in any way.
Two 12-year-olds who'd still locked lips at the reception anyway, before everyone went home.
Gushy memories aside, those two were the people Lincoln and Ronnie Anne saw and talked to the most next to the rest of the family. They were their older (oldest, in Lincoln's case) siblings. There was a valued connection there, and a source of wisdom at times for two teenagers-become-young-adults who were a little clueless in maintaining a relationship.
Not that they wanted to follow the other married couple too closely. It wasn't even the mushy stuff; it was how quick the two got into things from how madly in love with each other they were. Married right out of High School. Lori had received a 4-year college degree in as many years, with a stroller beside her, a baby in one arm, and a baby bump under the gown. How she managed a 3.9 G.P.A., despite that, was one of life's great mysteries. Even when Lincoln and Ronnie Anne had started dating at 14, they both swore off doing anything similar. That was why they'd taken it so slow as adults, if you could call sharing an apartment slow. But living together had been good prep for where they were now.
But the biggest influence they'd taken from seeing their older siblings together? An agreement: ONE baby. Singular. One and only one. No "Loud Family Model" for these two. Just one, they'd see how they handled it, and discuss more down the line.
So yeah, Lori and Bobby seemed like the logical first step to take. Visiting wasn't a problem; they lived roughly in the middle between Royal Woods and Great Lakes City, out of their families' reaches, but still within a few hours visit. Lori and Bobby made their home in the later city. So, they called ahead and went on the first weekend they had free.
And they both realized quickly that it might've been redundant from the moment they saw their older siblings. Lori had this smug little smirk on her face, standing there with her hands behind her in a posture that gave off an unmistakable air of superiority, and also emphasized her own minor baby bump. Bobby was standing beside his wife, looking undeniably awkward. Lincoln's sister had probably guessed what they wanted to say, and she'd told her husband. They'd exchanged awkward greetings before Bobby stuttered out, "Is there-uh…any reason you guys wanted to visit?"
"Well, kind of." Lincoln admitted.
"Yeah, a big reason." Ronnie Anne crossed her arms. Lori's smirk was even bigger. The Latina rolled her eyes. Bobby may have been a little dim, but he could piece all this together easy.
"So, you're…"
"Yeah." Ronnie confirmed for her brother without actually having to say it.
"Congratulations, you guys!" Lori, having had her moment, went into full proud sister mode, pulling her sister-in-law into a hug. "You guys must have had a fun honeymoon." She whispered into her ear. Embarrassed and annoyed, Ronnie pushed her off and faced her brother while Lori hugged Lincoln half to death.
"You gonna cry again?" She teased. Bobby had cried at her and Lincoln's wedding. Ronnie had laughed at Lincoln for having his sisters still act like he was a little kid, but her brother had trouble letting go too.
"No." He lied, although his voice cracked. Her brother was an idiot, but a lovable idiot. She rolled her eyes, opened her arms, and the two hugged.
Obviously, there was a lot to talk about. But before they could get to that, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne had to survive the usual mobbing by the seven of Lori and Bobby's daughters that could walk. Lincoln could survive that many excited and screeching girls, although his wife, tough as she was, had to struggle just to stay standing. But Lori shooed them all away, saying the adults had to speak. The women moved to the kitchen, and the men to the backyard patio.
"You guys must've been so thrilled." Lori guessed.
"Yeah." The Latina confirmed. They'd cuddled for the rest of the day, but Lori didn't need to know that. Lori bragged about her happy marriage all the time. Her and Lincoln kept theirs private and, at a glance it, seemed passionless. There was love under the surface, they both knew. That way just suited their personalities best.
Didn't mean it hurt to indulge occasionally though…
"We were starting to wonder if you guys would have any at all." Lori went on. Lori loved to hear herself talk. Ever since her and Bobby had gotten married, she'd tried to position herself as some wise big sister to Ronnie Anne. For six years, until she was 18 and moved out. Even now, she couldn't escape the older woman's 'wisdom'. Ronnie Anne did love her as an in-law, but there was only so much she could hear.
