Snow blanketed the grass surrounding Royal Woods Elementary. Many of the kids loved sledding and playing in it, however the school imposed indoor recess due to the 'unsuitable' weather. Not that Leni minded either way.
Recess had ended, the toys were put away, and the students were sitting on the rug. Mrs. Egan was standing in the front holding up a large cardboard calendar—dotted with hearts and pink and purple letters and numbers.
"Okay kids, now tomorrow is a very special day," the teacher said, using her hand to point to a specific box on the calendar, "tomorrow is February 14, which is Valentine's Day. Have you heard about it?"
Most of the kids were silently staring at Mrs. Egan and her calendar, however a few of them raised their hands.
"Yes Dorothy."
"I watched Spongebob and they were having Vale-Valen-Valen-tine's Day and Spongebob and Patrick were giving stuff like candy and hearts."
Mrs. Egan beamed at her pupil's response.
"Yes. On that day, people do give each other candy, but they also give each other cards and and necklaces and toys and other things that mean a lot to them. Valentine's Day is about showing others that they are special and that you care about them."
One of the boys raised his hand and waved it around in the air. Upon finishing her sentence, the teacher called on him to speak his mind.
"My big sister has a boyfriend a-and she said she is going to be with him on Valen-Val...Valentine's Day."
In the six months they've worked together, Mrs. Egan was well aware about these big brothers and sisters; some of them were former students of her's. And adding onto this was the prominence the subject received family movies and Bizney shows. So naturally, teenage romance wasn't foreign to these five and six years old.
"Well Tyler, Alice's boyfriend is someone that means a lot to her," she said while trying to use the hearts on the calendar as visuals, "and there are a lot of different people that you can show that love to. For you, it could be Alice. It could be your Mom and Dad. It could be me or one of your friends. Heck, it can be all of us at the same time! That's what makes Valentine's Day a wonderful holiday and it would be great if we could all celebrate."
Mrs. Egan rested the calendar on her desk and pointed to the counter lined up against the windows.
"In the back are mini cardboard boxes, construction paper, stickers, markers, crayons, scissors, and glue," she announced. The children turned their heads to try and see the display, "For Valentine's Day, we are all going to make special mailboxes. You can use whatever you like to make your mailboxes show off what makes you you. And then for tomorrow, you can bring in something special to give to each of your classmates."
Leni sat there and was petting Blacky. She had heard of Valentine's Day before, but it seemed like nothing more than grown ups kissing and doing other things she was too young to do. As Mrs. Egan explained it, however, the idea suddenly felt doable and nice. And that made her excited, even if it wasn't enough to make her smile.
"If no one has questions, we can get started."
All the students rose and made their way to the back of the room, grabbing supplies. Leni wasn't one to barge into the crowd, preferring to stand and wait for the others to get what they needed before taking whatever was left. Although this meant she couldn't use scissors or glue for a while, she was left with a surplus of construction paper and markers—particularly pink, white, and turquoise. She took a healthy amount of these colors and a cardboard box before making her way to her seat.
Leni looked at the other kids sitting around her, who were already cutting and making their first artistic decisions. She then looked down to see Blacky on her lap and the supplies she had picked out. For about two minutes she sat there, struggling to think of how to design her mailbox. She tried conjuring images of her sisters, Blacky, Mommy and Daddy, Bun-Bun, Ducky, and other things that made her happy—something that would inspire her.
As her students worked, Mrs. Egan's phone rang. Since she was close to it, she was able to respond quickly.
"Mrs. Egan. How may I help you?"
It was Mrs. Hutchins, the secretary in the main office. The call lasted no more than twenty seconds, but it was long enough for Mrs. Egan to develop sprinkles of excitement and fear.
After putting down the phone, she walked over to one of the tables, where a very particular student was sitting.
"Hey Leni," she said as her lips curled upwards, "Daddy's here to pick you up."
Leni's mouth lowered as she looked up at her teacher's lively eyes.
"But...uh...what about this? I want to make this for...Valen day..." she said meekly. Her head veered away from Mrs. Egan and her eyes found their way to the supplies sprawled across her space.
"It's okay. We won't have Valentine's Day without you. Daddy knows that you want to be there and we'll make sure you won't be left out."
As Mrs. Egan touched the back of her chair, Leni turned back to face her teacher.
"And," she added, stretching her lips further, "Daddy wants you to meet someone very special. He wouldn't pull you out of school unless he knew it would make you happy."
Leni's eyes widened. She then pulled out her chair and got up. Mrs. Egan watched as she marched to do her end-of-the-day routine with swiftness and precision. Within a minute, Leni had her puffy coat and backpack on.
"Goodbye Mrs. Egan!" Leni exclaimed, which startled her classmates but endeared her teacher.
"Have a nice day Leni," she said back.
Right in the hallway was Lynn Sr. and all of her sisters, even the ones who were too young to be in school. Leni's face exploded with joy as she ran up to hug her dad.
"Hey kiddo, how was school?" he asked.
"Good," was all she could say.
He was lost in the moment. It wasn't every day that he saw his second daughter so outwardly excited. Adding onto that was all his children being there, even if they weren't in the embrace. It was a family moment. But it was that revelation that made him snap out of it.
"We gotta go!" he asserted, although the command was betrayed by his loose diction and heavy breathing, "Mommy's waiting for us!"
