Lori
The morning light was shining into Lily and Lisa's bedroom. Lisa was already absent and on her way to elementary school. The sunlight accentuated Lily's long blonde hair as she peacefully slept. A knock on the door
made the sleeping, two-year-old steer awake, her little hand firmly gripped to her favorite blanket.
"Good mooorniiing~" I called in a delighting voice from outside the room. Lily looked over at the door from her bed and giggled uncontrollably at me who was hiding just out of her view.
"G'morning." She called to me, the other hand over her mouth to stop the laughter.
"Someone's a little giggle machine this morning!" Lily's little laughter continued on; bringing an even bigger smile to my already happy face. Playfully I poked my head into her room only to quickly pull in back away.
With that, Lily let out another set of high pitched giggles before I came running in to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. With Lily sitting on the bed, I squatted to be eye level with her. "What do you want for
breakfast?" Lily spoke with absolute confidence.
"Pancakes!"
"Rainbow pancakes?" (i.e. pancakes with various colors of food dye to make them more interesting) Lily's tired little eyes went wide.
"Yeahhhh!"
"Okay! Let's go!" I directed her up and out of the room, Lily making her way step by step downstairs to the kitchen while I followed close behind, stretching and yawning while checking my phone for any new messages.
None. I sighed. I, like Leni and Luna so to follow, was given an ultimatum by my parents after finishing high school. That being that I could stay if I got a job and helped pay some of the bills. Unlike Leni however, I was
offered a second, more complicated agreement. I would only need to work part-time if I watched Lily on a regular basis. Today was one of the days I had off, so that meant Lily and I had some quality time for a while.
My mood changed as I followed her into the kitchen, where Lily soon sat in her chair, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Alright, calm down a little, sweetie." Lily simply stopped bouncing, but still wore a large smile. I
haphazardly searched for the ingredients I needed. I didn't want to bore the youngster by making her only entertainment be watching me cook, so I made idle conversation. "Only three more weeks. Do you remember
what's going to happen?"
"My birf-day!"
"Yeah! How old are you gonna be!?"
"...Threeeee!"
"That's right. And we're having a BIG party. Do you know what they have at parties?"
"Balloons!"
"And?"
"Uhh... Pancakes!"
"No, silly. There's cake, but not pancakes." I really shouldn't hype up Lily's upcoming birthday so much, but it was a pretty reliable go-to when she needed to be distracted. Even though there were hardly a lot of things
to do, I needed to put some organizing to it. I knew it meant the world to her 'Even though she probably won't remember it a few years down the line.' I thought 'Why would she want to anyway?' My pessimistic
attitude often disappeared whenever interacting with Lily face to face, but babysitting her was beginning to take its toll on my mental health. It often brought back not so pleasant memories from my not so pleasant
upbringing. At the same time, I loved her to death and wanted to spend every minute with her. Perhaps I just wished someone else did too. "I'd be excited if I were you. Your special day will be here before you know
it..."
Lincoln
"Now make a wish, Lily!" The three-year-old was huddled around by her entire family as we watched her blow with all the might her little lungs could muster. The flame on two of the three candles went out until she
managed to produce another small gust of air. Everyone began cheering, especially Lori, who wrapped her into a little sideways hug. Lynn and I stood next to each other, clapping for our now three-year-old sister.
Simultaneously our eyes darted to each other for a moment. To Lynn's other side stood Lucy, who seemed perfectly normal. In the weeks following Lynn and Lucy's little argument, both had 'settled' their
disagreements. Lynn stayed exclusively in my room for a few nights, allowing our sister to have some space to think. To our shock, Lucy returned completely back to normal without any further discussion. When asked if
she was okay, she'd answer "Why wouldn't I be?" When asked if she wanted to talk, she'd ask "What's there to talk about?" We knew she either did legitimately swing back from everything, or was harboring some
feelings really deep down in her core, but for the time being, if she insisted that everything was fine, everything would be fine. Lynn already had enough to worry about. The lights in the dining room were flipped back
on, and everyone sat down as Lori started cutting pieces of cake and passing them around the table. Lynn and I sat next to each other holding hands just out of the sight of the family like we often did. Lynn, however,
moved my hand to her stomach. Normally Lynn's torso was much flatter with slight hints of muscle, but I felt an ever growing bump instead. Nothing big, one could mistake it for her gaining weight, but not for long. Her
petite frame meant a pregnancy bump would probably be even easier to notice than usual. Lynn offered me a nervous smile to accompany mine. Sooner or later, others are going to start noticing. If she's going through
with this, she'll have to say something, and I would be with her every step of the way.