What was that supposed to mean? They were 22 and 23. Hardly old maid age, and whatever the male equivalent was. Must've been a Loud thing-spitting out kids the moment you're 18.
"We just got married." She reminded her sister-in-law. "What were you expecting before that?" She raised an eyebrow. Lori was caught off guard.
"I'm not saying we wanted you guys to jump into it." She clarified, in embarrassment. "It was just so obvious how in love you guys were, we expected it all sooner." Ronnie Anne gagged. "Well," Lori said, regaining her composure, "It's a good thing you guys waited till you were married. Just like me and Bobby."
Ronnie Anne wasn't the type to judge, but she wasn't the type to ignore obvious facts either. Lori gave birth six months after her and Bobby got married, again, at 18. So of course, she had to make a little 'really?' expression. Lori didn't notice.
"So, you think you guys are really ready?" She asked.
"As ready as we'll ever be." Ronnie shrugged.
"You can never be ready." Lori insisted with the self-importance of a million soccer moms. "Me and Bobby thought we ready. Then when Rose was born,"-Rose was the pair's first daughter, a black-haired little angel in all honesty-"we were completely hopeless. And that was just the delivery. You guys have no idea."
"Actually, we do." Ronnie leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms. "My mom caught us making out without shirts on when we were 15. So, she made us both sit down at the table and watch a video of it happening." That had been worse than any fracture x-rays Ronnie Anne got to see. Her mother always did have a morbid way of trying to instill caution in her daughter. Lori pursed her lips, annoyed at the revelation she'd missed something like that and all the implications it had, and at her sagely visage being denied.
"It's different in person." The blond warned. "And there's still the pregnancy-"
"Lori." Ronnie Anne cut her off. "My parents are doctors."
"Ronnie," there was something about Lori's tone that made Ronnie Anne let her talk, some premonition this might be the rare bit of good information she gave. "Bobby and I spent days reading stuff about getting ready and actually raising kids. But when it's happening, panic takes over. When you're tired, you forget everything you read. It's not going to help." And there was such conviction in her voice, that Ronnie Anne actually got goosebumps. Lori may have her head up her ass, but under that was still a kind woman who'd gotten this far in life, so she had to know something.
"I'll keep that in mind." She assured her sister, a little more subdued in tone. Lori, slightly smug in her superiority, moved on to happier and relatively mundane topics.
"You guys thought of any names yet?" She asked. As early on as things were, the two actually had gone over that when they decided to go through with it.
"Yeah, Robert, if it's a boy." Her brother's name was actually Roberto Jr., but it would still be a tribute. Ronnie Anne and Bobby's father's name wasn't actually Roberto either; he'd been named after an uncle on their dad's side. It was sort of like a family tradition, one Ronnie figured she could carry on since the estrogen ocean here made it obvious her brother wasn't going to.
At her sister-in-law's words, Lori's eyes narrowed. "Ahem." She straightened up. "I believe that belongs to me and Bobby."
"Yeah, right." Ronnie Anne rolled her eyes. "Like you two are having a boy anytime soon. I think Bobby would love it if I did." She wasn't usually the type to pull the little sister card on the other woman, but this was damn sure something she thought warranted it.
The blond was quietly fuming, caught between being a good host and being challenged in her own house. For the sake of peace, the Latina offered a compromise.
"You're going to find out what yours will be soon anyway, so, tell you what." Ronnie offered. "If it's a boy, then it's yours. But if not, I get it."
"Fine." Lori agreed. "We have a deal." But it was obvious she was just a little concerned about it. "And if it's a girl?" She went on.
"Haven't thought about it." Ronnie Anne answered truthfully. Like she'd thought, it was a little early for things like that. "I'll probably let Lincoln choose." Only seemed fair since she wasn't going to back down on the naming if it was a boy.
"It's probably going to be a girl." Lori said surely. "It runs in the family."
"I'm not a Loud." Ronnie Anne reminded her.
