Leni
3 hours in and all I see is road, cars, and trees. It's been like this for a while now and I know it's gonna continue to be like this for the rest of the hours, but for now, I'm okay. I'm not too bored at least. I'm listening to a playlist that I made last night, so the drive isn't too bad. As I sang along to "When I see you again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, I got an incoming call from Lynn. That's weird. It's 11 P.M. why would she be calling?
Leni: Hello?
Lynn: Hey Leni! Did I catch you at a bad time? You weren't sleeping, were you?
Leni: Oh uh… no! I'm actually staying up late to study.
Lynn: Oh wow. Seems like College really is a lot of work, huh?
Leni: Ha, yeah… anyway, what's up? Why'd you call?
Lynn: Well first, I called to say hi, and second, I wanted to make sure that you were sure on the whole not being able to come for Christmas thing.
Leni: Yes. 100% sure. I'm sorry, it's just that I have all this work piling up on me and I need to pass these classes. I'm sure Christmas will still be fun without me though!
Lynn: It won't be the same…
Leni: Well then tell you what. I can try to make it for Lincoln's birthday! That's coming up soon.
Lynn: Yeah, 2 months from now, but I don't think he wants to do anything though. It's during school time, and there is a lot that will be going on. At least that's what he told me.
Leni: But it's his 16th birthday!
Lynn: Yeah but it's not that big a deal for boys as it is for girls. I didn't do anything for my 16th birthday and I'm fine with that. If he changes his mind, that's fine of course, but if he doesn't want to do anything, it's also fine.
Leni: Yeah, I guess you're right. By the way, why are you calling at such a late hour? Don't you guys have something planned for tomorrow early?
Lynn: Wow. How'd you possibly guess…
Leni: Haha, I guess over the years, you just start memorizing the routines.
Lynn: Ha! Yeah. No, I can't sleep.
Leni: How much sleep have you been getting lately? You seem to never sleep well.
Lynn: It's just very hard to sleep, especially now that I'm about 9 months. I just seem to never be able to fall asleep. I just can't wait for this to be over with, you know?
Leni: Yeah, I can see what you mean.
Lynn: Well, I'll let you study. I know you have a lot to do. I'll call you tomorrow and we can talk more then.
Leni: Yes! Of course! I hope you can get some sleep. Talk to you tomorrow. Love ya.
Lynn: Love ya too. Bye
Leni: Bye.
I feel bad that I had to lie to her, she seemed so sad that I wasn't coming. Good thing I actually am going.
It's now 3 a.m. and I'm starting to get tired of this. I stopped at a gas station and I'm already getting bad vibes from it. I'm about to enter Canada, so I get my paper stuff ready and in the seat next to me. When I came with dad, we went the long way—through Pennsylvania but I'm not about to do that! It was too long! Even if it's just an hour and 20 minutes more. I just want to be there already!
I've finally made it to Detroit! I know exactly where I am too, so don't need the GPS anymore. Just 15 minutes and I'll be there! I stop at a Dunkin Donuts before I get there since I haven't eaten yet and I'm not sure what the house will have for me.
As I take a bit of the warm sausage, egg, and cheese English muffin, I can feel my hunger subside. This is 100% something that I missed! Not to say there aren't any Dunkin donuts in Rhode Island, there might be an excessive amount actually… What I missed was this specific Dunkin! I knew the employees, and they knew me. The food and coffees had a special touch to it that just felt like home.
It's Wednesday, December 24th, 2014, 7:06 a.m. and I'm sitting in my best friend's car, in my childhood home's driveway. I look at the garage ahead of me and sigh. Not in a bad way, but an "it's been a minute" way. At last, I turn off the car and unbuckle my seat belt. Stepping out and closing the door, I lock the door and make my way up the stairs and to the door. I contemplate ringing the doorbell or knocking but quickly change my mind. I know where the spare key is. I'll just walk in!
I go to the end of the porch and lift the loose piece of wood from the floor, revealing the spare key. Before I open the door, I listen to see if anyone was near the door. I heard noise- they were Definitely home, but it didn't seem like they were anywhere near the living room. I slowly open the door dragging my suitcase behind me quietly. No one was here, all the commotion was coming from upstairs and from the kitchen, but the ones in the kitchen were mom and dad! I leave my luggage by the side of the stairs and slowly walk into the kitchen.
