October 2nd, 2010
The long wait for Saturday morning had felt utterly tortuous to the youngest Loud daughter following the puppet show put on by her sisters. Wednesday, Thursday, and finally Friday felt like sluggish slogs when the promise of a wide open space on a bright sunny day loomed at the back of her mind, taunting her of the potential fun that could be had while she sat at her desk in class.
Even worse, there was now a new thing for her to get excited for; a new little inkling that wriggled in her mind at every given moment.
On that coming Saturday, both she and her new little brother who had arrived just the previous Saturday, would be accompanying her.
That was why, when her eyes fluttered open and she saw the first golden rays of that long-awaited morning peering through her window and painting her bedroom wall, a burst of energy, commonly associated with those who still retain the youthful zeal for life, surged within Lynn.
It's Saturday! With her realization, the diminutive girl rolled out from beneath her blankets, catching herself and turning her body to land her feet on the soft carpet of her room in what she believed to be a superhero pose, with her flattened palm pressed to the floor and everything.
Today's the day! She mentally crowed, breaking out of her pose and flitting towards her door. Today's the day Mommy's taking me and Lincoln to the park!
She practically bounded out into the hallway following her swinging open of the door, leaping across the familiar passageway and down towards Lincoln's room.
She would have burst into Lincoln's room like the Kool-Aid man had she not remembered a critical detail that came about with her new sibling.
"Now remember, Lynn, Lincoln is very sensitive right now, okay?" Her mother had pulled her aside about a day before his arrival, sitting her down in her room so she could have her undivided attention. "That means we're gonna need you to reign it in a little bit."
"Whaddya mean, Mommy?" Lynn recalled a feeling of tension overcoming her when her mother said those words. "Does that mean I can't play with him?"
That possibility sounded awful to Lynn. Happiness had been a constant emotion within the Seven-Year-Old since she heard that she would be getting a little brother, a playmate to spend the days with whenever her older sisters deemed her company an annoyance; an increasingly common occurrence to her dismay and hurt feelings.
And the thought that she wouldn't be able to play with him, to make a new friend that she desperately wanted to make? That had been like a shard of ice to her little heart, chilling her to the deepest pits of her being.
She wanted to get to know her little brother, she wanted to be his friend.
"No, sweetie, you can play with him." Fortunately, Rita was quick to soothe her daughter before the waterworks began, taking her into her lap to give her an affectionate squeeze as well. "You just need to be gentle about approaching him, let him come to terms with everything at his own pace. He's going to be very nervous when he gets here, so we need to do everything in our power to make sure he starts to feel comfortable as soon as possible, understand?"
Lynn nodded in reply, "Okay, Mommy. I'll be sure to be extra super nice to him! Just like a big sister should be!"
"That's the spirit!"
In light of that memory and of her proclamation, Lynn came to a skidding stop in front of Lincoln's door at the present moment, swinging her arms in a clumsy little arc to prevent falling over. When she was steady again, she leaned towards the door, inching into the gentle blue light that came from the nightlight Lincoln had come to depend on during the frightening nighttime hours.
It was a good thing that Lynn Sr.'s stories were exceptionally good at lulling children to sleep, because for Lynn herself, every night since Lincoln had arrived ended with her being carried back to her room, half-asleep with her father or mother assuring her that Lincoln had fallen asleep himself, alleviating her fears that he would have to face the night alone.
Still, the collective concerns of the family persisted, and there was a fledgling protocol when it came to going into Lincoln's room.
Lynn brought her palm to the surface of the door, cautiously pressing on the cool wood to push it inward. Carefully, she slinked past the door and peered into the room.
Lincoln wasn't there. All Lynn saw was a set of blankets, pushed back from the careful tuck she had made sure to put over Lincoln the night before.
"Linc?" Lynn stepped fully into the room, going over to the bed to get a closer look.
Doing so did not make Lincoln reappear. All that was left was rumpled blankets and a single lopsided pillow.
Where'd he go? She thought, turning away from the bed and sauntering out the room, checking beneath the little desk before she left completely. Once she was back in the hallway, she continued her way down the passageway. He's still too scared to go down the stairs, right? So where could he be? Maybe with one of the girls?
Just as she thought that, she noticed Lori's bedroom door. It was open, and when Lynn looked in, she saw her room just as empty as Lincoln's.
Lori's gone too, Lynn thought. That must mean she's with Lincoln, right?
"Okay…good job, Linc, you're getting so much better at this!"
And just as she finished her next thought, she heard the voice of her eldest sister, coming from down the stairs with a gentle tone of congratulations.
Lynn's ears perked up. Lori was with Lincoln! That's where they were!
Lynn lunged from the spot by Lori's door, grabbing the corner of the stair banister and swinging around it like a hyperactive gymnast.
Her assumptions were correct. Down at the very base of the stairs were Lori and Lincoln. Lori was currently crouched down to Lincoln, his hand folded between both of hers and a gentle smile on her face. As for Lincoln, he seemed to be trembling, hunched over somewhat with one of his fists clenched around the front of his pajamas.
"Hi, guys!" Lynn, unfortunately didn't notice Lincoln's demeanor from her place at the top of the stairs. And when she saw both Lori and Lincoln jolt in response to her bombastic greeting, Lincoln far more harshly, a wash of guilt came over her. Had she already screwed up her chance at making this a good day?
Oh no! She immediately scampered down the stairs, approaching her siblings as Lori brought a hand to rub Lincoln's trembling head. I scared Lincoln!
"Hey, it's okay…" Thankfully, Lori was quick to sooth the boy, whispering gentle hushes to him as her fingers combed through his white fringes. "It's just Lynnie, see?"
"I'm so sorry!" Lynn exclaimed, her panic keeping her voice elevated. "I didn't mean t—"
"It's alright, Lynnie," Lori said, employing the same soft timbre on Lynn. "Just lower your voice. We don't wanna wake up anyone else."
Lynn immediately brought her hands over her lips in response, silently watching Lori ease Lincoln back into a state of calm. Finally, when his shoulders relaxed and his eyes creaked open to reveal their blue brilliance, Lynn let out a breath of relief.
"See? Everything's fine," Lori said, giving Lincoln a reassuring smile. She gestured over to Lynn. "It was only Lynnie saying hi to us. Do you wanna say good morning to her?"
Lincoln's quivering pupils stopped shaking and he turned to Lynn. "G-Good morning, Lynn," He quailed, his gaze lowering.
Lynn had to keep herself from frowning in response. Lincoln looked pale, like something had washed all the color out of his face, like all the good food and comforting company of the past week had never happened.
The family knew what that look meant. Lincoln had suffered yet another nightmare.
"Good morning, Lincoln," Lynn replied in kind, doing her best at replicating Lori's smile.