"But Lincoln is. It takes two." Lori winked. "Boys always come after girls. That's why I'm so confident." She took a moment to gloat.
"I'll wait and see." Her sister in law stayed firm. The two women, proud as they were, didn't let the sparring sour the mood. They kept talking, with Lori doing most of it.
The men's conversation started out more awkward and silent. Bobby was a sentimental kind of guy, and he had never really stopped seeing his little sister as just that-little. And Ronnie Anne's attitude of not discussing her personal life had rubbed off on her husband, so even if it wasn't his brother-in-law, Lincoln wasn't really eager to talk. The women could at least seriously discuss how to handle pregnancy. The men didn't actually have a lot to talk about.
"So…Excited?" Bobby said finally.
"Yeah." Lincoln answered, looking out enviously at the large yard his sister and brother-in-law had. Ronnie Anne and him might have a house like that someday; they'd agreed to start saving for a real house at the same time they'd agreed to have a kid. But that wasn't that long ago, and there wasn't much saved up in that account yet. Still, they had plenty of time; nine months before the baby was born, and even then, all they'd really need was a crib they could easily fit in their one-bedroom apartment for a while after that. So, no worry, just a little bit of envy.
"You guys are going to be great." Bobby encouraged. "You're going to be doing the stay at home dad thing, right?"
"Unless I get hired by a studio, yeah." Lincoln didn't expect that to happen, although that idealistic part of him remembered it was always a possibility. He was fine working at home, and now this meant he would probably have to turn down an offer even if he got it. Ronnie Anne worked as a chef at the Royal Woods Country Club, so she was always gone. "At least we won't have to pay for a babysitter."
"Smart." Bobby nodded approvingly. "But I gotta warn you, Lincoln. The stay at home dad game is tough." Bobby did own his family's mercado, but he had employees to handle the day to day operation while he could handle the bills and logistics here at home. The moment he became a dad, his workaholic tendencies seemed to just drop. It kind of inspired Lincoln, although it kind of scared him at the same time. "But I mean, I guess you're more than cut out for it. Probably more than I was."
"I've got plenty of experience." Lincoln took a moment to brag. He wasn't ashamed to admit he thought himself more than capable of this; middle child after all, and warden to five rowdy little sisters during his teenage years. And one or two older ones in some instances. He had vastly more experience than his wife, even though he knew for a fact she would be good too.
"Your work is going to get interrupted a lot." Bobby warned.
"I'll adapt." If Lincoln could keep his possessions out of harm's way, he was sure he could keep his work safe. Bobby's face worked as his mind did too, like he was searching for any other advice or wisdom, but coming up with nothing he figured Lincoln didn't already know. Finally, he shrugged.
"You guys will be fine." He declared optimistically. "But uh...Good luck with Nini these next few months. You're going to need it." Lincoln laughed, stopped, and then glanced behind him before turning back to Bobby.
"You really think so?" Lincoln knew his wife. He knew that while she was definitely tough, she still had a good heart and a soft side. He always loved that joking abrasiveness she had, but he knew it could become real in a second with people she really didn't like. So, he did have the slightest bit of paranoia.
"Oh man." Bobby shook his head. "Trust me. Women can act unrecognizable sometimes when they're pregnant. And the littlest things can set them off. I'll be real with you: Babe scared me a lot of times. But uh..." He seemed kind of embarrassed. "Mood swings don't always go one way. Just be ready for sudden changes."
"I can do that." Even as an adult, Lincoln Loud was still a man with a plan at a minute's notice.
"Yeah, good luck." A little bit of mischievous humor leaked into the older man's voice.
Both pairs talked for a while longer, the older questioning the younger on everything from finances to doctor preferences. Lori stayed on her high horse, but never veered from genuine good intent. The men's conversation never veered into anything too personal, but they stayed agreeable. Lori and Bobby did end up saying something identical to their conversation partner: eight words delivered in exactly the same tone after Lincoln and Ronnie Anne revealed they still had to tell the rest of each side of their respective family.
"Good luck. I wouldn't want to be you."