"Yeah! Bow down to me! The great conqueror has arrived!
Lina was not far away from Lincoln and the others, she was playing with some other kids on the playground. She was inside her little fantasy world, unaware of the situation that was happening back with her parents and those women. Despite carrying great importance for her future and the future of her family, she continued playing like nothing in the world mattered.
Lincoln gazed upon his sisters, the happiness he felt moments ago was soon overshadowed by a feeling of worry and uneasiness. Thousands of thoughts started to flood his mind, some tried to comfort him, others tried to increase his preoccupation: What could he do? Would they all accept him back? What if he said the wrong thing? Where should he start? He didn't know.
The man with white hair sighed, knowing that he'd probably screw things up in his current state of mind. He took a deep breath and held the air in his lungs for a moment before breaking the ice. "Uhm... Hello?
Luan's heart pounded within her chest like a drum in a parade. She could see all the emotions going through his mind just by looking at his eyes: Worry, happiness, sadness, those were just a few of them, at least the ones she could recognize. She knew it because she felt the same, and admitted to herself how hard it was to even try and articulate a sentence with that much going on in one's mind. When Lincoln decided to break the silence, she let out a big sigh inside her mind; in a normal situation, she would crack a joke that would make most people groan in annoyance. But this time she couldn't.
Lincoln waited for one of them to reply, anyone, he didn't care as long as the uncomfortable silence amongst them was cut. Unfortunately for him, they were just as speechless as him. Lincoln sighed with resignation and spoke once again. "Alright, let's get to the point, shall we?"
Again, not a single word came from the Loud sisters. Instead, they nodded and headed for a nearby bench right under the cool shadow of a tree. Lincoln remained standing before them, he wanted to face them while explaining his part of the story. The sisters understood, and focused their attention on what Lincoln had to say.
"Sam and I have been living pretty good the last few years. We have good jobs and thankfully money has never been a struggle. Even with our tight schedule we manage to have time for our daughter, she goes to school and her grades are good. Between taking care of Lina, our jobs and personal projects, we...still find a few moments to spend some quality time. What can I say? We're doing pretty good." He explained, trying to be as clear as possible, but at the same time choosing his words carefully to avoid revealing too much info. "Not long ago, about two weeks if I recall correctly, I received a good job offer...here, in Royal Woods. Sam's band finished with their calendar, and decided to take a break. She wants to spend as much time as possible with me and Lina, and of course, catch up with all of you."
They all heard it loud and clear. Still, knowing what he's been up to didn't help to soothe the pain they all felt. The sisters looked away as he finished his explanation, unable to show a brave face or even look him in the eye as he told how he made his life with another woman. None of them said a word, at least until the one nobody expected to hear from stepped up and confronted him.
"Is that the only reason you are here? Is that why, after all these years, after all the pain we've been through you decide to appear?" Lily asked, her eyes staring at his very soul with fierce. Lincoln understood how she felt, she was trying to keep her feelings at bay and not break in front of them. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes, and it did nothing but add to the list of things for which he blamed himself.
He knew this was likely to happen, he was aware that this meeting would bring old feelings buried deep to surface and would reopen scarred wounds. Even though he was afraid, he knew this had to happen, and in a way, it was a way for him to atone his guilt. How can someone leave their family in a moment of need? They had just lost their parents, they were still grieving the day he left. He knew it because he felt the same, but one thing he failed to understand was that, while he had Lina to comfort him, they didn't have someone to rely on apart from each other. He was their rock, the shoulder in which they could cry to their heart's content; at the time he felt he was doing the right thing, but now, years later, he acknowledged the selfishness of his actions.
"No. I did it for Lina too." He replied. "You see, back in her old school, many of her classmates have their relatives close, not just her parents, but aunts, uncles, cousins, you know, what a real family is supposed to be. Lina... she's still a little girl, she has nobody else besides Sam and I. Every time she asks about mine or Sam's family and we tell her about you all, it...breaks my heart to know that you're not a part of her life, and that is because of me. We wanted her to know that she had more family and..."
