Rita sent Linka to her room as soon as they got home; the older woman had to avoid looking at her daughter's tear-stained face.
While she was terribly upset about the pregnancy, now that the baby was coming they would need to start preparations for the new life, Linka would need alot of support to have a healthy, and successful pregnancy.
Rita couldn't believe that Linka had kept such a secret from her. The father's identity was at the top of Rita's concerns, but it didn't appear that Linka had been taken advantage of.
However, in this day and age, Rita couldn't be too sure. Hopefully, it was with someone her age, perhaps a classmate or a friend. If it was an adult, Rita would not hesitate to go to the police.
They would prosecute the bastard to the furthest extent of the law.
Rita busied herself with cleaning while she waited for Lynn and the boys to get home from school. She folded laundry and vacuumed the living room. Upstairs, she could hear faint crying, but Rita steeled herself.
Linka was in for some harsh realizations, and Rita didn't want to coddle her. In a few months, the girl would be a mother herself.
Lexx and Leif ran through the door and straight past their mother in favor of the living room. Both twins were talking excitedly, bringing a smile to Rita's face.
Levi, Lars were the next ones to come through the door. Lynn Jr. followed them. The preteen's face was a mask of worry and fear.
Earlier that day rumors were going around that Linka had passed out in first period and hit her head. Lynn panicked and rushed to the nurses' office, where the old bat refused to tell him anything about Linka except that she wouldn't be returning to school that day.
Lynn got frustrated and tried to corner Claudia, but the geeky girl was absent, so Lynn was stuck waiting anxiously for the end of school.
He was worried about Linka, and since she wasn't returning his messages Lynn had no idea what to expect.
However, warning bells went off when he got home and noticed that Linka was nowhere in sight. When Lynn tried to ask his mom, her face became stern.
Rita put her hands on her hips and said, " You're sisters is introuble and not to be bothered, we will have a family meeting later on with everyone involved but for now Linka is to be left alone"...
Lynn tried to argue, but his mother's expression left little room for argument; she was even angrier than Lynn had ever seen her.
Did she know?
Lynn's mind was racing but his top concern at the moment was Linka, how was she taking things?
Lynn's train of thoughts was disrupted his mom called out and gathered all the younger kids and sent them upstairs, Loki, Loni, Luke, and Lane were the exception.
Lynn tried to argue, but his mother gave him a death stare, and before he knew it, Lynn was trudging up the stairs with his grumbling brothers.
He caught a glimpse of Linka when his mother went to collect her. The pre-teen looked miserable, and her eyes were red and swollen from hours of crying.
Lynn wanted to say something, but mom directed Linka past him and downstairs. Their eyes met, and in that moment, Lynn knew that their secret was out, and it terrified him.