And with that, the family raced out to the giant blue SUV, which was sloppily parked in the stripped yellow fire lane. Lynn Sr. was relieved that the car wasn't towed in the short time he was in the school, but this was quickly sidelined to his rapid departure. With quick hands, he strapped the younger girls into their baby seats and ordered Lori to handle the rest as he got Vanzilla started. The experienced father—still in his early thirties—jammed the key in the ignition and fired up the engine. There was a blast of digitized sound as the radio came alive, but Lynn Sr. was quick to shut it off. On a tense day like this, music only made things worse.
Vanzilla roared down the road. Lynn Sr. took advantage of Royal Woods's chronic shortage of police officers to push the tanker at least ten miles over the speed limit. His hands were glued to the firm steering wheel. His eyes shot lasers at the horizon.
The uneasiness was too much to bear; the baby Lynn burst into tears.
"Lori. Make her feel better."
The oldest was conveniently sitting next to the youngest. Without a moment to protest, Lori turned to her sister and manifested concern in both her eyes and voice.
"Shh..Shh..." she said with pressed lips and a stern finger attached. Lynn's wailing persisted, though. For a two-year-old, her voice was rather bombastic and shrill. She fit the Loud name rather well—too well.
"Lynn. Lynn," Lori said. She started using her hands to keep her sister's arms in place. She continued trying to say whatever she thought was comforting. Unfortunately, Lynn never calmed down. Lori was frustrated that she—the oldest—was unable to be useful under such urgent circumstances. But she herself didn't lose her cool. The air's bitterness and flush of anxiety created an effect that was quite contrary to what one would expect—an inability to scream, cry, laugh, or let out any lingering thoughts. She may not have been old enough to understand why, but it burnt at her mind like a match.
During all this, Leni sat at her big sister's other side. She tuned out the commotion and gazed out the window, a past time she had grown fond of. She memorized the stains that had accumulated on the glass from years of weathering. She also liked watching the trees, buildings, pedestrians, and signs whizzing past her as Vanzilla sped off. Not even the turbulence could have distracted her from her sight-seeing.
After what felt like an eternity, Vanzilla parked at the hospital and its doors flung open. Lori and Lyhn Sr. swiftly got everyone out and they hustled into the main lobby. The nurse and other clients were drawn from their own worlds to see the gasping spectacle before them, although the former had anticipated their arrival as she pulled out the proper paperwork. Lynn Sr. fumbled with the black pen as he scribbled down all the appropriate information; it was barely legible, but the nurse accepted it.
After five pregnancies, Lynn Sr. knew the procedure like the back of his hand—elevator to third floor, turn right, go down the hall, and sit in the waiting room for the news. Of course, that never made it any easier. And topping it off was the black and white analog clock that towered over the entire room. He had mixed feelings about it.
The room came with a toy box and book shelf, which most of the girls took advantage of. Most of them were quick to pick something to use, to kill time before meeting their new arrival. Leni, however, wandered about the room, pulling books out and looking at them. For each one she grabbed, she stared at the cover for about ten seconds and arbitrarily leafed through some of the pages. Some of the books had illustrations, which consumed her attention for some time. Then she closed it and returned it, sometimes in the middle of the story.
Lori gripped a stuff doll. Now that the atmosphere has relaxed, she found her entire body feeling heavy. She knew it wasn't the flu or a cold, but she lacked any sort of energy.
"It's not fair. I don't want to be here. I don't want to meet him."
She sighed and tried to work up the strength to enjoy the doll's company, even if it wasn't her own. It wasn't easy, but the longer she used her imagination, the easier it became. She envisioned the Bahamas in July with her and her 'gal pal' lying on the warm sand, hearing the gentle waves and birds chirping (she wasn't sure what type though). She fantasized a conversation, even if it was just a series of tangents that were quickly forgotten. It may not have always worked and she may have been plunged back to that dreaded waiting room and the unresolved bitterness resulting from the possibility of missing Valentine's Day. She hated those moments. All she wanted to do was lose herself in her age-appropriate despair.
The door opened to reveal a man wearing blue and white. There were a few red splotches on his outfit, but he was relatively clean. But what Lynn Sr. noticed the most was the smile on his face.
"Mr. Loud," he said, "You and the kids can come in now. Congratulations!"
The father had to use every muscle in his body to stay in control. Even with number seven, the emotional overload hadn't receded. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths—clear his mind. Once he thought he had hold of his reigns, he rose from his chair and turned to his daughters. His beautiful girls that each signified a distinct, heartfelt nine-month wait followed by a unique payoff.
"Girls, let's go," he said simply. The sisters dropped whatever they were doing and rushed to their father. Most of them were smiling as the doctor escorted them down a wide white hallway. The younger sisters were in awe at the unfamiliar sight. Lynn Sr. couldn't help but indulge in the excitement that was awaiting him and his girls.
Eventually, the doctor turned to a door and opened it. He smiled and allowed the family to enter.
Inside was Rita. Her face was drenched in sweat. Her hair was noticeably disheveled. Every part of her skin was redder than a fire hydrant. But upon closer inspection, it became evident that none of that mattered to the mother. Her eyes—even with bags underneath them—revealed a warmth that no Christmas morning could exceed. They looked down on a beat pink baby with gooey brown hair. She held the infant with her arms, which remained strong even after the endless hours of labor.
Lynn Sr. smiled as she approached his bedside. All the while, the younger girls were awwing at the precious sight. Lori, even with her preoccupations, found herself grinning a little at the new addition.
The father turned to Rita and nodded his head. The mother, eager to smile despite her extreme exhaustion, opened her mouth.
"Girls," she said soothingly. Immediately, all the sisters—even Lori—gathered around the bed with open ears.
"Say hi to your brother Lincoln."