"Daddy!" Lina's cheerful voice caught the attention of a few bystanders, she held in her hand a cardboard tube and swung it like a sword. She looked happy, apparently she had won the game she was playing with the other kids. Lincoln saw her sprinting at high speed in his direction, or at least as fast as her tiny legs allowed her. The proud father kneeled and spread his arms, waiting for the little girl with white hair to clash with her. "I won! I won the game!"
Lincoln wrapped his arms around her, lifting her and kissing her forehead with love "I'm happy to hear that, honey!" He replied. Lincoln looked her in the eyes and remembered all those times he told her about all his sisters; she seemed so excited, so eager to meet them that it broke his heart to tell her that it wasn't possible at the moment. Right now, he would finally make her little dream come true. He then glanced at his sisters, they all seemed unsure about it, but also curious about his daughter. "Hey pumpkin, do you remember that you wanted to meet the rest of our family?"
Lina nodded, looking at him with curiosity. Why did he bring that up?
"Well..." Lincoln carefully put her on the ground right in front of his sisters. They all glanced at each other for a brief moment, Lincoln could only guess what was happening inside the minds of both his daughter and his sisters. He was afraid of what they might think: Would they hate her? Would they accept her? Would they bond right away or would they need time to do it? In any case, he would be on his daughter's side completely. Seeing that nobody wanted to talk, he once again had to break the ice. "They are your aunts."
Lina looked at them for a moment, trying to remember all the things he told her about them. She did remember that some of them had blonde hair and others brown hair. He did tell her their names, but all she remembered about them was that they all started with L just like hers. At first sight they didn't look like daddy; the hair was the first thing she noticed, but none of them had a chipped tooth, or that thing that's on his head that no matter how hard he tries to comb it, it'll never stay in place. He mentioned that he had more sisters, so maybe some of the ones who didn't show up here looked more like him.
"Aunts?" Lina asked, seemingly not understanding what it meant. Her gaze shifted from one sister to another, her mind tried to analyze their faces. She remembered all the things her friends told her about their uncles and aunts. According to most of them, they were like a second set of parents who loved to spoil them. Others told her that they were strict and sometimes could be downright mean. One of them told her that his uncle was a bad person, and didn't talk about it anymore. But these women looked far from bad, they all looked just as curious as she was, but their faces seemed trustworthy, and that was crucial for her to accept them. "Aunts!"
Lina ran and hugged each one of them with the innocence that only a child could evoke in someone. It was rather curious, none of the Loud sisters knew that Lincoln had a daughter, it was a possibility, but a possibility that they refused to believe. Lana knew it, but kept it for herself to protect the others. They have been silent ever since Lincoln arrived, they still tried to process all of what was happening. Lincoln just returned, and brought his family with him. They were certainly having problems with it.
But when they were face to face with Lina, when they noticed the innocent and slightly scared look on her face as she stood in front of five strangers, they immediately knew that she was just as nervous as them. But there was something else that caught their attention: her features were identical to Lincoln's when he was her age, it was like seeing their little brother again. Well, at least for Leni, Luan and Lynn.
Of all the sisters, Lana was the one who dreaded this meeting. She was the one who had been talking to Lincoln through all this time, she was the one who first heard about his new family, and while it took her a lot of time and effort, she managed to get over it for her brother's happiness. But this was completely new for her sisters, and their reaction would be important for the outcome of this meeting.
None of the Loud sisters felt even the slightest of a negative emotion towards Lina; after all these years and after what happened between them and Lincoln, even after just finding out about her existence. It was overwhelming, that was for sure, but the look in her eyes was enough to melt their hearts. Lily was the first one reacting, she walked towards Lina with a gentle gaze and kneeled her in front of her.
"I'm Lily," She said. "I'm your father's little sister."
Lina's smile soon turned into a face of curiosity. She looked really young, about the same age as Abby's sister, her best friend back in the town she lived in. All the other aunts looked like adults, but not her. "Aren't you too young?"
This made Lily chuckle. She was quite perceptive. "Yes, I am. But doesn't it mean we'll get along even better?"
"Yeah!" Lina replied happily. Lily laughed a little. It felt...weird. Being the youngest sister of the Loud family, she was used to being showered with compliments, from her aunts and her mother's friends pinching her cheeks to people calling her cute as she grew up. Lily felt something, a warm feeling within her chest. Being Lina's aunt not only meant that she was growing up, it also meant that it was her chance to be an example to someone else. She wanted to be an example to Lina, like her siblings were with her when she was a baby.
