58. Ch 58- Thanksgiving pt 2

After enjoying a friendly lunch with the Rosato girls, the Louds eventually returned home. There was still plenty of time before dinner would be ready, so they took the time to relax. Whilst Rita and Lynn Sr continued with the cooking, Myrtle helped the twins and Lily with making turkey and maple leaf decorations to stick on the window. Lucy went into her room to work on some poetry, Lisa decided to do some reading in her room, and Leni and Luan decided to hang out for a while in Leni's room. Pop Pop, meanwhile, decided to watch the football game with Lynn Jr., and having nothing else to do, Luna and Lincoln decided to sit down and watch with them, even if they weren't as into it as the senior or the jock.

As the final seconds of the match played down, with Detroit losing by four, Lynn and Pop Pop were on the edge of their seats. They watched as the ball was picked by one of their players, who began to run down the field. "Go! Go! Go!" Lynn began chanting, with Albert doing the same alongside her, neither noticing the befuddled look on the white haired boy's face.

"Am I missing something?" He whispered to the rocker, who gave a chuckle.

"Same thing I'm missing, bruh," Luna replied. "Just let them enjoy this, Linc. Clock's reached the final countdown."

Her words rang true, when they heard what the commentator on TV said. "HE COULD! GO! ALL! THE WAY!" The player that picked the ball before dove as one of the defending players tried to tackle them, slamming the ball into the ground beyond the touchdown line. "TOUCHDOWN! DETROIT WINS BY TWO!"

"WOO!" Lynn cheered as she and her grandfather leapt from the couch, the girl jumping up to hug him as they pumped their fists in the air. "WHAT A COMEBACK!"

"You said it, LJ!" Pop Pop agreed. "What a game!"

"Yeah!" The old man eventually let her down, and she turned to see the somewhat indifferent looks on her brother and sister's faces. "How are you not more excited about this?"

"Hey, you're the one who watches every game," Lincoln pointed out. "I'm not into football that much."

"Yeah, and I'm more of a soccer girl," Luna added. "It's nice to see the home team win, but I ain't gonna go gaga over it."

The younger brunette simply rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned to the old man. "So, can we throw the football around now?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," he told her, then looked to the other two. "You two wanna join us?"

"I'm cool," Luna spoke first as she got up from the couch. "I'm gonna go practice some tunes until dinner time."

"Alright, sweetheart." As the rocker walked away, he looked to the middle child. "What about you, Mini Me? Can you throw a football like you throw a dodgeball?" He gave a chuckle to himself, but stopped when he saw the frown that appeared on Lincoln's face. "You alright there, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine, Pop Pop. I think I'm just gonna read some comics or something for a bit."

"Oh, alright then." He watched as the boy made his way upstairs, before turning to his sister. "Was it something I said?"

"Nah, it's not that," she assured. "He'll be fine, just give him some time."

"Yeah… you're probably right." He made a note to talk to the boy later, before he smiled and told her, "now, come on. Where's your ball at, LJ?"

"Right out back." The two then made their way out the front door and around the side of the house to the back garden, where amongst the toys left there, the football was resting against the fence. Lynn ran ahead to grab it whilst Pop Pop followed closely behind, stopping a short distance from her. She picked up the ball and turned to face the old man. "Alright, you ready?"

"Let's see what you've got, kiddo!" He yelled back, seeing the smirk appear on the young teen's face as she arched her arm back, then sent the ball soaring towards him. He reached his hands out and grabbed the ball, feeling the force behind it. "Woah! I swear, you get stronger every time I see you!"

"Gotta show the other team who's number one, ain't I?"

"Attagirl!" He tossed the ball back to the girl, who received it with ease, starting a session of back and forth between the grandfather and his fifth eldest granddaughter. "So, you taken up any new sports lately?"

"Not especially. Still just basketball, football, soccer, ice hockey, roller derby, baseball and lacrosse, with workout sessions on the side."

He gave a chuckle. "Yeah, you probably wouldn't have time to anything else if you took up another sport."

"Exactly, and as much as I'd love to, Mom probably wouldn't let me because of schoolwork. But, yeah, I don't mind. Actually, now that I think of it, I guess I've started doing yoga."