Lynn
"Are you ready?" Lincoln asked as I sat next to him on his bed. I exhaled.
"About as ready as I'll ever be." A few days had passed since Lily's birthday party. In that time, Lincoln had tried to help me mentally prepare to reveal my pregnancy to our parents. A sympathetic story was formulated
by the two of us, and Lincoln stayed up many long nights with me, consoling me through my conflicted emotions and second-guessing. Again, he tried to reassure me that it's never too late to change my mind. Now,
our parents were waiting downstairs to talk with me about something 'kind of important' in my own words, and this was Lincoln's last chance to calm me down. My bangs covered my eyes slightly, so he tried moving
them off to the side. He held my face with both hands.
"If you really want to... we could tell them the truth. You don't have to do this alone."
"No. That'll only make things worse. I can do this, Lincoln." Lincoln pulled me in for a kiss "I love you, Lynn." My mouth began to curl up into a repressed smile, trying to avoid eye contact with him now.
"What?"
"Nothing. You're just a dork." He just rolled his eyes "I'll be listening from the stairs, so I can distract them if you're having trouble." my joyed expression returned back to that of sadness and terror
"...yeah. Like I said, I'll be fine." I turned around to leave his room. With unsteady breathing, I made my way down through the empty hallway to the stairs where my parents sat on the couch waiting for me. It was
past dark now, so I was surprised they found the time to talk with me privately, considering my father had been departing to sleep earlier and earlier. I looked at their neutral, serious faces as I made my way in front of
the television to address them, my trembling hands held behind my back.
"Alright, Lynn. We're listening."
"Mom, dad-"
"Did you do something different with your hair?" My eyes darted to my head. My bangs were still parted to the side from Lincoln messing with them.
"No." I swiftly ran a hand over the top of it, messing it up to cover my eyes slightly.
"Sorry. You were saying."
"Mom, dad" 'No going back now' I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and thought about Lincoln and the unborn child of his I was carrying 'I can do this.' My voice started off quietly. "I'm-" then it just stopped. My
mind just panicked and cut off the ability to speak. Regardless, I forced myself to after a few seconds "I-I'm..."
...
"pregnant."
Within a split second, my parents both reacted non-verbally, my mother covering her mouth and my father holding his head in his hands. He looked up at me and outstretched a hand to gesture for me to join them on
the couch. I nervously shuffled over between my parents. My father wrapped an arm around my shoulder in an almost intimidation way.
"Who is the father?"
"I-I don't know-"
"Bullshit." I began to panic.
"I'm telling you the truth, dad!" My mother silently tried to join in.
"You have to have some idea, sweetheart." I shook my head, tears beginning to form in the corners of my eyes.
"...It was at a party after one of the football games... There was... drinking, and... listen, I didn't know the guy! He was o-older anyway-"
"How much older!?" My father bursted out.
"Probably not that much, just older, you know!?"
"Honey" my mother began in an empathetic tone, "y-you weren't... taken advantage of, were you?"
"No! It's my fault. Really-"
"Lynn, we're trying to help you! We're talking about possible statutory here!"
"What's that?" my, up until now, stellar performance was stopped dead in its tracks with me being genuinely concerned about what the word in question meant. Lincoln, who was curled up just out of sight on the stairs,
slapped his palm to his forehead 'You idiot.'
"Rape, dear. It's rape to have sex with a minor."
"What!? N-no! It wasn't like that; I just... want to forget about all of it, okay. I was stupid, he was stupid, it's over."
"Lynn Jr." my father's tone slowly escalated from caring to menacing "I want the names of everybody at that party right now!"
"Dad, this isn't about him. It's about" I gestured down to my stomach with circular hand motions "this."
"Alright." he began in a calmer tone. My mother also tried to remain level-headed. The disbelief had thoroughly dissipated. Now, they had to discuss my practical matters. "We'll make an appointment at a clinic for this
week-"
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"...I want to have it-"
"Absolutely not!"
