Chapter 9 – The Second House Visitors
Everyone in the Casagrande apartment spent quite some time consoling Ronnie Anne until her crying subsided. As she was helped to her feet by Maria and Bobby, her friends decided to leave. Ronnie Anne did her best to keep it together as she said good-bye to her friends. Once they left, Maria and Bobby led Ronnie Anne to her room where she would be more comfortable. It was still a struggle for her to maintain her composure as she was guided by her mother and brother, and said they would be nearby if she needed them. But when they closed the door after they left, Ronnie Anne slumped over on her bed and allowed herself to cry again. Now that she was in her room, she felt free to let out her sadness away from prying eyes.
Ronnie Anne ended up crying so much she fell asleep from the exhaustion. She was still upset when she awoke a few hours later, but was in a much better mindset to think about what happened. She still couldn't believe it. For the past few years it seemed like a mass shooting was reported every week. It was one thing to hear about one happening in another part of the country, but for one to occur in Royal Woods and one of her best friends being one of the people to get shot; it was something else.
It was almost impossible to comprehend something like this could happen so close to home, as it were. Despite the overall sense of disbelief she was feeling, there was something more important for Ronnie Anne to think about; Lincoln's well-being. As she thought back to what Bobby had said, she realized he only said Lincoln had been shot, not mentioning any specifics. Ronnie Anne began to wonder about Lincoln's condition, and the one question on her mind was 'how bad is it?' She hoped that Lincoln wasn't too badly hurt, but there was still a nagging feeling that it could be worse. Noting the time on her alarm clock, she realized it had been a while since Bobby got that phone call. Surely he had to have heard more by now.
Suddenly, a knock came at her door. "Come in," she said. Sure enough, Bobby came through the door. Ronnie Anne instantly went up to her brother and hugged him. Bobby kept quiet as he returned the embrace.
"Bobby?" Hearing his name, Bobby looked down at Ronnie Anne, who was looking up at him sadly. "What's going on? Lincoln; is he…" She trailed off, unable to finish her question.
Bobby sighed. This was the reason why he came to Ronnie Anne's room in the first place. He knew beforehand he had to give it to her straight. "I talked to Lori again earlier," he said. "Lincoln's alive." Ronnie Anne's eyes went wide in surprise. For a while she'd been thinking worse had happened.
"But he's in a coma." Ronnie Anne's face fell as her relief was dashed. Something bad did happen. The tears came back in her eyes and she buried her face in Bobby's shirt. Bobby just hugged her tighter and gently rubbed her back. Ronnie Anne was quiet, but let out a few sniffles.
"Do they know when he will wake up," Ronnie Anne asked when she could speak. Bobby took a breath before answering. "Lori said they're not sure yet. But she also said the doctor told them that he's stable, and it's likely he'll recover."
"Really," Ronnie Anne asked, still teary-eyed. Bobby just nodded. Ronnie Anne looked away. She let go of Bobby and sat down on her bed. "Did Lori say anything else," she asked.
"No, she didn't," Bobby replied as he sat next to her. "And to be honest, I don't think she wanted to." He sighed; "Can't say I blame her." "Yeah, me neither," said Ronnie Anne. They fell silent again. "Look, I know it's not much," Bobby finally said. "But at least we know Lincoln's still alive, and from what Lori said he will be OK." He put an arm around Ronnie Anne's shoulders. "That's still something, right?" Ronnie Anne thought for a moment. This wasn't exactly what she hoped for, but it wasn't what she feared either. She was still upset that Lincoln was in bad shape, but the fact he was still alive made her just a bit better. "I guess so," she said quietly.
Bobby smiled and gave Ronnie Anne another hug. They held their embrace for a moment before Bobby asked "are you OK?" Ronnie Anne sighed and said "I will be." She faced her brother and said "Thanks." "Anytime Nini," Bobby replied. He kept his embrace on Ronnie Anne until she let go. "Where's everybody else," she asked, suddenly wondering why nobody else came.
"They're in the living room," Bobby explained. "They've been worried about you since mom and I brought you here; well, we all have. They wanted to check on you earlier, but mom and I told them the best thing was to give you some time to yourself."
Ronnie Anne smiled. She knew what he meant. "Thanks Bobby," she said. "No problem sis," he replied as he stood up.