"We were gonna get a little videogame time in before everyone else woke up," Lori explained, kneeling down between the two of them. "You wanna join us, Lynnie? I'll make us some waffles."
That sounded nice. Sure, Lynn didn't really care for videogames, but time with both her big sister and her little brother with waffles to boot sounded amazing. Even just the thought of that strawberry syrup filling made her mouth start to water.
Lori chuckled and stood up, "Okay, I'm guessing by how big your eyes got, that you're in."
Together, the three of them set up for a morning of gaming, putting a fuzzy blanket atop the couch to stave off the early morning cold, fluffing up the pillows for maximum cushiness, and of course, turning on the console and bringing up the file select screen of A Link to the Past. "Alright then," Lori said, standing back from their handiwork with her hands on her hips. "Looks pretty cozy to me, now we just need to get the grub together." She looked down at the two smaller ones standing with her. "You wanna help me, Lynnie? I could use another hand carrying the stuff back."
Lynn nodded, glancing at Lincoln for a split second before she looked back at Lori. "Sure," She said, biting her cheek concernedly.
"Cool," Lori said with an appreciative smile. She looked back at Lincoln, "And do you mind waiting for us here, Linc? You can get warm underneath the blankets."
Lincoln nodded sullenly in reply, "Okay…"
"We'll be right back," Lori assured, leaning down to quickly hoist Lincoln onto the couch. "Then we'll all have tasty waffles to eat, 'kay?"
"Mmhmm," Lincoln hummed, bringing the blankets over himself and curling against one of the pillows, making himself somehow appear even smaller than before.
Lynn felt a little crack form in her heart. She hated seeing Lincoln look like he currently did, like he did on the day he came to live with them; so frail, so broken, so beaten down by life.
She'd give anything to bring the color he'd had the previous few days back to him.
"C'mon, Lynnie." Before she could formulate any possible plan though, she felt her hand being taken into the warmth of Lori's, pulling her away from the couch and away from Lincoln.
Lynn kept her head turned on the couch, watching it and the boy taking refuge in the fuzzy blanket upon it retreat from her view until they turned the corner into the dining room and then into the kitchen.
"Lori…" Lynn turned back to her sister as she led her into the kitchen.
"Lincoln had a nightmare," Lori preemptively replied, flicking the light on. "A pretty nasty one judging by how he looks." She led Lynn to the fridge where she released her hand and opened the freezer to reach in. "He came into my room about a half hour ago, crying and asking for protection against the monster." The neutral expression she had maintained in the interim between the living room and the kitchen fell into a depressed frown and her shoulders sunk. "It took quite a while to get him to calm down. When he finally did, it took a good while longer to convince him to come downstairs, emphasis on actually going down the stairs." She shook her head and the box of waffles in her hand drooped in her grasp, "I don't know why, but he's suddenly even more afraid of the stairs than before."
And within Lynn, she felt another crack run down her heart, bringing with it a wave of pity and a desire to go and hug her little brother until she was sure he was better. "Poor Lincoln…" She said, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Yeah…" Lori sighed, walking to the counter and setting the frozen waffles on it. She took a deep breath and began opening the box to pull out the frozen delicacies. "But…" She said, shaking her head to force herself to perk up. "Luckily, Linc has all of us to make him feel better, right?"
"Right," Lynn said, biting her lip with uncertainty. She was afraid to ask the question that popped up in her head, but still, she felt it necessary to ask it, even if she was in the presence of the sister that could get a little bit lecture-happy from time to time. "Do you—Do you think he'd want to go to the park today?" She asked, closing her eyes.
"Huh?" Lori's voice showed her perplexity at the question, but was quickly followed by a lilt of realization, "Oh yeah! That is today, isn't it?"
Lynn opened her eyes to find Lori sticking three waffles in three of the toaster's four slots. "Y-Yeah," She replied. "Mommy said she'd take us back on the day Luan did her play." She brought her fingers together, twiddling them nervously in preparation of repeating her question. "So, do you think he'd want to come to the park with me?"
"Hmm…" Lori hummed thoughtfully, a single finger pressing down on the switch. "Tough to say if I'm being honest." She turned to Lynn, predicting the tension that overtook her and promptly mitigated it by running her hand through her hair. "He might be a little bit too out of it to feel comfortable with the idea, but going out might do him some good. You see how much he likes getting fresh air and looking outside whenever he's in Vanzilla with us, don't you?"
"Yeah!" Lynn said with a nod, leaning into Lori's palm. "He does really like it! I bet he'd love the park!"
Lori laughed, "Me too. In that case, why don't you ask him a little later, when he's a little more calm, maybe? We just need to give him some time to get better first, y'know?"
"I know," Lynn said, nodding again.
Lori smirked and ruffled Lynn's hair, "Good." Her eyes glittered with another thought and she got down to Lynn's level again, folding her arms in front of her, "Y'know, Lynnie, you're doing a pretty good job as a big sister so far, you know that?"
Lynn's eyes widened, showcasing her and Lori's matching green colors. "I am?" She whispered.
"Absolutely!" Lori affirmed. "You've literally been so understanding of Linc's needs. And you've obviously been doing your literal best to take care of him. Heck, I even heard from Dad that you've been tucking him in every night!"
Lynn blushed and looked down at her twiddling fingers, growing noticeably red in the face. "I'm just doing what Mommy and Daddy do for me," She explained with a bashful little smile.
"It's still super nice of you," Lori urged.
CHUNK! The waffles chose that moment to burst from the toaster, filling the room with toasty strawberry aroma.
"Yeah, I'd be willing to bet that if Lincoln goes to the park with you, then he'll definitely come back feeling better," Lori said, going to retrieve the waffles with a plate. She laughed and then kneeled down with the plate in her hand, "He's so lucky to have a big sister like you, Lynnie."
Lynn felt the cracks that were marring her heart patch up just a little bit at her own big sister's encouraging words. "Thank you, Lori," She mumbled.
Hopefully she was right, because Lynn wanted to make Lincoln feel better, more than anything.
…
The rest of the morning passed by relatively well after that. Together, the three of them snacked on their waffles, warming their bellies with each bite as Lori led Link (The videogame one, not the one sitting between them), through a dungeon in the desert, ending with a climactic battle with a pair of monstrous worms sprouting and disappearing from the sandy ground. When the monsters fell with a final sword-slash, Lincoln let out a happy cheer, matching with Lori's triumphant fist-pump when the pendant of wisdom fell into Link's grasp.
Lynn couldn't say she shared much in their enthusiasm, but she couldn't deny that seeing Lincoln cheer up, even if just by a little, made her unbelievably happy.
She hoped the park made him that happy.
