[TLH/SinKid] The Breakup

"Lincoln... do you have a moment?"
Lincoln looked up from his desk, placing his pen to one side. Ronnie Anne, his wife, was standing in the doorway. "I do."
Ronnie Anne stepped into the room, a repurposed closet used as Lincoln's work room, and closed the door.
"Is... something wrong?"
Ronnie Anne sighed, her breath a little shaky. "I... I want you to tell me about your nieces."
His heart skipped a beat as a wave of anxiety struck him. "What do you wanna know?"
"Are they... are they *really* your nieces?"
"O-of course they are, why...? What are you thinking?"
"You see, Linc, I would believe you, but..." Anothet shaky sigh. "I've noticed a pattern. And so has Toby." She began to pace. "Every so often you go and spend some time with one of your sisters for a while, which is fair. About a few months later, I find out that sometimes they're pregnant. Then, about nine months after you visit them, they have a child. Now, I dunno about you, but that seems like one hell of a coincidence."
Lincoln watched her pace.
"So, I start asking them." She let out a single, mirthless laugh. "And you know what? *Almost all* of them either can't remember or won't say who the father is. So I start putting the pieces together, and I think-"
"You think they're my kids."
Ronnie Anne stumbled on the rest of her sentence. "Wh...?"
He sighed, turning on his chair to face her. "I hate to say this, but it's true."
Ronnie Anne stared at him in stunned silence.
"I've been thinking of telling you ever since... well, a while now. But I was afraid of how you'd react, all for completely justifiable reasons, but self-preservation won over honesty." He looked up at her. "You... seem to be taking this remarkably well."
"Of course I am." She chuckled, strained and obviously faked. "I-I mean, I just found out my husband had sex with his own sisters and had children with them, why wouldn't I be fine?" She asked through gritted teeth.
"Okay, I can tell you're upset-"
"Ya think?!" She nearly yelled, her jaw still clamped. She loosened up, sighing. "Look... I am fucking *furious* with you. But... I don't want to have an outburst. Not while the kids are around."
"So, what now?"
"I think... I think I need... *we* need some time apart."
Lincoln looked up at her. She was on the verge of tears. Not that he was faring much better. "I... As much as I don't want to be apart, it's probably for the best."
"I'll... I won't be the asshole mom who doesn't let their kids see their father. Toby and Rochelle have done nothing to deserve it." Her face went stern. "But I want you out in a month at the latest."
"I can manage that." He sighed. "So, what do we tell the kids?"
"We should break the news to them. One of us should."
"I'll do it. It's my fault, I should be the one to tell them."
Ronnie Anne chuckled sadly. "Always the heroic one." She wiped her tears away. "Whenever you're ready."
Lincoln, getting up, approached Ronnie Anne, and extended a hand to brush her cheek. She moved away from his touch, her hands on his chest to stop him getting closer.
"No... Not until we've worked through this."
Lincoln sighed, letting his hand drop. "Yeah... sorry, Ronnie Anne."
"You better be." She lightly punched him in the shoulder, a slight smile on her face. "But seriously, I need some time."
Lincoln nodded, and stepped past her to leave. He turned to face her one last time, before stepping out and closing the door behind him.
He paused for a while, the sound of quiet sobbing behind the door.
"Dad...?"
Lincoln turned to face the voice. His 13-year-old son, Toby, was looking at him with concern.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." He wiped his own tears away. "Listen... there's something I need to tell you guys."