"By the way," Bobby said. "Abuela is cooking dinner right now. I understand if you don't want to join us, but I just wanted to let you know." Ronnie Anne nodded. "It's OK," she said, getting off her bed. "I'll come."
"All right; let's go," said Bobby as he turned to leave the room. Ronnie Anne got up from her bed and started to follow, but she lagged behind. Bobby looked back to see if Ronnie Anne was all right, but she gave him a small smile and motioned to him to go on. He nodded and walked down the hall.
Ronnie Anne continued walking at a slower pace. She was still hesitant to face her concerned family, and she thought she could buy just a bit more time if she continued at this pace. The apartment was uncharacteristically quiet, something which almost never happened. Ronnie Anne would have savored this silence under normal circumstances, but this was anything but normal. She sighed deeply and continued walking to the living room. She started hearing distant sounds coming from the direction of the kitchen, which had to have been Abuela cooking.
As Ronnie Anne neared the living room, she saw someone come from around the corner. She stopped and looked up to see her cousin Carlota, who was looking back at her. Carlota walked up to Ronnie Anne and stopped in front of her. "Hey," she said quietly, "you OK?" Ronnie Anne only shrugged. Carlota reached out to hug Ronnie Anne, which she accepted. As they held their embrace, Carlota remembered.
"Hey," she said, "just so you know, Sid's here." Ronnie Anne let go and looked to Carlota, surprised. "She is?" Carlota nodded. "Yeah, she's over by the couch," she said, pointing behind her. Ronnie Anne looked and sure enough, Sid was there. Ronnie Anne went over to Sid, whom instantly hugged Ronnie Anne. Ronnie Anne was slightly caught off-guard, but she returned her friend's hug. They held for a moment until Ronnie Anne broke off to talk to Sid.
"What's going on," she asked. "I thought you went home." "I did," Sid explained. "But I got worried and came back." Ronnie Anne was a bit moved. She was glad to know her best friend cared about her. "When did you come back," Ronnie Anne asked. "Not long. Maybe ten minutes ago," Sid replied. "By the way," she added. "I told my family what happened."
"You did," Ronnie Anne asked. "How did they take it?" Sid sighed. "When I got home my parents were watching the news. But when I told them about Lincoln, they were pretty shocked," Sid explained. Ronnie Anne nodded understandingly. Then she realized. "What about Adelaide? Does she know?" Sid's face fell. "She does. After I told mom and dad, she came in the living room asking what happened. She wasn't as shocked as mom and dad when we told her about Lincoln, but she was still pretty upset."
Ronnie Anne was about to reply when Frida came up to them. "Girls, dinner is just about ready. You're welcome to join us Sid if you like." "Oh, thanks," Sid replied. "I'd like that." "All right," said Frida. "Let's go." The two followed Frida to the table. One by one, everyone else came to the table. Rosa was just getting the food on the table when Hector came through the door after closing the Mercado.
Soon everyone was at the table and dinner was served. It was an elaborate, delectable meal with the kind of food that could make anybody content. It was a dinner that only Rosa Casagrande could pull off. But even though everyone was eating, none of them were in a good mood.
The earlier phone call about Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's reaction were still on everyone's minds. They all wanted to know if she was all right, but felt too awkward to say anything. As such, there was little to no conversation between everyone save for the occasional "pass the hot sauce" and the like. It wasn't normal for the Casagrandes to be so quiet during a meal to begin with, but the reason for it now made the atmosphere in the room unexpectedly tense. All they could do was keep eating.
Suddenly, the sound of silverware loudly hitting the table made everyone perk up. They turned to the direction of the noise to see Rosa scanning the room. The matriarch inhaled deeply before speaking. "All right," she said. "I'm certain we're all thinking the same thing. And if nobody else is going to say it, then I will." She looks toward Ronnie Anne. "Ronalda?" Ronnie Anne looks up. "Are you all right sweetheart?"
Ronnie Anne hesitated for a moment. She didn't like that her grandmother brought this up now, nor the fact that everyone had turned to face her and waited for her to say something. She looked around and met eyes with Bobby, who gave her a reassuring smile. Feeling a hand on her arm, Ronnie Anne looked next to her to see Sid giving the same look. Looking between her best friend and brother, Ronnie Anne knew that no matter what happened, they were there for her. Just like everyone else. Eventually, Ronnie Anne took a deep breath and quietly said "I guess."