Following that, the rest of the sisters joined soon after, and amongst his already treasured siblings, Lincoln became much livelier, all but shedding the grayness that had plagued him at the morning's outset.
When the parents woke up and breakfast was prepared, the morning was as cheery as any other one, and with that chipper atmosphere, Lynn felt emboldened to ask her question.
"Um, Lynn?"
Before she could however, Lincoln asked for her attention first, jolting her from her mental preparations and getting her to turn towards her brother in the seat beside her. "What is it?" She asked apprehensively.
Lincoln looked down, shuffling his shoulders nervously, "Um, I was wondering…Do you still wanna go to the park today? I wanna see the duckies you guys told me about."
Lynn almost felt her heart burst right then. "Of course I still wanna go!" She cried, throwing her arms into the air, her smile threatening to overtake every inch of her face. "I was just about to ask you!"
"So you still wanna go?" Lincoln asked, smiling cautiously in return.
"Absolutely!" Lynn replied. "And I'll be sure to show you the duckies!"
"Ooh, goodness me, I completely forgot about that!" The jubilant agreement was cut through by the voice of Rita at the head of the table by Lynn Sr.'s side. When the two children looked over to their mother, Rita looked back at them with an apologetic expression laced with disappointment in herself. "I'm so sorry, kids, I have to run into town to get some errands done today!"
If Lincoln agreeing to go to the park with Lynn had put her on cloud nine, then hearing that her mother was unable to take them brought her careening straight back down to Earth like a chain was wrapped around her neck, plummeting her into the cold, hard ground that was reality.
"What?" Lynn croaked. Immediately, her eyes began to glisten. "But Mommy, you promised!" She cried, the tears beginning to pour down her cheeks, unable to be held back in the face of the great disappointment life had bestowed upon her.
And alongside her, Lincoln's eyes began to mist over as well, most notably in reaction to seeing his big sister cry.
"Oh no, it's okay, kids, don't cry," Rita cooed, standing up and going between Lynn and Lincoln's seats. "I'm sure we can figure something out. Maybe daddy can take you guys." She looked over to Lynn Sr. hopefully, "Lynn, you think you can?"
Lynn Sr. scratched his cheek, "Gosh, I'd love to take them, but who's gonna keep an eye on things here?"
Lynn's lips quivered and she brought her head down into her folded arms upon the table, hiding her crying face from the rest of those at the table. In the darkness of her arms, she could hear Lincoln silently weeping alongside her.
"Why don't I keep an eye on things?" Then, like a ray of sunshine through the clouds, another voice chimed through the air; the very same voice that had encouraged Lynn to go to the park with Lincoln that very same morning.
"Lori?" Rita sounded rather shocked as Lynn looked up to peer at her sister sitting across the table. "You wanna watch the house?" She asked. "Willingly?"
"I don't see why not?" Lori replied, crossing her arms over her chest somewhat haughtily. "I've done it plenty of times before, with Lynnie to boot. Without her, it'll be a walk in the park. No offense, Lynnie."
"Good pun though!" Luan called out with a laugh.
"Weren't you planning to go to your friend's house, Lori?" Lynn Sr. asked.
Lori leaned back in her chair, attempting to look nonchalant as she replied, "I can go a little later. Lynnie and Lincoln have been looking forward to this. I'm not heartless."
Lynn thought many things about Lori on any given day, usually depending on what was happening between the two of them on that day; but right there, "heartless" was the last word that came to mind. Right then, Lori practically gave off a heavenly aura in Lynn's eyes.
"Well, if you really don't mind, then that'd be great!" Lynn Sr. stood up and went to pat Lori on the head. "Thanks a bunch, sweetpea!"
Lori squinted beneath her father and gently pushed his hand away.
Lynn Sr. showed no offense at her rebuke. Lori was just getting to that age after all. No sense in getting too worked up about it. She would always be his little girl.
Plus, he had two actual little ones to attend to.
"Okay, kids," He said, turning back to the two sniffling children. "It's cheer up time! We'll leave a little bit after breakfast, okay?"
Lynn and Lincoln lit up, and the tears that were floating on their eyes dried up instantly. "Okay!" They agreed happily.
Rita smiled and set a hand on each of their shoulders. "Be sure to say thank you to Lori, you two," She said.
"Thank you, Lori!" The both of them cried, fixing their beaming grins on the eldest girl sitting across from them.
Lori smirked and lifted her nose self-importantly, "No worries, you two. Just be sure to have fun, alright?"
"We will!" They proclaimed.
…
"Aaaaand ready!" Lynn pulled her finger out of the rubber band now tying her hair into one of two twintails. She then reached down and zipped her black and red cloth jacket shut next, moving to the door while she did so, a giddy little grin forming on her face with her entrance into the hallway.
"Daddy! Lincoln! I'm ready!" She called, facing towards Lincoln's room.
"We're just about ready ourselves, sweetpea!" Lynn Sr. spoke back in reply. "I'm just getting Lincoln's jacket on! Feel free to come on in!"
Lynn took her father up on that and quickly bounded her way into Lincoln's room, sending the door swinging in front of her with a powerful kick; well, powerful for someone her size anyway.
Lynn Sr. chuckled and continued helping Lincoln get his casted arm into the sleeve of the orange and white-sleeved cloth jacket he was getting him into. "Wow, your sister sure is excited to get going, isn't she, squirt?"
Lincoln nodded. "Mmhmm," He hummed, trying not to wince with the twinge that went through his arm. "I-I am too," He said.
Lynn Sr. offered a sympathetic smile and rolled the edge of Lincoln's sleeve over the tip of his arm, letting his little fingers breathe free of the fabric. "There we go," He said, letting Lincoln's arm fall free. "Nothing hurts, right?"
Lincoln shook his head, bringing his good hand to rub the hard material of the cast beneath his sleeve. "Not right now," He said honestly. He pinched the cloth and gave it a light tug between his fingers. "I like this jacket," He declared, looking back at his father and sister with a shy little smile. "It's nice and warm."
Lynn Sr. chuckled and reached out to ruffle Lincoln's hair. "Well, of course! Your Mom and I wanted to make sure you were warm after all! Best make sure we got a jacket that did just that!"
He then stood up and regarded the two children with a grin, "Alright! Looking good, you two! Ready to go then?"
"Yes, Daddy!"
"Yes, Mister Daddy."
Lynn Sr. then span on his heel, waving his arm forward with a swish, "Then let's go, little travelers! We got a park to go to!"
"Yay!" Lynn cheered, hopping after her father with her arms raised towards the sky in jubilation, Lincoln trailing behind her.
Together, the trio made their way to the stairs, adorably looking like a marching line of soldiers to the other girls from their respective rooms.