"So that's 10 sandwiches, 4 ham, 1 turkey, and 5 peanut butter and jellies, right?" mom asked dad, assuring that she got them all right.
"What about my cucumber?" I asked. Immediately, they both turned around and gasped.
"Leni?! What are you doing here?!" Mom asked as she came to hug me tightly.
"Yeah kiddo, didn't you have work to do?!" dad asked, shocked. I hugged him as mom let go.
"Actually, no. I finished everything early. It was a surprise! Surprise!" I told them back, they laughed at this and both hugged me again in a group hug. "Okay, okay. I'm gonna go surprise the others now. Actually, wait! Can you call them down here for a minute?! I can run upstairs while they are here!"
"Okay, Yeah! We can surely do that. Guys! Come down here for a minute! All of you!" dad called out. I ran somewhere that they wouldn't see me as they all trudged down the stairs and to the kitchen. Noticing that they were all there, I took my chance and ran upstairs as quietly as possible. I ran to the end of the hall and waited. Meanwhile, I listened in.
"So I just want to remind you guys that today, is a day about family. Try to enjoy it, okay. We don't get to do this every day."
"Ah yes. Thank you, dear father! Thank you so much for reminding us to 'have fun' since we never get to do things like this, for I don't know what reason!" Lucy sarcastically told him.
"Lucy, please!" Our mother growled at her.
"Maybe, just maybe, if you stopped working so much, we could actually be the happy family that we'll be pretending to be today!" Lucy continued, only this time, in an angrier tone. I mean… she isn't wrong… I don't know what to do though, so I continue to awkwardly listen in.
"Lucy! Everything we do is for you guys! So that we can have fun days like this together!" Mom barked.
"Well, maybe you guys should work less and focus more on staying home with us and realizing what was actually going on in the house! Rather than focusing on days like today!" She argued.
"Really? What actually goes on in this house. Like what?" She asked, starting to get more and more upset. I could feel the tension from here. So much so that I tried to sneak back down to see how they all reacted. Lynn and Lincoln's eyes widened, Lola hid behind the crowd, fear in her eyes, Lori looked pissed off, like usual, and Lucy? Her face went blank and she turned away, facing the floor.
"N-nothing. It's nothing. Okay, look, I'm sorry, I was over exaggerating to get a point across." She said in defense.
"Lucy, please just let us have a fun day. Please?" Dad pleaded. She said nothing. She just looked away. "Thank you. Okay, now, please continue to get ready." That was my cue to run back upstairs again.
My siblings trudged up the stairs in a moody manner but stoped upon seeing me standing there.
"Hey, quick question. Do you know where mom put the bed sheets at?" I asked them casually as to play dumb.
"LENI!" They all said in unison, running in to hug me, nearly making me fall. I hugged them back and for that moment, all was good.
"We missed you so much!" Lana exclaimed, still hugging me even when the others let go.
"Aw! Not as much as I missed you guys! Wow! I feel like so much has changed since I last saw everyone!" I said in amazement. "You two! You got taller!" I said to the twins making them giggle. "You! Your hair has gotten longer!" I told Lily, ruffling it a bit. This made her laugh.
"I thought you said you weren't gonna be able to make it!" Lynn said in shock. Upon seeing her, I went to her side and hugged her tightly. She hugged back.
"I'm sorry! It was all for the purpose of the surprise!" I say with a smile. "Wow! You just have gotten absolutely huuuuu..." I started to say before I saw the group behind Lynn desperately shaking their heads and crisscrossing their arms, wording the word 'no' over and over again. "Huuuuggy! Absolutely huggy!" I save myself.
"Huggy?"
"Yeah! Huggy! Like, you like hugs!"
"Ummm… okay, well I'm happy to see you here!" She said, ignoring the previous statement.
Within the next 30 minutes, we were out of the door and on our way to the arena where Disney on ice would be performing. The car ride was agonizing, being all 11 kids again, but we managed. I hadn't been in a car this packed in some time, so it was a bit odd. Chatter was higher than usual— most of it consists of questions for me about college and Rhode Island. It hasn't been this chatty in the van since… well since everything started changing between everyone.