"No! Listen, I'll get someone to adopt and-"
"You're too young to make a commitment like that!"
"I've already looked into it. Please, dad! I can't get an abortion! I couldn't live with myself if I-"
"What would the kids at school think!?"
"I don't care."
"Well, you will when they're all calling you a slut!"
"Honey!? Don't say that!"
"What!? That's what happens! Honestly, she'll be hearing a lot worse than that if she goes through with this!"
"Dad, please. I want to do this. I know I'm young, but I'd rather bring life into the world than get it sucked out of me with a vacuum." My bleak description brought a silence from my parents.
"...You're lucky to live in a time where that option is easily available."
"I can't do it, dad! What do you want me to say!?"
"Dear, I think-"
"No. This isn't her decision to make. You can ruin your life after you're eighteen."
"That is enough!" mom held me close in an attempt to protect me from my father's verbal assault.
"Damnit, don't coddle her on this! We're talking about a HUGE responsibility here! I don't care if you don't like it; I'm telling you how it is! No exceptions!" I hung my head in disappointment before looking up at him,
beginning softly again.
"You know, mom was young when-" My father was fierce in his interruption.
"Your mother was YEARS older than you! Besides, it was different back then."
"But, just imagine how you'd feel if Lori was never born."
Mom was clearly hurt by the idea, needing to avert her attention away with a painful expression painted across her face. I could tell dad was growing tired of my "stubbornness" so he'd call it, speaking through gritted
teeth, he said,
"This is your last warning Lynn Jr. You will NOT be emotionally manipulative with us and expect to get away with it!"
"She's not being emotionally manipulative!" mom called out. "She's right! You have no idea how hard it is to just lose a child like that!"
"Oh, I have no idea!? I have no idea!? What about 'Lucy'." She gasped at the mention of her. I pondered what they meant. Where they referring to my little sister or perhaps...
Mom's eyes revealed the pain of whatever memories the couple had of this unclear individual "How could you!?" I could tell dad was finally starting feel emotions other than anger as his eyes stared at her with equal
devastation.
"Yeah, I know what it's like, honey! I'm just trying to help Lynn!"
"Dad" I put my hand on his leg "If you'll let me have this baby, that's the greatest help I could ever want. Please." He lifted my hand to his, holding it gently and moving his thumb across the top of it. Before continuing,
he looked over to his wife for any sort of support. Her pained, grieving face slowly turned into a smile.
"...Maybe, we can come to an understanding AFTER you find someone interested in adopting." I squeezed my father with my arms as hard as I possibly could.
"Thank you, dad!"
"Alright, honey. I think it's time we head to sleep now. We will be talking about this more though."
"Got it! Night, mom. Night, dad." I said. They both called out to me in unison,
"Goodnight, sweetie."
"Oh, and... thank you. Really."
"Get some rest champ." With that, I ran up the stairs, seeing Lincoln seated on the steps waiting for me. Once they were both out of sight from the living room, Lincoln wrapped me into a hug.
"You did a great job!" He whispered excitedly.
"I couldn't have done it without you."
After a few weeks, news got out of my pregnancy to one of my mom's friends at work. I was a bit taken back by the thought of my mother being the work gossip, but it did have a good outcome. It turns out that this
friend of my mother was actually looking into adoption since her kids have left for college. She has wanted to be a mother all over again but knew the problems of older age pregnancies. This seemed to be a solution
that now came to me, who wasn't particularly comfortable with the position I now found myself in, both emotionally and physically. My mother sat beside me on an elaborate and expensive looking couch, in an
uncomfortably empty living room, in a house I'd never been in before. We both quietly waited for our host to reemerge from the kitchen, following a short lecture by her regarding her case in being a valid option for my
unborn child.
"Alright..." the hostess called to us, stepping out into the living room with a bottle of red wine in one hand and three glasses in the other. "Here you ladies are..." she spoke somewhat lightly, setting down the glasses
on a coffee table in front of us.
I raised an objecting index finger, "Oh, uh, I can't-" My middle-aged host looked up at me with squinted eyes and a smirk.
"Come on, who cares if you're not old enough?"
"Actually it's because of-"
"Ohhh! Damnit, I'm so stupid" She stopped pouring a glass for me and slapped her palm against her forehead.