"Do you want me to carry you down the stairs, Lincoln?" Lynn Sr. asked when they approached the accursed obstacle to their smallest party member.
Lincoln shrank a little bit, shuffling on the spot with his nervous gaze facing down the slope of steps. "I—Um…"
He wanted to go downstairs by himself, like he had done several times before. Sadly though, the throes of a nightmare, freshly clawed across his senses made him freeze up. Looking at those hard and unforgiving potentials for injury made his chest go cold.
As cold as he felt on that—
"It's okay, Linc!" Lynn cut past the traumatic recollection just before it could surface and brought Lincoln's attention onto her.
The sight of her reassuring smile made any of the shame and fear that was bubbling within him fade, and Lincoln found himself back in the hallway with them.
"We know the stairs can be scary!" She went on, "But we're lucky because we have Daddy here to carry us!"
Lynn Sr. gave a comedic jolt in response, "Whoa, whaddya mean 'us', Junior? I'm not so sure I can carry both of you."
"Aww, but Daddy! I thought you were the strongest!" Lynn made sure to make her eyes go extra big as she made that statement, affixing them directly on her father as she went to hug his leg. "Pleeeease!"
And Lynn Sr. stood no chance against her; what father could deny his daughter such a request?
"Okay…" He sighed. He hunkered down between the two little ones, extending his arms out behind the both of them to usher them in. "Hold tight though, okay? You're both lightweights, but I don't want any risks here."
"Yes, Daddy!" Lynn agreed, latching onto Lynn Sr.'s shoulder and letting his arm curl around her.
Lincoln did the same, though much more shakily. A great deal of trust had built up between him and his mother and father, letting them carry him around whenever they offered with nary a problem. But, again, with such a heavy residual fright clinging to his heart, it was like he was being carried for the first time all over again.
"No worries, Squirt, I got ya," Lynn Sr. assured when he lifted both children with a grunt of effort. "Just breathe and we'll be down in two shakes of an alligator tail."
Lincoln responded by bringing his face into Lynn Sr.'s shoulder, gripping a handful of his shirt in his good hand.
Lynn Sr. exchanged a look with his Junior, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile to her. Then, he began walking down the stairs, keeping a firm, but gentle grip on the children in his arms.
Lincoln tensed and gasped with each step, pressing his face into Lynn Sr.'s shoulder anew with each little bounce of movement.
Oh no… Lynn frowned and bit her lip. He's really scared! Poor Lincoln! What can I do?
That's when she noticed Lincoln's good hand, completely white in its vicegrip of Lynn Sr.'s shirt, probably freezing cold thanks to the lack of circulation it was getting with Lincoln's stone-like stiffness.
It worked before, why not try it again?
"Lincoln?" Lynn reached out, setting her hand over the top of Lincoln's. It was cold, like ice had replaced his bones.
Lincoln took another wheeze of a breath, but was able to turn his face the smallest amount to peer at Lynn with a single baby blue eye.
"It's okay," Lynn said, putting considerable effort into channeling Leni to make her voice as sweet as possible. "Daddy's got us. We're safe." She smiled and rubbed her palm over his knuckles, transferring some of her warmth onto his frigid hand. "You're safe, I promise."
Lincoln remained tense, but he also kept looking at Lynn, his breath steadying, and his heartbeat growing noticeably calmer.
And even though Lynn Junior didn't notice, Lynn Sr. did; and seeing his daughter soothe her little brother brought out a surge of pride from within his heart.
…
"Alright, time to give Daddy's arms a second to rest!" Lynn Sr. declared once they reached the front yard.
Lynn giggled and pulled her hand off Lincoln's once they were set on the ground, "Yay! Good job, Daddy! You are the strongest in the world!"
"Y-Yeah," Lincoln agreed, still a little shaken up from the journey. "Like Her—Hercu—Hercu—"
"Hercules!" Lynn finished, raising her pointed index finger to the sky in agreement. "You're right, Lincoln! Daddy is like Hercules!"
That certainly made the effort in carrying the both of them down the stairs AND down the front porch worth it to Lynn Sr. Hearing his kids describe him as a literal Greek hero (though they were most likely using the Disney version as a reference) did make him feel like father of the year. Who wouldn't?
Still, he was glad he had the opportunity to rest his arms before he had to lift Lincoln up again to put him in his carseat.
"Hey, is that lady okay?" Lynn suddenly asked.
Lynn Sr. followed Lynn's gaze across the street, falling upon the moving truck in front of the empty little home that had been unoccupied for a while and subsequently the woman teetering behind a stack of boxes in her arms, wobbling upon the ramp and stepping far too close for comfort towards the sides of it.
"Oh my—Miss! Do you need any help!?" The hairs on the back of Lynn Sr.'s neck rose, and when the woman began teetering on a single foot, his mind spurred him into action. "Kids, stay here!" He ordered, bolting from the front lawn, checking the street for oncoming cars, and then sprinting across the street towards the other house.
"I'm here, miss!" He said when he got there. "Here, I'll take those!"
A grunt of a pained gasp was pressed out of Lynn Sr.'s lungs when the woman lurched forward, clumsily transferring the heavy boxes into his arms and thankfully reclaiming her balance.
Ohhh, my arms are gonna hurt tomorrow… Lynn Sr. thought with a grimace. He stepped back a few spaces, lowering the boxes onto the grass and springing back when the weight was off of him.
"Oh, thank you, stranger!"
Lynn Sr. let out a relieved sigh and brought his palms to his lower back, pressing into it and bringing out an audible cracking sound. "Think nothing of it. I'm just glad you're okay…" He turned around to face his new neighbor, and jolted when he saw her.
She didn't exactly look like the average denizen of their little neighborhood.
She was a slender woman with very fair skin who looked to be in her mid-twenties, with long white hair going down to the small of her back with bright blue bangs adorning her forehead. Her eyes were partially obscured by her bangs, only showing a glimpse of their golden amber sheen. She was garbed in a grassy green dress, with a floral necklace gleaming upon her neck.
"Mother Gaia has truly blessed me with your help here in this moment," She said, clasping her hands together. "Thank you, brave sir! My name is Iris! May I have your name?"
Lynn Sr. managed to pull out of his shock at the woman's eclectic appearance to answer her question. "Of course!" He said, extending a hand to shake Iris'. "The name's Lynn, Lynn Loud! I live across the street with my wife and family."
"Daddyyyyy!" Upon mention of his family, his daughter spoke up from across the street, her tone showcasing her lack of patience.
Lynn Sr. laughed, "That'd be one of them now."
"Oh, what adorable little seedlings they are!" Iris gushed. She extended a hand across the street to wave at the two children. "Hello there! My name is Iris! I'm delighted to meet you!"
Lynn didn't look particularly impressed with the woman. She just wanted to get to the park.