This surprised the senior. "Yoga, huh? When did you start doing that?"

"Few weeks back. I didn't really want to do it, but Lincoln needed someone to help him with his workouts. It's not bad, I'll admit."

"It's nice to hear you're helping your brother with this. I was a little surprised that it wasn't you who helped him find dodgeball."

"Well, after football and athletics, he wanted to try find something for himself, and some of them didn't pan out, but then Jordan recommended he try dodgeball, and, well, the rest is history I guess."

"I see… I almost forgot he did football. Guess that's why he didn't want to join us."

Lynn was going to throw the ball back, but she saw the frown that appeared on Pop Pop's face, and if there was one thing no one could deny, it's that seeing your grandparent upset is one of the most heartbreaking sights in the world. "Hey, it's not your fault. Linc's not gonna think you meant anything by it."

He sensed her concern, and recovered his smile. "Don't worry about me, LJ," he assured her. "I know that, and I know Linc's happy that he found dodgeball. That's what matters. Just one of those things you worry about when you have grandkids." He took a deep breath, before his smile turned into a smirk. "We've still got time before dinner, kiddo. Give me your best shot!"

They played for about fifteen minutes more before Rita called them in for dinner. They went inside, making sure to wash their hands before joining the rest of the family at the dining table. Albert sat near the head of the table, with Myrtle between him and Lily's highchair, while the rest of the sisters and Lincoln sat around the table as well. They chatted amongst each other as they waited for dinner to be served, with some of them evidently being more patient than others. "How much longer?" Lana whined. "I can smell it from here."

"Patience, Lana," Myrtle replied firmly. "All good things come to those who wait, and I imagine dinner will be ready any second."

"I hope so," Lynn then spoke. "Gotta eat well on Thanksgiving."

The others all voiced their agreement, just as they noticed Rita come into the room, bringing a plate with food in each hand, setting them down on the table. "Alright, everyone!" She announced. "Turkey's nearly ready! I don't want anyone complaining over vegetables, you'll all get the same amount, and if you don't eat them, you don't get dessert."

"Yes, mom," the nine kids that were able to replied, making her smile.

"Very good."

She went back into the kitchen and returned with another pair of plates and took her seat, before Lynn Sr came in with a covered tray, placing it in the middle of the table and gaining everyone's attention. "Okay, fam! Who's ready… for turkey?" He lifted the lid and revealed a sizeable turkey, cooked golden and steaming, making everyone's mouths water at the sight of it. "Albert, would you care to do the honours?"

"Don't mind if I do!" The old man got up from his seat and took the carving knife from next to the turkey, using it to cut a slice from the bird, revealing the excellency behind its cooking. "Lynn, you've outdone yourself! It looks delicious!"

"Thanks, but I always say, the proof is in the taste! In other words, let's eat!"

"YEAH!"

So, once everyone was given some turkey and veg to eat, they all began to dine on the meal, which was as delicious as it looked. The turkey was succulent and tender, the potatoes were crispy skinned yet fluffy on the inside, the gravy was perfectly hot and tasty whilst the cranberry sauce was nice and sweet, and no one could complain about the vegetables when they too were delicious. Everyone was able to get seconds and no one could resist the dinner just too perfect. By the time their forks hit the plates, everyone was stuffed, leaning back in their chairs as a food coma threatened to take over them.

"That was-" Lynn Jr lifted a hand to her mouth, holding back the burp rising up. "That was awesome."

"I haven't had a Thanksgiving dinner that nice," Myrtle mused, "since I was a little girl."

"So, I guess no one wants dessert then?" Lynn Sr asked, to which he saw some of the kids try and sit up before falling back into their seats again, making him chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll let you guys recover before dessert."

"Thanks, Pop Star," Luna told the man, then looked over to her brother, seeing him doing his best to keep his eyes open. "You hangin' by a thread, bro?"

"Just… about," he groggily replied, putting his hands on the table to prop himself up. "Man… I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

"I know what you mean, Mini Me," Albert laughed, patting his gut. "There ain't no trick, you've just gotta fight through it."

"Well, while we let the main course digest a bit," Myrtle suggested, "why don't we all say what we're thankful for?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Rita agreed. "Would you like to go first?"