Rosa sighed, solemnly got up from her seat and walked over, putting herself between Ronnie Anne and Sid. She put a hand over Ronnie Anne's and started rubbing it gently before speaking again. "Look mi hija, I know you're still upset about Lincoln. We all do, and we all know how much he means to you. But we're all worried about him, and I can't even imagine how his family is feeling right now." Ronnie Anne winced inwardly. She had been so concerned about Lincoln she completely forgot about the rest of the Louds. Many of the others were nodding to themselves as Rosa spoke. She then looked up to address the room.
"I won't sugarcoat it; this is probably the worst thing that's ever happened to them. And with Lincoln in the hospital, they are going to need all the support they can get." She paused and looked down at Ronnie Anne, who had looked up to meet her gaze. "And I don't think we can do that from here." Ronnie Anne's eyes widened and jaw dropped when she heard that last part and she strangely started feeling excited, her reaction mirroring that of everyone else. Rosa just smiled at her knowingly before looking up again.
"So, who wants to go to Royal Woods?" In an instant, the Casagrande family raised their hands and let out a chorus of "ME!" Some repeated themselves to express how much they wanted to go. Even Lalo and Sergio barked and squawked in interest. Rosa laughed and held up a hand for silence. "All right, then it's settled," she said. "We'll leave first thing in the morning, so everyone get ready for bed." As everyone began clearing the table, Rosa turned to Sid. "Sid, would you like to come with us?"
Sid smiled. "Oh yes please!" Then she thought of something. "But I'll have to ask my parents if that's OK. And, would it be all right if Adelaide came too? I think she would want to see the Louds again." "Oh sweetheart, of course she can," said Rosa. "But since we're leaving in the morning, you two should spend the night here." Sid was thrilled. Ronnie Anne was also glad her friend was going to spend the night. "Oh thank you so much," Sid said to Rosa. "I'll head upstairs and ask them right now."
"Actually," said Rosa. "I'll come with you. We can talk to your parents together. There's something I want to discuss with them anyway." "OK," Sid replied. "Be right back," she said to Ronnie Anne. "All right," Ronnie Anne replied as Sid and Rosa headed for the door. Ronnie Anne decided to help clear the table. As she went in the kitchen with a handful of dishes, she wouldn't have known that Sid and Rosa had met someone in the hall when they left, and that person would be brought into the apartment by Maria.
She had called him earlier that day telling him what happened in Royal Woods and invited him to the apartment to see Ronnie Anne. He accepted the invite instantly and got there as soon as he could. It was pure luck he had been in the city that day. Maria greeted Arturo with a sad look and a quick hug before allowing him to enter. When he did, those who were nearby stopped what they were doing and went to greet him.
Ronnie Anne, meanwhile, was still in the kitchen. She had just put the dirty dishes she was carrying in the sink, unaware of what was happening in the living room until she heard her mother call her name. "Yeah mom," she asked in response. "There's someone here to see you," was the reply from Maria. Ronnie Anne was a bit puzzled. She wasn't expecting anyone else to come by, especially at this hour. Curiously, she walked into the living room where she saw her mother and a crowd of the others by the door. "Who is it mom," she asked. Noticing her presence, everyone parted to reveal Arturo standing by the door. Ronnie Anne gasped when she saw him.
"DAD!" Arturo stretched out his arms as Ronnie Anne ran up to him. She jumped into his arms and was immediately wrapped in a loving embrace. Arturo held his daughter for what seemed like the longest hug he ever gave her, but he didn't mind. She really needed it after all. Meanwhile the crowd of relatives dispersed to get ready for tomorrow, save for Maria who stood by until Arturo looked her way. "I'll leave you two alone," she said and she walked away.
Arturo carried Ronnie Anne to the couch and set her down before taking a seat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into his side. "Did mom…?" Ronnie Anne started to ask. Arturo nodded. "She told me everything." Ronnie Anne went silent and nuzzled against Arturo. He sighed. He was still in disbelief himself. He found out about what happened in Royal Woods on the news and was just as shocked as everyone else; even more so when Maria called and told him about Lincoln. He had gotten to know the Louds pretty well in recent years and the fact that one of the kids had been shot was just horrible.