Lincoln, however, appeared positively entranced by her. She looked like she was straight out of a fairytale!
"I'll go get them," Lynn Sr. chuckled. He quickly made his way across the street, stopping in front of Lynn and Lincoln with his hands extended. "C'mon, you two, let's go meet the new neighbor!"
"But Daddy, the park!" Lynn objected.
"It'll only be a minute," Lynn Sr. said, taking Lynn and Lincoln's hands. "It's the polite thing to do."
Lynn pouted in response and followed along with her father, "Fine…"
Lynn Sr. smiled when they got back across the street. "Miss Iris, these are my two youngest. My daughter, Lynn Jr., and my son, Lincoln."
"Oh, they are darling!" Iris cooed, hunkering down with her hands on her knees. "Hello, Lynn Jr.! Hello, Lincoln!"
"Hello," Lynn said somewhat tersely.
"H-Hello," Lincoln said, his cheeks tingeing pink.
Iris grinned and looked up at Lynn Sr., "These are your youngest? You have other seedlings then?"
"I do," Lynn Sr. said with a nod. "I have four older daughters."
"That makes six children in total, that's quite a full house."
The sudden statement, made in a calm monotone from behind made the three Louds nearly jump out of their skin.
Iris, meanwhile, simply stood up and set her hands on her hips with a smirk. "Daniel! What have I said about announcing yourself first!?"
The three Louds caught their breath, quieting their skipping hearts, and turned towards the one who had surprised them.
There stood a man around the same age as Iris, a fair bit tanner in skin-tone with shiny black hair that was combed to have his bangs cover one of his silvery eyes. He was garbed in a black cable-knit sweater and black cloth pants. On his wrists, he wore a pair of white and black checkerboard bracelets.
And in his arms, was another…
"Forgive me, my dear," He said, bobbing the little one in his arms, "but Lucy has awoken and desires your presence."
Iris lit up instantly and she went over to take the child in the newcomer's arms. "Lucy! Did Mommy's precious little gem have a good nap?" She cooed, rocking the girl as she took her.
"Ma! Ma!" Lucy responded with a paradoxically calm, yet excited little cry, reaching for her mother with her chubby little arms.
Little Lucy appeared to take traits from both her mother and father, having her father's jet-black hair, as well as her mother's abundantly fair complexion. She was dressed in a blue onesie with little purple bat wings and purple bat ears with two tiny felt fangs coming down from the top of the hood covering her head.
Any Pokémon fan would immediately recognize this as a Zubat onesie.
"Aww, what an adorable little girl you have there!" Lynn Sr. said. "How old is she?"
"She just turned two," Daniel said plainly. "My name is Daniel by the way, Daniel Lorcan, Iris' husband and the father of that little girl." His tone showed that being left by the wayside was a common occurrence in his life, one that left him more than a little chagrined from time to time.
Lynn Sr. caught his social faux pas and quickly turned back to Daniel. "Good to meet you, Daniel!" He said, taking the man's hand in his own. "The name's Lynn Loud! We live just across the street from you!"
"Charmed," Daniel said plainly, yet not disinterestedly.
Down on the ground, Lynn and Lincoln watched the adults chatter between themselves; Lynn tapping her foot impatiently with her frown growing ever more pronounced, Lincoln regarding Lucy curiously from his spot next to her.
"Look, Lucy, new friends!" That was until they were both busted out of their individual thought processes by Iris suddenly going down to their level, bringing Lucy to see the two elder children.
Lincoln and Lynn jumped slightly, but stepped forward with the gentle coaxing of Lynn Sr. behind them.
"H-Hi, Lucy," Lincoln quavered.
"Hey there," Lynn said, trying to put some pep back in her voice for the little one. It wasn't her fault the park was waiting, after all. She tilted her head to observe Lucy, her heart warming slightly at the inherent cuteness of the little girl, and a wriggle of curiosity coming to life as well.
"How come her eyes are covered?" She asked, looking up at Iris.
Iris giggled and brought a hand to Lucy's bangs. "Sometimes that happens whenever she naps," She explained, sweeping the hair out of her eyes. "She's very picky about sleeping with lights around, so she tends to bring her hair or hood over her eyes to not be bothered by them."
Lincoln gasped when he saw Lucy's eyes.
Lucy didn't have just her mother or her father's eye color, but both, leaving one eye a shimmering silver, and the other, an amber-like glimmering gold.
"Her eyes are different colors!" Lynn exclaimed.
"Heterochromia," Daniel explained. "A rather minute genetic happening that results in two different eye colors. It's entirely harmless though, do not worry."
"They're really pretty!" Lincoln said, now caught in an endearing little staring contest with Lucy. Her eyes were so big.
Iris laughed, "Why thank you, Lincoln! I'm sure Lucy appreciates that, don't you Lucy?"
"Pwitty!" Lucy exclaimed, waving her little open hand towards Lynn and Lincoln.
And everyone couldn't help but laugh. It was simply too cute of a thing to not do so.
"Well, if you excuse us, we have a trip to the park we have to get to," Lynn Sr. said after a little more conversation, much to the delight of Lynn. "Let's have dinner sometime! We'd love to have you!"
"And we'd love to drop by!" Iris agreed. She beamed down at Lucy, "I'm sure Lucy would love to meet your other girls, isn't that right, Lucy?"
Lucy was too busy chewing on one of her wings to reply.
"I think we can assume she would," Daniel said.
"Until then, then!" Lynn Sr. laughed. He then looked down at Lynn and Lincoln, "Say bye, kids!"
"Bye-bye!" Lynn said exuberantly, already pulling her father into the street.
"Goodbye," Lincoln said much more demurely, following his father by the hand.
"Buh-Buh!" Lucy suddenly cried, kicking her legs and raising a hand towards Lynn and Lincoln as they crossed the street.
And everyone laughed once more.
The new neighbors were a little on the odd side, but it couldn't be denied that they were charming, especially little Lucy, who had already endeared herself to Lynn and Lincoln.
They wouldn't mind seeing her again, but for now, they had a park to get to, at long last.
…
The actual ride to the park was filled to the brim with the excited chatter of Lynn telling Lincoln all of the things that the park had to offer. From the duck pond, to the big, grassy field, to the playground itself, complete with sand to dig and play around in, Lynn did her absolute best to instill Lincoln with the excitement that the park deserved.
And by all accounts, she was successful.
"Look, Lincoln! There it is!" Lynn practically squealed when the grassy enclosure and the shining pond came into view.
"Yay!" Lincoln cried, throwing his good arm into the air.
Lynn Sr. smiled to himself and brought the car into a parking spot along the curb. "Alright, kids, I assume you're ready for some park-time fun, right? I'd hate to have to drive home so soon."