Next was Lynn, she stepped forward and kneeled to be at her height. "If you loved Lily I bet you'll love me even more." She said smugly. "I know all about sports, and I can give you hours of games and fun whenever you want!"
Lina looked at her with awe, she was a little ball of energy waiting to spend it on anything, she was looking forward to playing sports with her.
Next was Luan. She stepped up and kneeled too. "My name's Luan, and I will tell you the best jokes you'll ever hear!" She said, "Aaaaand, I'm also good with magic!" She added. Luan took her hand behind Lina's ear and pulled a coin outta nowhere. She gave it to Lina, and the little girl laughed, wondering where the coin came from. "Besides, I make the best pies you'll ever taste." She added with pride.
"I am your aunt Leni, I will make you the best outfits that you'll ever see!" Leni exclaimed happily. Lina looked at her, the clothes she was wearing looked really beautiful; she could only imagine what kind of clothes she would design for her.
Amongst the laughs and happy chat, Lina stopped for a moment and backed up a little bit. It was until now that realization hit her, she counted the women before her. "Wait a minute, you are five," She commented. "My friends have like one or two, even three aunts, but five?"
"Ha, if you think that's impressive you'll go crazy when you meet the other five..." Luan commented. At first she was just as nervous and unsure of what to do or say as her sisters, they all had a lot to process. But as she saw the naturalness with which Lina and Lily formed a bond, and how fast they got along, it helped to ease her nerves.
"What?! I have even more aunts?!" Lina asked, her eyes sparkling with joy. "I want to meet them already!" She yelled, running through the grass with her arms open until she returned to the playground with the other kids, telling them happily how big her family was. Lily went after her, she couldn't quite explain it, but she felt a strong connection with her.
Once Lina returned to the playground, the awkward silence fell upon them like a heavy fog that killed every attempt to create conversation. The Loud sisters just stood there, occasionally exchanging furtive glances to seek some kind of solace, just like they all have been doing for a long time ever since their parents died and ever since their brother left. Lincoln felt the tenseness of the situation, and once again he decided to save them.
The man with white hair let out a heavy sigh, he could feel the weight of his words lingering on the air before he spoke. "And the other reason why I returned was because...well, I missed you..." He said, his voice trying to sound stoic and serious, but they still denoted a hint of vulnerability in it.
The whole world stopped as his words tried to settle inside their heads. For many years, those were the words they always wanted to hear. They wanted to hear their brother saying how much he missed them, that he still loved them even if he didn't return their romantic feelings. Lincoln looked at the floor before continuing, he knew that if he looked them in the eye, his tears would come out. "There hasn't been a day where I didn't think of you, I can't help it. I guess I like to go back to the good old days when we used to do things together, I like to remember all the things you taught me. Sometimes I laugh at all the troubles we had. Heck I even remember with love all those times we fought over stupid, little things." He sighed. "Those were good memories, and I cherish them with all my heart, and I would like to create new memories."
Lincoln tried to relax and control his emotions, but the weight of all these years and the guilt he felt for leaving when they needed him the most made it difficult. "I know I don't have the right to ask for this because I abandoned you, but..." His voice sounded pleading, something none of them expected. "Could my family and I stay with you?"
The sisters were unable to utter a word, their heads were a tangled mess of emotions trying to tell them how to feel. In their minds replayed all the troubles they had gone through to be where they are now. All the laughs they had and tears they shed.
The hesitation in their eyes plus the silence from their part gave Lincoln a bad feeling. It was obvious, they didn't want him back, and it was stupid to ask in the first place. "It's okay, if you don't-"
"Wait." Leni cut him off. Lincoln saw the love and gentleness in her face, two of her biggest features. "Hey, I know we all have gone through a lot, including you. But it doesn't mean we can't try to forgive and forget and, like you said, create new memories." She said, her voice soft and understanding. "You're our brother, and we're still family no matter what happens. We'd love to have you around, just like old times."
Some of the sisters weren't sure if they were ready to move on and welcome him back, it would be hard to just ignore all that happened through the years, and some of them felt that it was unfair to just ignore their pain. However, if Leni trusted him and was willing to accept him back, all they could do was to trust her instinct. Besides, without Lori here, she was in charge.