Arturo stayed quiet as he held Ronnie Anne. Eventually, he looked down at Ronnie Anne and asked "Are you OK?" Ronnie Anne shrugged. "A little, maybe?" she said. "I don't know, it's just..." "I know," Arturo said as he gave Ronnie Anne another hug. He understood what she meant. "But I definitely feel better now that you're here," she added as she looked up at him. Arturo smiled, happy to hear that from his daughter.
The sound of the apartment door opening prompted Ronnie Anne and Arturo to look towards it. When it opened Rosa entered with Sid and Adelaide, who were carrying overnight bags. "Ronnie Anne!" "Hey Sid," Ronnie Anne said as she got off the couch and went over to her friend. Then she turned to Adelaide. "Hey Adelaide," she said to the younger girl who gave a wave and said "hi" in return. "Ronnie Anne." Ronnie Anne looked to Rosa when she heard her name. "Where's your mother," asked Rosa. "Last I saw her she went that way," Ronnie Anne replied as she pointed down the hallway. "All right, thank you," said Rosa and she walked away.
Ronnie Anne turned back to Sid. "So what happened," she asked. "Your grandma came and talked to our parents," Sid explained. "She convinced them to allow both of us to spend the night here and come with you guys." Ronnie Anne smiled. "Ah, that's good," she said. Sid nodded. "Mm-hm. Oh and she also asked our parents to watch the building tomorrow. From what she told them, it sounded like we'd be gone all day."
Ronnie Anne stared. She knew her Abuela was the landlady of the building, but she never thought she would ask someone to step in for her before. "Really," she asked. Sid only nodded before Ronnie Anne shrugged. "Hmm, I guess it's nice to know the building's in good hands," she said and the girls laughed.
"So, all day huh," Ronnie Anne asked. "Yeah it seems like it," said Sid. Ronnie Anne turned to Adelaide. "I guess you must be excited huh," she asked. "Yep," Adelaide replied with a nod. "It'll be nice to see them again." But then her face fell. "I just wish it wasn't like this though." Sid and Ronnie Anne exchanged a sad look. Sid put a hand on her sister's shoulder, making the young girl look up. "We know. But think of it this way, Lincoln's sisters are going to need cheering up. And I know some of them would love to see you again." Adelaide thought for a second and nodded. "You're right Sid," she said. The girls continued to chat about the upcoming trip.
As they talked, Arturo kept quiet. Not just because he didn't want to interrupt them, but he still needed to process the news about Lincoln. He didn't completely ignore the Chang sisters, as he gave them a wave when they acknowledged him. Since everyone else was busy getting ready for the trip to Royal Woods, he didn't want to interfere in any way.
A pair of voices coming up the hallway caught his ear, and he turned to see Maria and Rosa come in the living room. As they moved closer, Maria turned to Ronnie Anne. "Mi hija, take Sid and Adelaide to your room please. Abuela and I need to talk to your father." Ronnie Anne exchanged looks with her father and Sid and Adelaide before saying "OK." As the girls went down the hall, Ronnie Anne moved closer to Sid. "You guys go ahead," she whispered. "I want to see what's up." Sid nodded and led Adelaide down the hall. Ronnie Anne stayed behind to listen to her parents and Abuela. Maria sat next to Arturo on the couch as Rosa stood nearby.
"Arturo," said Maria. "Do you remember what we talked about when I called? That we decided to see the Louds?"
"Yes," Arturo replied. "Are you going to ask me to watch the apartment while you're gone?" "No," Maria said as she shook her head. She looked to Rosa, who sighed and decided to say something. "Look mi hijo, we all know we don't get to see you so much, but you're still part of this family. Plus you're as much of a friend to the Louds as the rest of us."
Rosa paused. Arturo raised an eyebrow and looked between her and Maria. "We're going to be leaving early tomorrow morning. I know this is last-minute, but would you like to come with us?" Arturo stared, his reaction mirroring that of Ronnie Anne. She did not expect Abuela to offer her dad to join them. She watched as Arturo looked down at the floor in thought. A moment later he looked up and said, "You know what, I think I would." Maria and Rosa smiled, as did Ronnie Anne from around the corner.
"Muy bien," said Rosa. "Now, before I forget I'll go make some taquitos. I'm sure the Louds would like that." Normally, anyone within earshot would have rolled their eyes at the fact Rosa would make food for somebody. But considering the circumstances, it was warranted. As she went to the kitchen, Ronnie Anne walked quickly down the hall.