"We're ready, Daddy!" Lynn said, pressing her thumb into her seatbelt. Once she was unbuckled, She sat up on her knees and immediately tried to assist Lincoln in undoing the buckles of his carseat, grimacing to herself when she was unable to do so.
"I got it, sweetpea," Lynn Sr. said when he opened the backseat door. He leaned forward and deftly undid the buckles. "Doing okay, Squirt?" He asked, reaching under Lincoln's arms and gently hoisting him out.
"Yes, Mister Daddy," Lincoln replied, tilting his head to try and get a look at the greenery that lay ahead.
Lynn Sr. smirked and lowered Lincoln to the ground, right alongside Lynn who had leapt onto the ground in a leap of joy.
"C'mon, Lincoln!" Lynn cried, taking Lincoln's good hand and pulling him toward the park gate.
"O-Okay," Lincoln agreed, his eyes widening as the greenery got closer.
When the two stepped onto the grass good and proper, Lincoln stopped, anchoring Lynn next to him.
"Lincoln?" Lynn turned to face her brother, a single eyebrow rising in curiosity.
Lincoln didn't say anything. He was utterly transfixed on everything around him. The crimson leaves of all the trees surrounding them, the vibrant verdant color of the grass they stood upon, the crystal-clear pond ahead of them that shimmered like a sunbathed crystal…
"It's so pretty…" He found himself saying, a little lump forming in his throat.
Lynn smiled and looked around the park alongside her brother. "It sure is," She said, squeezing his hand. She giggled and turned to face him again, "Now you know why I wanted to come here so bad."
"Yeah…" Lincoln agreed with a nod.
It was then that Lynn noticed what they were standing on, a particular type of greenery that tended to catch her eye whenever she came to the park.
"Hey! Check it out, Lincoln!" She said, releasing his hand and falling into a crouch. "Clovers!"
Lincoln blinked out of his trance and got onto the ground with Lynn. "Clovers?" He quizzically repeated.
"These things," Lynn explained, bringing her fingers under a single little three-leafed clover. "They're little plants that grow these tiny little leaves, usually three of them. But I've heard that sometimes, if you're really lucky, you'll find one with four leaves, and that'll bring you a ton more good luck!"
As she explained this, Lynn was sweeping her hands over the throng of clovers surrounding them, inspecting each and every one for that elusive four-leafed clover. "I've been trying to find one myself for forever," She said, her tongue poking out as she inspected a few isolated clovers between her palms, "But so far, I've got zilch."
Lincoln didn't know what "Zilch" was, but he assumed it was nothing good. So, he joined his sister, tracing his good hand over the tiny little plants himself, searching for the four-leaf clover that his big sister wanted.
"Jeez, I forgot how fast you kids are!" A moment later, Lynn Sr. reappeared, a little out of breath and with a bag slung over his shoulder. "Lynn Junior, please don't run off with your brother like that in the future, okay?"
"Sorry, Daddy," Lynn mumbled, not taking her eyes off the bushel of clovers beneath her scrutinizing gaze.
Lynn Sr. bit his cheek curiously, "Um, what are you doing?"
"Looking for a four-leaf clover," Lynn replied.
"Didn't—Didn't you wanna play with your brother?" Lynn Sr. asked.
Lynn jolted and leapt to her feet, "You're right! What am I doing?" She grabbed Lincoln's hand again, pulling him onto his feet and dragging him further into the park. "C'mon, Linc! I wanna show you as much of the park as I can!"
"Y-Yeah!" Lincoln stammered, scuttling along with Lynn.
Lynn Sr. jumped and ran after them, "Junior! What did I just say?! Slow down! And please be a little more careful with your brother!"
And so their day at the park finally began.
…
"What is this stuff called again?" Lincoln asked, lifting his foot and tapping it on the strange new substance he stood upon.
"Sand," Lynn replied, bending down and taking a handful to show Lincoln. "It covers the whole playground. If we get it wet, we could make a sandcastle out of it, but the pond's too far away and we didn't bring a bucket."
"Maybe next time?" Lincoln suggested.
"Definitely," Lynn agreed. She turned toward the big playset ahead of them, an eclectic collection of colorful plastic spirals, platforms, and slides; perfect for a hyperactive child to release all the energy that came with their youthful zeal.
A veritable paradise for someone like Lynn.
And a little more than a bit frightening for Lincoln, especially when he saw the steps that he would have to take to get to the playset's upper levels. Sure they were much wider and longer than that of the average stair step, but they were still a tripping hazard.
"But for now, we got a playset to play on! C'mon, let's go!" And Lynn, admittedly didn't take that into consideration. They didn't look like stairs, after all, and she wanted to show Lincoln the view!
And poor Lincoln didn't want to let her down, how could he? Tremblingly, he allowed her to lead him towards the steps, but when she effortlessly hopped onto the first platform, he just couldn't get himself to follow at the same pace.
"What's wrong?" Lynn asked, looking back at him when she was once again brought to a halt by Lincoln's stopping.
She immediately understood when she saw Lincoln shakily trying to lift a single foot onto the raised platform, eyes clenched shut and his jaw set like stone. "Oh…" She moved off the platform by Lincoln's side again. "Do you need help?"
"I'm sorry…" Lincoln mumbled, hiding his face shamefully.
"It's okay," Lynn whispered, getting a little closer to him. "I understand. Do you want me to help? I can hold your hand or something if you want?"
Instead of that simple reassurance, Lincoln latched onto her from the side, clutching a fistful of her jacket and seeking support by laying his cheek on Lynn's shoulder.
Lynn stiffened, and something, some sort of instinct she had never experienced before, bade her to bring an arm around Lincoln's back, giving him the bracing he needed.
Was this a hug? Had she won Lincoln's first hug? She shook her head when she thought about it more. No, she was pretty sure it had to be a two armed embrace. Plus, she didn't want her first hug from her little brother to be when he was scared.
"It's okay," She repeated, "I got you. Do you want me to help you up?"
"Yes, please?" Lincoln answered with a nod against her shoulder.
"Alright, just hold onto me then, 'kay?" Her gentle direction given, Lynn guided her brother onto the platform, matching his pace with an uncharacteristic amount of patience and rubbing his back supportively each time they ascended another.
"And we made it!" Lynn announced when they surmounted the final step, making it onto the top platform, next to a cute little plastic bridge with a bright blue plastic pair of binoculars set up beside it. "Great job, Lincoln!"
She was too legitimately proud to register how much she sounded like Lori in that moment, like a real big sister. In her proud zeal, she brought Lincoln to the binoculars, "Here, look through the binoculars! You can see the duck pond through them!"
And Lincoln did, his fears wiped away by the gentle words of his sister, and his heart much lighter beneath the warm rays of the sun and cool breeze that swirled around them.