Lincoln sighed. He noticed how the others weren't satisfied with her answer, but decided not to think about it right now. "Thanks a lot, girls. I must admit, being with you again feels good, even if it is just for a while." He commented. "Besides, Lina will finally get to know her aunts! For a long time she has been longing for a bigger family; she only has me and her mother since Sam's parents death, it has been kind of hard to see her that sad because of it."
His excitement tuned down a little bit, he looked at them with nostalgia in his eyes. "It's really good to have the family together again...well, almost."
Sam observed the conversation from afar, she leaned against a tree with her arms crossed on her chest. She wanted to give Lincoln a little time to catch up with them, she knew just how much he longed to be with them again. To be honest, she wasn't sure if coming with Lincoln was a good idea, especially with Lina; she knew that there was a lot to be discussed between Lincoln and his sisters, she knew it all. At first she was afraid that they might not accept Lina, heck she was ready to intervene if they ever dared to hurt her daughter physically or emotionally. But thankfully that wasn't necessary.
Lina getting along with them was good as well, she knew that Lina wanted, and needed to know them, but again the fear of rejection was present.
But it didn't mean that she was comfortable with all of this.
Lina arrived shortly after Leni accepted Lincoln back. She looked a little dirty, there was dirt all over her face and clothes and seemed tired, but was totally happy.
Lincoln crouched to reach her height, taking a napkin from her back pocket to clean her face. "Well, sweetie, I talked with your aunts and they allowed us to stay with them! Isn't that exciting?"
Lina's face lit with excitement once more. "Yes! I will get to know my family!"
Lincoln took Lina and sat her over his shoulders, he carried her to the car and set her on the back seat. After all these emotions she was so tired she ended up falling asleep. He was tired as well. He had reserved a room in a hotel, just in case his sisters wouldn't allow him; he didn't want to cancel the reservation, especially because it was expensive. But he was eager to spend the time with his sisters. After their parents death...they were all he had, well, he now had a family of his own, but his sisters were special.
The others hopped in Vanzilla, after what happened there, they all wanted to go. To say that the meeting with their brother went well was a misunderstanding. Yeah, Lana and Leni were prepared, they trusted that everything would go just fine. But Not Luan, Lynn and Lily. Those three were nervous as hell, they knew that old feelings would resurface. They were afraid of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but luckily everything went smoothly.
Leni was about to enter the van, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around, it was Sam, she asked her to come with her.
"Hey, I know I'm probably the last person you all want to talk to right now." She commented.
"Not at all," Leni replied. "What's happening?"
"Hey...after we arrive at the house, I'd like to have a talk with you, and your sisters."
Leni raised an eyebrow. "Sure...about what?"
"I'll tell you when we're at your house, but I believe we all have a lot to talk about."
Leni once was a naive and clumsy teenager who would never think bad of anyone. But as she grew older, and ever since she learned about the real world, she became really perceptive. Sam had to know about their story with Lincoln, there was no doubt about it.
Without changing her gentle demeanor, and with a smile from ear to ear that made Sam a little bit uncomfortable, she replied. "Alright, let's go home and see the others then, so we can talk."
Sam felt a hint of something in her voice, like Leni was trying to act passive-aggressive. But her gentle face showed that she was being honest. It was confusing, but she let it slide. Sam walked to her car, and Leni hopped in Vanzilla.
"Hey, where were you?" Lincoln asked.
"I was just asking a few things, nothing to worry about." Sam replied, her voice chill as always. Lincoln knew she had something in mind, but he didn't want to press any further. He focused on driving to the house. He looked at the rear-view mirror, looking at Lina sleeping peacefully. A wave of uncertainness washed all over him as he stopped behind Vanzilla. He was worried, worried to see his other sisters, the ones he knew still were hurt. Lincoln hoped to have his other sisters' support, because he didn't believe he'd be able to face them alone. The sound of a horn made him snap back to reality, and he stepped on the gas pedal.