"Of course. I'm thankful for this wonderful man, right here." She wrapped her arm around Pop Pop, who returned the gesture and pulled her close. "He's made me so happy, and without him, I wouldn't have met any of you."

The rest of the Louds cooed at the response, while Albert simply smiled. "I love you, Myrtle," he told her, which got her to blush while he turned to the others. "Now that I'm at my age, there's two things that I get more and more thankful for with each year: my health, and my family."

"You're absolutely right, Albert," Lynn Sr, agreed. "As thankful as I am that the restaurant is doing well, I couldn't be more thankful than I am that my wife and my kids are happy and healthy."

Rita nodded. "I feel the same way, honey." She turned to the kids. "What about you, kids? Who wants to go first?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Leni chirped, raising her hand. "I will!" She put her hand down when her parents nodded. "I'm thankful for my job at Reininger's, and for my friends at school, and for all of you guys."

"That's sweet, dudette," Luna commented, before deciding to speak next. "I'm thankful for Sam, the greatest gal I could ever ask for, and for the most rockin' fam in the USA."

This got a bit of a cheer from the others at the table, before Luan spoke up. "Looks like we're going in order of age," she remarked. "Normally, I'd make a joke about getting older, but I'm gonna have to put that on hold." She gave her signature laugh, which once again got groans from most of her family, the exceptions being Lynn Sr, Myrtle and Albert. "All kidding aside, I'm thankful that you guys always come and support me at my comedy gigs and my theatre shows. I might not have gotten this far without you guys."

"Don't forget Benny, sis."

The comedienne blushed from her roommate's comment. "Oh, you don't have to worry there. I'll always be thankful for Benny."

Lynn rolled her eyes at the sappy comment, before speaking up. "I'd talk about my sports again, but that's a given. This year, I'm thankful that me and my bro have been able to spend some more time together. He's always been helping me out with practicing and sparring, and now I get to help him out."

This brought a smile to the boy's face. "I'm thankful for that too, Lynn."

"I bet you're also thankful for Jordan, aren't you, Linky?"

He rolled his eyes at the tone Lola used when she said that. "Haven't I already made it clear that she's just a friend?"

"Even so," Luna argued, "if it weren't for her, you wouldn't be having the time of your life at dodgeball every week."

"I… actually, that's true." He gave a fond smile as he truly considered that. "I know I was originally a bit hesitant about exercising. I didn't really find it appealing at first, but I guess all it took was the right activity. I really am thankful that Jordan showed it to me, and… that she's been such a good friend to me."

"And we're all happy about that too, sport," his father recognised. "I know things didn't work out at first, but we're glad you were able to find something you enjoyed."

"Thanks, dad."

As the younger kids began to say what they were thankful for, Albert couldn't help but smile at his sole grandson. 'Attaboy, Lincoln.'

The rest of the day was enjoyable for the whole family— after dessert, they spent the next few hours together in the living room, playing games, watching TV and telling stories, and once Lori got back, they all enjoyed some tamales that she had been given by Rosa. By half ten, however, the two Loud parents insisted on it being time for bed, so the kids begrudgingly said goodnight to Pop Pop and Myrtle, heading upstairs and getting ready for bed.

Later that night, after everyone had initially gone to sleep, Lincoln found that he was thirsty, so he got out of bed, slipped his slippers on his feet and quietly made his way downstairs, careful not to wake his sisters. Once he had made his way down the staircase, he turned into the dining room, where he was able to see that Pop Pop was up as well, making himself something to drink. As Lincoln entered the kitchen, the elder saw him and gave a smile. "Hey there, Mini Me," he greeted in a quiet voice. "What're you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep," he answered. "Needed something to drink."

"Well, I've just put on some tea. An old recipe your grandma taught me when your mom was a little girl. It always helped when I couldn't sleep. You want some?"

"Sure."

"Well, while we wait, guess we can talk about a couple of things."

"Like what?"

The old man sighed. "Well, for starters, sorry about earlier, kiddo. Should've know when I asked if you wanted to join your sister and I with tossing the football around that… well, it would bring up bad memories."

Lincoln frowned, though it wasn't from memories of the football game. "Come on, Pop Pop. You didn't mean anything by it, you just wanted me to join you and have fun. No hard feelings."