…
Lynn Sr. smiled to himself as he regarded his children from the park bench he was sitting on. Look at 'em! He internally gushed, tapping on his phone's camera to snap a picture of them taking turns looking through the binoculars. Already the best of friends! He flicked the picture and brought it to a text conversation to send. Wait til' Reggie sees this, he'll be so psyched!
"Well look who it is. Ol' laser-focused Lynn…"
The smell of nicotine swirled around Lynn Sr. as his odorous coworker sat by him, causing his nose to wrinkle and his eyes to actually sting a little.
"Hello, Steven," Lynn Sr. said, bringing a hand to wipe at his eye. Seriously? Smoking next to a children's playground? "What brings you here?"
Steven took a deep drag on his cigarette. "Eh, got nagged into bringing the little brat here by the wife, you know how it is," He groused.
Lynn Sr. didn't. He actually enjoyed spending time with his children, and he didn't hold such resentment against his wife.
But Lynn Sr. still had a sense of decorum to adhere to. He did have to work with the man, after all. "Oh, little Stevie is here?" He said. "How nice!"
"Yeah," Steven mumbled, pulling the cigarette from his lips and letting out a puff of smoke for all those in the park to partake in, their health be damned. "He's probably somewhere around here being a nuisance to whoever's dealing with him."
Mean as that was, he was right.
"Hey! Lynn!"
Lynn Jr. jolted, her stomach sinking when she heard that horribly irritating voice calling out to her. Oh please no, She thought, turning towards the bridge like a door on a rusty hinge.
There, sauntering up to them with a sneer that could curl onions was her classmate, Stevie.
"Oh, hi, Stevie," She huffed, staying close to Lincoln.
"I'm glad you're here!" Stevie said, not even acknowledging Lincoln when he got to them. "Wanna play tetherball? I'll beat you this time, for sure!"
"No thanks," Lynn said tonelessly. She gestured to Lincoln, "I'm actually here spending the day with my new little brother, Lincoln. Remember? I told the class about him."
Lincoln's eyes widened a little at that. Lynn had told her class about him? Why?
Before Lincoln could voice his question, Stevie's sneer stretched sourly across his face, "What, you mean the fake little brother you told us about? This is him?"
And as suddenly as the warmth brought about by the news of Lynn bragging about him came, it was just as quickly struck down by a piercing coldness going straight through Lincoln. Fake little brother? Was that what he was?
"Hey! I thought I told you that he is my brother!" Lynn hissed, pulling Lincoln behind her protectively.
Stevie leaned in challengingly, "A brother and sister have to come from the same mom and dad! Don't you know that? How dumb are you?"
"Not as dumb as you!" Lynn retorted, her ears going red.
"Yeah, but I'm still right!" Stevie teased. "You have a fake little brother!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
Lincoln gulped and stepped out from behind Lynn, "Um, excuse me?"
Stevie took his glare off of Lynn and brought it upon Lincoln, hardening it a few notches for good measure, "Whaddya want, fake?"
Lincoln shrank slightly, but spoke on with a quiver. "I—I am Lynn's brother," He declared, "And she's my big sister, so please stop being mean to her."
Stevie didn't take kindly to that. "Or what?" He said, shoving past Lynn's protection to loom over Lincoln, "You gonna stop me, fake?"
Stevie scared Lincoln, but not just for the simple reason of being smaller than him, but by the smell that wafted over Lincoln when he got close.
Clinging to Stevie, most likely thanks to the habits and presence of his father, was the faint, bitter smell of nicotine; and by getting close to Lincoln and imparting the smell on him, a mild wave of nausea came over the smaller boy.
"No, but I'll stop you!" Lynn didn't notice Lincoln. She was too fired up to step in for her brother to register his discomfort. "No matter what you think, he is my little brother, and as his big sister, I am going to protect him!"
From below, Lynn Sr. was beginning to notice the heated exchange happening upon the playset. "Um, Steven?" He said, turning toward the man taking yet another drag on his cigarette, "Stevie seems to be antagonizing Lynn and Lincoln. Do you wanna perhaps say something?"
Steven scoffed and let out his breath, "Why not just let 'em sort it out themselves? Kids need to learn to solve their own problems, right?"
"Well, yes, normally I'd agree, but Lincoln is a special circumstance and is a little bit on the delicate side right now," Lynn Sr. explained. "In light of that, we've been trying to accommodate him a little, ease him into socializing with others, y'know?"
Steven snorted derisively, "Ain't that some bullcrap. Weren't you trying to have a boy this time, Lynn? Well, lemme tell you something, as a dad to a boy; babying him ain't gonna do him any good."
A flicker of anger sparked within Lynn Sr. and his brow creased, "Well, forgive me, Steven, but since you don't know anything of Lincoln's situation, I'm going to have to ask you to temporarily disregard that flawed thinking and to step in so your son doesn't scare my son."
An aggressive spark gleamed within Steven's eyes in response, "Or what?"
Back on top of the playset, Lynn Jr. and Stevie were close to blows, glaring into each other's eyes with barely an inch between their foreheads to keep them from clashing.
"You better back off, Stevie," Lynn growled, her fists tightening at her side. "Before I give you a reason to."
"You can't do anything to me," Stevie jeered. "Everyone knows that girls can't fight!"
Lynn gritted her teeth, sorely tempted to prove him wrong.
"Um, mister Stevie?"
It was only by Lincoln's somewhat choked interjection that Lynn was able to resist socking Stevie outright, and when she turned over to face her brother, the fury in her expression faded into concern.
Lincoln not only looked pale, but there was a faint shade of green present upon his cheeks, seemingly growing with each little sway his legs sent him on.
"Lincoln, are you okay?" She asked, going over to latch an arm around his shoulders.
"Hey! You were talking to me!" Stevie barked. "Don't bother with that fake little brother of yours!"
Lynn's eyes sharpened, "Shut up, Stevie!"
"Ly-nn…" Lincoln tried to say her name, but could barely do so with the small surge of bile that came up into his throat.
"Lincoln, what's wrong?" Lynn asked, fear rising within her.
Lincoln gulped, taking in several painful sounding breaths, "Stevie…Bad smell…"
Stevie's jaw dropped for a moment before his scowl returned, "What bad smell?! I don't smell bad! Maybe it's you!" His words came out in a rush, "Yeah, it's definitely you! Maybe instead of Lincoln, your name should be Stinkoln!"
Lynn's jaw tightened. She had heard enough!
"Stinkoln! Stinkoln! Stink—Urf!" He was unable to say it a third time due to Lynn sinking a fist right into Stevie's stomach, sending him stumbling back several planks across the bridge with his hands over the point of contact. "What was that for?!" He asked stupidly.