When she got to her room, Sid and Adelaide were waiting for her keen to know what Ronnie Anne overheard. They were glad to hear that her dad would be joining them. As Sid and Adelaide changed into their pajamas, Ronnie Anne decided to take a shower. She showered, brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas before returning to her room. Only Sid was there, as Adelaide decided to bunk with Carl.
Since they were leaving early the next morning, everyone got to bed earlier than usual. After exchanging good-night with everyone, Ronnie Anne and Sid got in the former's bed. As they did so, Ronnie Anne couldn't help but think about what went on this evening. She was still worried about Lincoln, as were the rest of her family. But she knew Abuela was right. Lincoln's family was going through the worst time of their lives and they were going to need support. 'At least,' Ronnie Anne thought, 'we'll all be there for each other.' Eventually, Ronnie Anne drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day and she was going to need the rest.
The sun had risen above the horizon, but the Casagrandes and their guests had left Great Lakes City far behind by then. For most, getting rest the night before was difficult. Barely anybody got any sleep. It had been so bad that they were all wide awake well before dawn. At some point they came out of their rooms to find everyone else was also awake. Since everyone was up at that point, they decided to begin the trip out of the city anyway. They all got dressed and piled into the Casagrandes' truck.
Despite the extra passengers, everyone managed to cram into the truck with Rosa at the wheel. Everyone else decided to try to get some sleep during the trip. But even the lulling sound of the tires on the road barely made any of them drowsy. At least for the adults as some of the kids managed to take naps.
The drive to Royal Woods was long and uncomfortably quiet, but everyone was thinking about the Louds. The Santiagos and Casagrandes in particular thought about all the times they had with them (especially the ones during the holidays), which unfortunately made them that much sadder because of what happened to Lincoln. This was especially true for Ronnie Anne. Despite her own reassurance, last night had been the longest night of her life. For most of the trip, all she could do was stare blankly out the window. The only thing that broke her gaze was Sid occasionally put a hand hers to comfort her. Sid didn't need to say anything; Ronnie Anne knew her friend was there to help. At some point, Ronnie Anne switched her gaze to the floor of the truck. She looked down for so long she never saw when they entered Royal Woods.
"We're almost there," Rosa suddenly announced from the driver seat. Everyone perked up. Now that they realized they had been sitting still for so long they were anxious to get out of the truck. One of the most anxious was Bobby. He had talked to Lori the night before and was looking forward to seeing her. Especially since it was the first time they would be together since she returned to Royal Woods.
When Rosa stopped the truck Bobby jumped out immediately. As he ran to the door everyone else got out. It was at that moment they realized how long they had sat still and took a moment to stretch and get the kinks out of their joints. As Ronnie Anne was doing this, she heard Bobby knock on the door. Strangely, there was no response. Bobby turned and gave a bemused look to Ronnie Anne. Why was there no answer? Bobby turned back to the door and knocked again, this time louder and faster. A few seconds later, Ronnie Anne heard a faint "I'll get it" come from inside the house. Bobby let out a sigh of relief when he recognized Lori's voice.
He waited anxiously as he heard Lori's footsteps approach and stop at the door. There was another pause before Bobby saw the doorknob turn. When the door opened Lori had what looked like a concerned look. But Bobby wasn't sure about that because that look didn't last long. When Lori realized it was him her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in disbelief. She was so surprised she couldn't speak at first. She took a few breaths before throwing her arms around him.
"Boo-Boo Bear," she exclaimed as she hugged him and bombarded him with kisses. After a few seconds of this affection, Lori stepped back to look at Bobby. "Oh my god," she said. "You're here! But how… er why… uh… I mean, I'm literally so happy to see you! But," she trailed off still slightly surprised. Bobby just smiled. "I really wanted to see you babe," he said. "Well, you and everyone else. We all did," he added.
"We," Lori asked, raising an eyebrow. Then she looked over Bobby's shoulder. "Oh," she said as the penny dropped. Out in the street, Lori saw the rest of the Santiagos, the Casagrandes and their pets approaching the house. Looking among the crowd, Lori also saw they had company. It took her a few seconds to remember they were Bobby and Ronnie Anne's father Arturo, Ronnie Anne's friend Sid Chang and her sister Adelaide.