"Glad to hear it, kiddo… so, you gonna tell me what you've really been doing?"

Lincoln blinked, his eyes going wide as the question caught him off guard, but he quickly tried to recover. "What do you mean, Pop Pop?"

The old man simply smirked at him. "Nice try, kiddo, but it'll take more than that to fool this old geezer. Plus, I talked with Lynn earlier about how she helped you train, and those aren't the exercises you wanna do for dodgeball."

Lincoln gave a sheepish frown. "That obvious?"

"Not really, but your grandpa knows you well. I don't think Myrtle noticed."

"That's where you're wrong, Albert," they heard the woman in question say as she entered the kitchen.

"Did we wake you?" Lincoln asked, to which she shook her head.

"You didn't, sweetheart, but this old geezer did. He thinks he's some kind of ninja, but he's as loud as a drunk monkey." This got a small chuckle from the boy, before he realised what she said before that. "So, Lincoln, what have you been doing instead of dodgeball?"

"Well… promise you won't be mad?"

"Oh, sweetie, we aren't going to be mad. We're a little disappointed, sure, but definitely not mad."

"Sorry… I didn't mean any harm by it, and I would have told you. It's just…"

"Say no more, Lincoln," Albert spoke after a few seconds of silence from the boy. "You haven't told the girls yet, and you're worried about how they'll react." Lincoln gave a shameful nod. "Don't fret too hard, kiddo. I had that issue a couple of times with your Aunt Ruth when we were kids."

"Besides," Myrtle added, "the girls are asleep. It's just us, so you can be honest with us."

"Well… okay. The truth is, I've actually been doing gymnastics these past two months. I didn't know when Jordan first told me that that was what it was, but once I gave it a go, I found I really enjoyed it."

"Gymnastics! How wonderful! Is it artistic or rhythmic?"

"It's artistic. I've tried rhythmic when helping Lola with pageanting, and I just found it frustrating."

"Well, I think that's marvellous, Lincoln! I don't know why you'd try to hide that!"

He moved his hand behind his other arm, rubbing it nervously. "Well, my sisters haven't always been the most sensitive when it comes to some of my hobbies. I was worried they might tease me for doing something like that. It's not the most masculine sport, I guess."

"You'd be surprised!" Albert remarked, pouring the now ready tea into some mugs, giving one to Myrtle and one to Lincoln, while grabbing one for himself too. "Back in my navy days, I had a buddy named Jeffrey Johnson, though we always called him Jumpin' J. He wasn't the biggest guy, but he was much stronger than he seemed. When we asked him about it, he said that he was a gymnast in high school."

Lincoln raised his eyebrows in intrigue, taking a sip of his tea. "No kidding!"

"Yeah, and apparently, he was really gifted. Claimed he had been recommended for the national team, but he turned it down so he could enlist. We never found out if that was true or not, but it never mattered. Point is, even if it isn't the most 'manly' sport, it takes strength, conditioning and resilience to get good at that. The same traits it takes to be in the navy."

"Wow… I never thought of it like that."

"More importantly," Myrtle then added, "you have no reason to be ashamed. If you enjoy it, then that's what matters."

"Yeah, you're right." He then let out a yawn. "Guess that tea really is helping."

"Told you it would."

The boy nodded at his grandfather's words, then drank the last of the tea. "Well, I guess I should wash this before I go to bed."

"I'll take care of that, sweetie," Myrtle insisted, taking the cup from him.

"Thanks, Gram Gram." He gave her a hug that she happily returned, before going to Pop Pop and sharing a hug with him. "Thanks, Pop Pop. I'm glad I talked with you two."

"Us too, kiddo," he replied, ruffling his grandson's hair. "And, hey. Remember how I said I had secrets from your Aunt Ruth, because I was worried of what she would think? Well, it always turned out to be nothing to worry about, so don't worry about what your sisters will think when you tell them. Remember, they love you, and they want you to be happy."

"Okay, Pop Pop."

"Attaboy. Now, go on and get to bed."

Lincoln nodded. "Goodnight, you two." They replied in kind, and he went back upstairs to his bedroom, where he was able to sleep with ease.