Leni was behind the wheel, they were too heading for the Loud house. Sam's words echoed inside her mind, and she couldn't help but feel worried; it was not about what Sam had to talk with them, it was obvious that she wanted answers about what led Lincoln to leave the house in the first place. No, what troubled her was her other sisters' reaction. So far, things with the ones who decided to come with her and Lana went good, but the others might act different. She stopped the van at a red light and took her phone out, she sent a message to Lori, telling her that Lincoln was heading home, and his family was with him. She wanted them all to be prepared. The light changed to green and she moved on, hoping for the best.
Both vehicles arrived at the house, Leni parked in the drive while Lincoln parked in front. The sisters got out of the van, their lips sealed as they all shared an apprehensive look. The silence was palpable, none of them wanted to say a word. Heck, Luan didn't even want to crack a joke to ease the mood, she didn't feel like it. When Leni stepped out, they all saw her serene expression; the calmness in her eyes and the serenity in her smile was a beacon of hope for the others. How was she so peaceful? Nobody knew, but it gave the sisters a little bit of hope that things were gonna go okay.
Lincoln and his family stepped out of the car, he carried Lina on his arm as he walked to the porch. His heart rate increased, his stomach felt weird, sweat was starting to form in his forehead as he imagined every single scenario in which things could go wrong. He didn't want to screw this up, he wanted to reconnect with his family, but couldn't just always go like he wanted, right? What if they rubbed his face all these years they needed him, what if...
His bad thoughts came to a halt as he felt his hand being held, Sam gave him a compassionate glance that erased every bad thought from his mind. He realized that he was coming to conclusions way too soon. Lincoln squeezed her hand, thinking about how lucky he was to have such an amazing wife. Now in front of the door he took a deep breath, placed his hand on the knob and opened the door.
He saw them, he saw the other sisters in the living room looking directly at him. He stepped inside and allowed Sam to come in. They all just glanced at them, at Lina on his arms, at Sam next to him, but none of them said a word.
Luna, the one he expected the least to do something was the first one who reacted. She got on on her feet and walked towards him, her eyes not leaving his as she stood before him. Luna, the sister who once liked to rock sleeveless shirts, skirts and boots, the one who liked her hair short, she was now dressed completely different. Her hair was longer, it reached her lower back. She used jeans and a denim jacket with the logo of a band on the chest. The boots stayed but they were more elegant. She might be older, but she still looked as beautiful as he remembered. She put a hand on his shoulder and put on a warm smile. "Welcome home, little bro."
The others felt the mood lightening and decided to join her, they welcomed their brother and his family, which was a huge surprise to Lincoln. Lina woke up with all that noise, she rubbed her eyes and looked at her surroundings. Lincoln left her on the floor right in front of the others.
Luna bent her knees to Lina's level, a warm smile on her face. "You must be Lina," she said, looking at her white hair. A feeling of nostalgia washed all over her, remembering the times when her brother was her age. "I am your aunt Luna."
"You're...Luna?" Lina asked, still a little bit sleepy. "I think mom told me once that you used to play the guitar with her..."
"Yeah, that's true." Luna replied. "We used to have a band, but that was...a while ago."
"Wow, then you can teach me to play the guitar?" Lina asked
"Well, I don't know if..." Luna replied, a little bit unsure. It has been ages since she last played an instrument. She didn't know if she could keep her promise. But Lina was full of hope, she immediately trusted her, and she couldn't just let her down. "Yeah, I can teach you all I know."
Lina gave her a hug, and Luna did the same. Nobody knew why, of all sisters, she was the one who took it the best.
"Well, I..." Lincoln began, but stopped when he heard his phone ringing. He picked the call in the kitchen, and after a few seconds he returned. "Hey, I gotta go to the hotel, apparently there's a situation with my reservation and I want to make sure they'll get me the money back."
Sam simply nodded. "Alright, then go." She said. "Oh, could you take Lina with you? I'm sure you promised to buy her some ice cream on the way here."
Lina immediately jumped into his father's arms at the promise of a delicious cookie ice cream. "Yeah, you promised!"
Lincoln sighed. "Alright, alright, let's go then." He said. Lincoln and Lina left the house, leaving Sam alone with the Loud sisters. None of them said a word, the tension was palpable.
"I think it is time to end with this once and for all." She said, her voice calmed but serious and a stoic look on her face. "I want to get to the bottom of this. Lincoln told his side of the story, now I want to hear yours."