Lori wasn't the only one observing the crowd of visitors. At some point Luna came up behind Lori to see what was happening. She was just as surprised to see Bobby, and everyone else. Bobby had noticed Luna by the stairs and they both exchanged a wave. Seeing Bobby wave from the corner of her eye, Lori turned around and saw Luna. "Better go tell the others," Lori said. Luna nodded and went to the kitchen.
At that point the rest of the Latino family and their guests were right at the stairs. Lori spent the next few minutes saying "hello" to everyone before leading them into the house. Lucy and Lisa had been watching through the living room window and were the first to greet everyone as they came in. Soon Myrtle came from the kitchen with the rest of the girls (who were just as surprised to see they had visitors) and everyone took the time to exchange greetings. When they finished, the question of "what are you doing here" was asked. The Santiago/Casagrande family told Myrtle and the girls they felt terrible about what happened to Lincoln and they wanted to come and give them their support. It was quite touching for the Louds to hear that. After the events of yesterday it was a great relief to know that there were people who cared about them. Soon the younger kids split from the teens and adults, and Lalo and Sergio went to mingle with Charles, Cliff, Walt and Geo. Everyone else started talking amongst each other.
During the adults' conversations Maria turned to Lori. "Lori, where are your parents," she asked. Hearing this, the others looked around and realized Rita and Lynn Sr. were absent. "Wait Myrtle," Rosa said. "If you're here, where's Albert?" Myrtle grimaced and said "Oh you just missed them. They left for Detroit a few minutes ago." This came as a surprise to the Santiagos and Casagrandes. "Detroit," they asked. At that point Lori turned to Maria. "Dad and Pop-Pop went to pick up mom. They're going to visit Lincoln in the hospital."
This was unexpected news to the Santiagos and Casagrandes, with some exchanging glances amongst themselves in disbelief. "Lincoln was taken to Detroit," Maria asked. Lori nodded. "Yeah; we were told the hospital here didn't have enough room," she replied. A murmur rose between everyone as they took in this information. Maria just gave Lori a reply of "I see" and gave a look to Arturo.
The murmuring continued until everyone restarted their conversations. Rosa had been talking to Myrtle and was getting back to where they left off. "So I made taquitos for all of you," Rosa finished as she held up the tray. "Oh that's so nice Rosa," Myrtle replied. "Thank you. Actually now that you mention it some of the girls and I were about to cook breakfast when you got here."
At that point everyone suddenly turned towards Myrtle's direction saying "Breakfast?" They had been so busy talking they forgot they had not eaten anything yet. Now that breakfast was mentioned they began to feel hungry and began saying they wanted food. After a few seconds Myrtle held up her hands to silence the crowd, laughing at everyone's sudden change in demeanor.
"All right, all right," Myrtle chuckled. "Well since we're all here, we might as well get back to it," she announced. Some of the Loud sisters agreed and followed her to the kitchen. "Here, let me give you a hand," Rosa said as she joined them, carrying her tray of taquitos. At this point the adult crowd split into groups. Some stayed in the living room while the rest sat at the dining room table to continue their respective chats with each other. As they dispersed, Lori pulled Luna aside.
"I think we'll have to bring up the meeting later," she whispered. "It may not be a good time right now." "All right," Luna said with a nod and she went to rejoin her conversation with Hector in the dining room. Lori joined Bobby on the couch, where he and most of the younger kids were watching TV.
At the same time, Maria went to Arturo. They stayed by the front door where they could talk among themselves without being interrupted somewhat. They spoke for a few minutes until Maria said "We'll ask them after breakfast." Arturo nodded and they joined those who were in the dining room.
Everyone else either chatted or watched TV for the next half-hour as the group in the kitchen made breakfast (with Rosa and Myrtle doing all the cooking as the others handed them supplies or just watched). But when the two grandmothers announced breakfast would be ready soon, everybody took seats around the dining room table. The Loud and Santiago/Casagrande families had sat together at this table before, but with some members absent it wasn't quite as crowded despite the latter family's guests. Soon the crew in the kitchen brought in the food, which was more like a buffet of traditional Mexican and American style breakfasts.
In no time the house was filled with the satisfying sounds of eating. The overall mood in the Loud House had improved significantly for the Louds; especially now that they were eating good food in the company of good friends. Still, the situation with Lincoln was in the back of everyone's minds so there was still a somber undertone.