"No! No, it's fine!" I protested out of politeness.
"God, I am SO sorry!"
"Really, don't worry about it." The unfamiliar person's constant apologizing only made me feel more vulnerable, forcing me to be formal, which really wasn't something I enjoyed doing. My mother nudged me.
"Chelsea likes to say 'sorry' way too much."
"Yeah, sorry about that- Wow, see! I totally didn't mean to there." I faked a smile and thought about someone close to me to ease the tensions of being in such a compromising position with someone who I hardly
knew.
"It's okay Mrs. Pingrey. I know someone kind of like that."
"Oh?" Chelsea squeezed next to me on the couch, putting me between the two older women now. I tried to take up less room by crossing my legs.
"Y-yeah. My brother, Lincoln." I answered with a more genuinely happy visage. Mrs. Pingrey laughed.
"Wow, you too must be close. I haven't seen you this happy all night! Ha-ha... Sorry, I'm just messing with you, honey." I became lost in thought then, pondering why I was feeling so stressed out about meeting the
(presumed) soon-to-be adopted mother of my child. Everything appeared to be up to my standards, higher in fact! It'd be one thing if Mrs. Pingrey left a bad impression on me as a person, but the family's wealth in
combination with her clear interest in giving parenting her all, really made me think it was a great choice. This house could easily be a home, possibly even more of one than the Loud house could've been for the baby,
But that wasn't an opportunity worth entertaining...
"So Lynn, what do you think? Do you feel good about all this?" my mother asked me.
"Ya I love it here! I'm really glad I got to talk to you." I said but then felt some kind of shift in my stomach. I ignored it. "I really have a good fe—" I said being cut off by the feeling again. "Feeling— excuses me I need
to use the john," I said getting up and going to the restroom that was at the entrance of the house.
"Lynn!" my mother called out to me for using such 'improper language' around Chelsea. I didn't pay any mind to her though. Once in the bathroom, I lifted my shirt and looked at my stomach. For a while, I saw nothing
happen, but then there it was. I saw a slight movement from under my skin. It then happened again. It was really slight, but it gave me joy. I quickly grabbed my phone and texted Lincoln.
'just felt the baby move :D'
Literally 2 seconds later my phone rang. It was Lincoln.
"Hello—"
"Why didn't you call me for something like this?!" he asked me kinda interrupting me.
"I don't know!" I said playfully angry with him.
"Oh gosh, this is early! What are you like twelve weeks? Eleven?"
"Ya something like that…" I answered him
"Alright, finish up there and come home so I can feel it." I chuckled at this.
"What, you think I can control when it's gonna move?"
"Just try to get back soon. I want to celebrate with you."
"Ohhh? Do you?~"
"Not like that... okay, maybe like that. See ya at home. Love you!"
"L-love you too." I was kind of surprised at how nonchalantly he said that especially knowing it wasn't in a platonic way. I looked up in the mirror again, this time focusing on my face. 'Look at her and say you don't want
her to raise your kid.' I said to myself. After prep talking to myself in the mirror for what felt like forever, I still didn't feel fully confident, but it had to be done. After that conversation with Lincoln, I realized I wanted to
keep and raise this child with him.
A/N: Hello peoples, how is everyone? ok so I know I said that I would post this around the same time that I posted chapter3, but you should learn to not take my word when I say that I am going to post something on
a certain date. anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as usual, if there are any errors in my writing, grammar, or spelling, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I can always use it to help me improve. Have any suggestings
or thoughts on how I should continue the story, leave it in the reviews, or PM me! I love to hear from you guys! Ok so this chapter is the end of the things that I used from Abuseguy form Pastebin, and Chapter 5
and other chapters above that will be all mine. I have already came up with an idea of how to incorporate the "Lucy" thing in following chapters for those of you who have read the original story on Pastebin. also I was
going to have this story go on for a long time until, *little spoiler* the baby was big and important life events which I will not be naming at the moment happened, but I think I'm going to end this one *another little
spoiler* when the baby is born or around there and continue with a sequel. what do you guys think? should I do that, make a huge long story or you honestly don't care? let me know. ok, guys, that is all I have to say.
See you guys next chapter. Byeeee!