[TLH/SinKid] Loan's Confession

"Come in." Rose called out, pausing her movie and placing her headphones to the side.
The door creaked open, her sister Loan poking her head through. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"
"Not at all."
Loan weakly smiled, pushing the door open more and spilling more of the hallway light into her dark room, otherwise lit only by her TV. She lifted a couple of flat boxes up for Rose to see. "Mom got us pizza for dinner. I know you forget to eat sometimes so I got you something bigger this time."
"Oh, sweet."
Loan walked up and handed her the larger of the two boxes. "Do you mind if I join you?"
Rose turned to the TV. "Don't mind. Want me to start the movie over?"
Loan shook her head. "No no, it's okay. I just want some company."
Rose scooted to the side, giving Loan enough room to sit beside her on the mattress. Once she settled down she disconnected her headphones from her tablet, and resumed the movie.
She opened the box resting on her lap, a cloud of steam rising from it. Margarita, her favourite. She pulled a slice and began eating it, suddenly realising how hungry she was.
"Hey, uh... Rose...?" Loan asked with some degree of trepidation.
"Hm?"
"There's... something I need to tell you. About Dad..."
Rose's heartrate immediately skyrocketed. Her father, Bobby, was a figure she and her mother practically idolised, especially ever since he passed away ten years prior. She was about ready to tear into Loan for even suggesting he wasn't any worse than a clumsy but loveable goof. "What...?"
"I-it's nothing bad, just... please, let me speak."
Rose tried to calm herself. It... kind of worked.
Loan took a few breaths to steele herself. "Have... have you ever wondered why I look far more like Mom than you do?"
"Uh... no, not really."
"Really?" Loan seemed surprised. "Look, the important part is that I do. And..." She sighed, shakily. "I think I know why."
Rose paused the movie.
"I... I think I have a different Dad."
Rose blinked. "What?"
Loan groaned, covering her eyes with one hand and sliding down the bed. "I know, it's dumb, but it's true."
"Wait, no, hang on, Mom said that Bobby was your dad."
"Well, she lied." Loan sighed, placing her hands on her stomach. "It gets worse, though..."
Rose felt her heartrate skyrocket again.
"... actually, no, never mind, it's not important." She got up to leave, but Rose grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down.
"No, you can't just say that and then not tell me!"
Loan struggled, failing to break out of her grasp. "Rosalina, please, I don't want to say it...!"
"You're not leaving until you tell me!"
"It's Uncle Linc!"
Rose paused, then relinquished her grasp. "What...?"
Loan was on the verge of tears. "M-my dad... it's Uncle Lincoln..."
"I... wh... How do you even...?"
"Liby... she told me he confessed to her."
Rose felt herself getting light-headed. She laid back down, on her side, before her body gave out on her and she fell on top of Loan or something. "That's..." She let out a deep breath. "That's heavy."
"Yeah..." Loan covered her eyes with one hand. "Ugh, I shouldn't have told you, I'm such an idiot..."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up like that." Rose held her other hand tightly. "I would've found out eventually. I'm just happy you're comfortable enough to tell me yourself."
Loan peeked out from behind her hand. "You... you don't think any less of me?"
Rose shook her head. "No, of course not. It doesn't change anything about you."
Loan smiled weakly. "Thanks... Hey, can I ask a favour?"
"Sure."
"Can... can you not tell Mom you know, or treat her any differently? She already has enough to deal with, I-I don't wanna stress her out any more."
Rose sighed. "I'll try."
"Promise?"
"I... I promise."
"Thank you, Rose..." She pulled herself back up. "Oh, can you start the movie from the beginning please? It looks fun."
Rose nodded, and set the high-octane thriller back to the beginning.
[written July 18 '18]