This was especially true for Ronnie Anne. As everyone else continued their conversations as they ate, she didn't. In fact, Ronnie Anne had barely said a word since she came into the house. She didn't ignore everyone completely though. She would acknowledge anybody who spoke to her, but she wasn't as talkative as everyone else. Now at the table, she didn't even bother to listen to anyone and focused on her plate (besides, she was just as hungry as everyone else).
Ronnie Anne's silence didn't go completely unnoticed. Occasionally her parents would look in her direction during their respective conversations with the others. It made their hearts ache to see their daughter looking so downcast. Afterwards they would exchange a quick glance with each other, further cementing the plan they talked about earlier.
Eventually, breakfast started winding down as everyone finished their meals and left the table. Maria gave a knowing look to Arturo, who just nodded. The two helped clear the table and went to the kitchen to help wash the dishes. During that time they told everyone helping out about their plan, who all thought it was a good idea. When they finished Maria and Arturo left the kitchen to talk to Bobby and Ronnie Anne, tell their plan to anyone they met as they moved through the house.
As Maria and Arturo walked into the living room, they saw Bobby and Ronnie Anne with Sid, Adelaide and some of the Loud sisters around the couch watching TV. The parents gave each other one more look before Maria cleared her throat.
"Bobby. Ronnie Anne," she said making all of the kids to look her way. "We need to talk to you." Bobby and Ronnie Anne gave confused looks to each other and their friends before getting up to face their parents. The rest of the kids shifted their focus on the Santiagos, some moving closer to listen better.
"What's going on," Bobby asked. Maria took a breath and explained. "Kids, your father and I were talking earlier. We were thinking about driving to Detroit to see Mr. and Mrs. Loud at the hospital. Do either of you want to come with us?" This came as a surprise to everyone in the living room. Bobby and Ronnie Anne exchanged a look, as did everyone around the couch. They didn't expect to the Santiagos to leave so soon. But they understood why; and if Bobby and Ronnie Anne wanted to visit Lincoln in the hospital, they wouldn't object to it. Everyone waited with bated breath as Bobby and Ronnie Anne thought about what to do.
After a moment of silence, Bobby looked up. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll stay here," he said as he looked over towards Lori who was still on the couch. Maria and Arturo looked between the teens and gave their son a warm smile. "That's all right Bobby, we understand," said Maria. Arturo looked down at Ronnie Anne. "What about you Ronnie Anne," he asked. Ronnie Anne looked away and thought for a moment. She had actually felt hesitant about coming to the Loud House all day. While she was glad to see the rest of them, it didn't feel the same since Lincoln wasn't here. Moreover, she really wanted to see him. So being here now was only more awkward for Ronnie Anne than anything else.
After another awkward silence, Ronnie Anne looked back at her parents and sighed. "I'll go," she said quietly as she nodded. "All right," said Maria. "I'll go get the keys to the truck," she said to Arturo and went to find Rosa. Arturo waited by the door and Bobby went back to the couch.
At that moment, Sid came up and pulled Ronnie Anne aside. "Hey, you OK," she asked. Ronnie Anne just shrugged. Sid sighed. "Look, I get it," she continued. "I know you haven't been really talkative since we got here. You just want to see him, right?"
Ronnie Anne nodded and let out a meek "Mm-hm" in reply. Sid felt sad seeing her friend like this, but she put on an encouraging smile and said "Look, just go. I think it'd be good if you went and saw him right now. Just to make sure he's OK." Ronnie Anne gave Sid a small smile. "Thanks Sid," she said and the two hugged.
Then Ronnie Anne thought of something. "Wait, you don't want to join us, do you," she asked, letting go of the hug. Sid shook her head. "No. I appreciate it, but I'll just feel like a third wheel," she said. "Besides, I kinda want to get to know Lincoln' sisters a little better; I mean I don't really get a chance to see them so often." Ronnie Anne let out a slight chuckle and nodded. "Yeah, I get it," she said. Just then, Maria returned.
"Ready to go," she asked Ronnie Anne. "Yeah, just a sec," she replied. She turned back to Sid. "See you later," she said. Sid nodded and gave Ronnie Anne another quick hug. "Good luck," she whispered. "Thanks," Ronnie Anne said and went over to her parents. They said good-bye to everyone went out the truck and made their way to Detroit.
A/N: Hey everybody! So I managed to get this chapter finished in less time than the last one. Five months isn't as short as I would have liked, but it's still better than a whole year. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you again in the next one.