When Lincoln came home the Loud house was still quiet…far too quiet.
He came home to find his dad and sisters sitting huddled on the couch.
"Lincey!" Lola and Lana cried as they embraced their big brother. For as tough and hard-core as each twin could be, they were six years old, far too young to be witnessing this.
"Where's Lori? I gotta talk to her…" Lincoln started.
His father pointed in the direction of her bedroom, "now may not be a good time champ," he advised.
"Lori is currently experiencing a combination of anger and denial. She has been upstairs all afternoon packing up all her belongings that provide any memories of Bobby. When mother attempted to communicate with her she insisted that she is not in need of any familial support during this time," Lisa explained.
"We're still her family though," Leni whispered poignantly.
"Preach it, sister," Luna encouraged.
"I still say the best way we can support her is to give her space…I know I never love any of you more than when you back off," Lucy stated.
Poor Lily looked up the stairs and reached her little arms upward like she was pleading for Lori to come down and take care of her and for things to go back to normal, even though something inside her knew that things will never be normal again.
Lincoln was about to go upstairs to try his best to talk to her when suddenly there was a knock at the door.
When Lincoln opened it he was surprised to find Clyde in a black suit and holding a bunch of flowers.
At first Lincoln was furious; how could his best friend just take this crisis as a chance to hook up with his sister?
"I don't think Lori is going to be interested in taking applications for a new boyfriend for awhile Clyde."
"No, dude you got me all wrong! I'm just here to offer my sincere condolences."
Lincoln didn't look convinced but allowed his friend to continue.
"You know I like Lori, your whole family knows I like Lori, heck even Lori knows that I like Lori! But no one knows why I love Lori!"
"Because you think her smile is proof that the best things in life are free?" Luan joked.
"Well yes…but it goes beyond smiles and looks…she's so wonderful and smart and curious and hard-working and caring and…" Clyde went on for several minutes before finally being cut off.
"Alright Clyde we get it! But why are you here right now, knowing she's hurting?"
Clyde took a deep breath, "because she's a good friend over everything else…I just want to try to be a good friend to her."
Lincoln couldn't deny his friend that and finally let him in.
"How's she holding up?" Clyde asked as he sat on the floor in front of the couch.
"She's trying so hard to be tough that we know she's heading for a no holds barge breakdown…we are just trying to prep for that," Lynn Jr. explained.
"Do they know why he did it?" Clyde managed to ask, like the rest of the Loud family he was full of various emotions towards the complicated situation.
"We may never know the full story…at least not in this life," Lincoln whispered as he held in all the information from earlier today. It wasn't that he didn't trust Clyde, but that was a conversation that needed to happen between he and Lori first.
At that moment Lori came downstairs with a huge garbage bag, followed by a pleading Rita.
"Hun…I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but baby this isn't the answer."
"I'm just getting rid of some useless junk I no longer need, this house is cluttered enough as it is," Lori said as she continued on her mission.
She stopped in her tracks upon noticing Clyde.
"OMGoodness Clyde I am like so happy to see you!" she exclaimed.
Clyde's eyebrow raised, "you are?"
Lori knelt down and hugged him dramatically, "of course I am! You are such a great guy, so wonderful and attentive…much better than old what'shisname!"
Everyone in the room gasped, hearing her refer to Bobby…her boo boo bear as what'shisname.
Lincoln didn't know much about the grieving process, but he was tired of Lori pretending like the guy who had been her entire life for over a year was now nothing.
"Bobby, Lori…you mean Bobby," Lincoln stated.
Lynn Sr. put a hand over his son's mouth, terrified how Lori would react.
Lori winced and recoiled back for a moment before stating in as calm a voice as she could manage.
"I really don't want to hear that name right now…or ever again."