Lynn
Once we got there, there was still a good 20 minutes until the show, so we hung around in the lobby. I stayed in a corner, on my phone texting David along with— believe it or not, Jennifer. Ever since the project, we have been getting really close. Not as close as David and I though of course. As I was doing that, everyone else wandered around, just looking at stuff, whether it be in the gift shop or out the window.
"Hey," Lincoln said coming up towards me.
"Hey," I answered, but as I looked up, my phone slipped from my hands and fell. I groaned in aggravation. "Oh my God! I'm so fucking clumsy!" I yelled, tears flooding my eyes as I tried to find a way to bend and grab it. I couldn't, which lead me to be more aggravated. "I can't… ugh!" I complained. I then covered her face and started to cry.
"Hey, it's okay!" Lincoln tried to comfort me, grabbing the phone for me and handing it over. "You don't need to cry." He calmly said, but I continued to cry.
"No! You don't understand! I can't fucking bend and pick it up!" I whined.
"That's okay! I got it for you already."
"But- but- but… it fell! I dropped it!" I said, breaking down again. That's when Leni came over.
"Hey Lynn, are you okay?" She asked, concerned.
"She's fine. She just has been…" Lincoln started, but then put a hand to his mouth and whispered. " sensitive lately."
"I haven't been sensitive!" I angrily yelled. "I'm leaving now!" I angrily stomped away.
Lincoln
"Wait! Lynn!" Leni called out, Trying to chase after her, but I grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could even move.
"Don't worry about her. Really. This is just how she's been. She gets really emotional and worked up about things that don't matter, but it's just a pregnancy thing. She'll come back in a few." I calmly sighed.
"But… okay…" she answered, unsure about it all.
"Don't worry Leni. You haven't been around so it may look odd, but this is just her." I told her, noticing her worried expression.
"Why was she even crying?"
"She dropped her phone." I plainly said.
"Aw. Poor Lynn," She cued. I just playfully rolled my eyes at her concern.
The show was about 2 hours long and caused 2- no 3 reactions from the family. Lily, Lana, Lisa, Leni, and Luan absolutely loved every second of it. Lori, Lucy, Luna, Lola, and I couldn't wait till it was over, and Lynn? She just couldn't keep still the whole time. I could tell It bothered her to sit in such a small space for so long. On top of that, it was cold! Not as cold as outside, but still.
By the end of it, Mom and Dad took us all to McDonald's. We all were happy with that— especially some of us older ones who for the first time, got to eat there without having to pay ourselves. We had half a good time there, and soon, made our way home.
At home, we all sat in the living room and watched— no other than The Polar Express. Just like every December. I swear, we've probably watched this movie about a hundred times and I could easily quote the movie word for word. By the time the man was serving his sweaty-sock water to the kid, Lynn was fast asleep on my chest. I stroked her hair as people started falling asleep little by little. It was only about 9:45 by the time that the movie finished, but I guess the day had tired everyone out. The only ones awake were Leni, Luan, and I. Even mom and dad were asleep. We slowly started waking everyone up and sending them to bed where they could sleep more comfortably. I really wished that I didn't need to wake Lynn up because she looked so peaceful, but I couldn't leave her there and I couldn't carry her— not while she was 35 weeks pregnant. She was a lot heavier now than when she wasn't pregnant— about… I would say 30 pounds heavier. Anyway, it's not important. What matters is, I still couldn't carry her. Plus, I didn't want to hurt her.
After everyone was in bed, Luan, Leni, and I sat at the table just talking. Very little, mostly being on our phones, but still talking Nonetheless.
We stayed there till about 11:30 before we all started to head to bed.
As I lied in bed, my mind went back to how Christmas used to be back a few years. I remember how excited I used to be for Christmas morning. I used to long mom and dad's breakfast and going to the family's house. I would look at the gifts under the tree and get so ecstatic. Now, I'm seriously dreading it. Yeah, there are many gifts under the tree, but that required endless hours of mom and dad working and neglecting us. It caused us so much stress on the family. So much so that the gifts seem… worthless. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I feel in a way that I've… outgrown Christmas…
A/N: Hey guys. I hope the way that I'm uploading this doesn't affect its legibility. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as it was just a soft chapter. I hope to be uploading more soon. Feel free to say something in the reviews or my PM :)