"I told you to leave him alone," Lynn said in a terse calm. "Now get away, you're making him sick with your smell."
Stevie bared his teeth and took a threatening step forward in defiance, "You—"
"HEY! STEVIE!" Before he could say or do anything, Stevie was interrupted by the irascibly gruff voice of his father. "WE'RE HEADING HOME! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"
Stevie jolted and looked down past the bridge, "What? But we just got here!"
"NOW, BOY!" Steven betrayed no sense of levity in his reply.
Stevie had no choice, and he knew it. So, with a final glare towards the two siblings, he turned away and made his way back down to the ground.
"Why do we have to leave now?" Stevie asked as they walked off.
Steven let out an irritated grunt and turned to glower at the playground just before they disappeared down the hill.
"Apparently, Lynn's trying to raise another little girl…"
Lynn Sr. heard that, and his chest burned with rage.
He supposed he just had to take victory with the knowledge that he actually had something to send Steven running.
Good thing he knew Steven slacked off at the office.
As for Lynn herself, she was just glad to see Stevie go. Without him, she could focus on Lincoln once more, as she wanted to.
"Are you okay, Linc?" She asked, settling themselves both down on the plastic ground.
"Uh—Uh-huh," Lincoln gulped, taking a few wheezy breaths. "I—I just need—"
"Don't say anything else," Lynn said in understanding. "Just catch your breath, Linc, okay? I can wait until you feel better."
Lincoln gulped again, and set his head on Lynn's shoulder once more. "Thank you, Lynn…"
Lynn frowned, but leaned against Lincoln as well, "No problem, Lincoln."
Lynn Sr. watched the exchange somberly. Oh, Lincoln…You poor thing, He thought. I'm sorry you have to keep having such a hard time. His eyes traced over his youngest daughter, tenderly rubbing Lincoln's back to help alleviate the nausea he was feeling, But, at the very least, I'm so glad we're here to help you through it. I'm glad you have me to be your father, Rita to be your mother, and perhaps best of all…
He smirked when he saw Lynn give Lincoln a big, glittery grin when his breath began to even out.
I'm glad you have our girls to be such great big sisters.
…
"KWEH! KWEH! KWEH!"
Lincoln giggled and listened to the ducks clamoring in the shallows of the pond, tilting his hand to spill the little food pellets into the water. "Okay, okay, here you go!" He laughed, his grin broadening as they ducked their little heads below the water to retrieve them.
The ducks had been extraordinary to Lincoln. They were quite different from the birds he saw in the trees whenever he took rides in the car. They were much sillier looking, quacking up a storm in search of the food Lynn Sr. had gotten him and Lynn to feed them with, in a myriad of strange colors from bright white, to sort of grayish, to a mix of greens, browns and white.
One thing Lincoln knew for sure, they were so cute!
"There's so many today!" Lynn marveled, tossing the pellets from her palm one at a time. She smirked and glanced over at Lincoln, "You doing something special, Linc? You're not part ducky, are you?"
Lincoln giggled again, "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I like Mister Daddy's food over these pellet thingies."
And the two of them laughed.
Behind them, Lynn Sr. beamed at his children and stood up, "Speaking of food, I think it's about time we head home so I can get started on dinner."
Lynn's smile faded slightly, but still remained in a bittersweet smirk. "Okay…" She said, tossing the remaining pellets into the water. She then wiped any remaining pellet dust off her hand on the side of her jacket and then held it out to Lincoln. "Ready to go, Linc?"
Lincoln nodded and took her hand, letting her lead him away from the pond and after their father.
"Hey, Lynn?" Lincoln asked as they approached the crest of the hill above the pond.
"What's up?" Lynn asked, looking back at him.
"Thank you for playing with me today," Lincoln said, staring down at the grass in a sudden bout of shyness. "I had a lot of fun."
Lynn lit up and squeezed Lincoln's hand, "I had a lot of fun, too. Thanks for coming along with me." She bit her cheek and glanced down at the ground as well, "Sorry about Stevie though."
Lincoln shook his head, "It's okay…You helped me feel better after he left." He felt his stomach grow a slight chill as he recalled the event, most notably a phantom scent that manifested in his senses when he thought of it. "I really don't like that smell," He said suddenly, "It reminds me of the time before I came to you guys…"
Lynn frowned and squeezed his hand again. "I'm sorry," She said, unable to think of anything else to say.
A particularly strong breeze passed over them, and Lincoln suddenly shivered, bringing his casted arm against his stomach and hunching away from Lynn.
"Linc?" Lynn turned back fully when she felt the warmth of his hand slip out of hers.
"I—I'm okay," Lincoln said after the tremble passed. "I just don't really like being cold either. It reminds me of back then, too…" Another breeze passed and Lincoln shook again, turning away from Lynn with the increased violence of the tremble.
And all Lynn could think to do was take his hand and keep them walking towards the car just a few paces behind Lynn Sr. "It'll be warm in the car, don't worry," She said at an attempt of comfort.
"It was really cold that night," Lincoln went on, his voice shrinking and his hand becoming clammy within Lynn's. "The night they came and got me…"
Lynn's ears perked up and she faced Lincoln again. "What?" She balked.
Lincoln gulped, "The night they came to get me, it was really cold, and it was raining, and I—My Mo—My Mom—"
"Linc!" Lynn released his hand and went to put an arm around his back again. "Lincoln, it's okay! Don't worry! You're not there, you're here in the park with me, remember? Remember the playground, the duckies, the clovers? We had so much fun today, you and me; and that makes me happy because—"
She suddenly felt her eyes sting with water, and instinct again bade her to lean against Lincoln, tilting her cheek along the top tuft of his hair.
"Because I got to spend it with you, my baby brother."
Something about Lynn's words and the gentle rub of her hand on his back banished the sensation of cold phantom rain bearing down on Lincoln, bringing him back to the grassy glade he and his big sister stood in. "L-Lynn?" He said, shaking his head and staring up at her in a bleary daze.
Lynn offered a warm smile and gave him an additional pat on the back for good measure. "Hi, Linky," She said sweetly, using the extra cutesy nickname Leni and Luan tended to use for him.
"Junior? Lincoln?" Lynn Sr. stepped back to the two of them, suddenly noticing that they had stopped a few steps behind him. "Are you okay?"
Lynn leaned off of Lincoln and tightened her grip to brace him on his wobbly little legs, "We're okay, Daddy," She said, moving herself and Lincoln towards the now rather close Vanzilla. "Lincoln just got a little chilly."
Lynn Sr. didn't interject beyond that. Whatever was troubling Lincoln, Lynn seemed to be handling it with aplomb. "Alright, then," He said, nodding with approval. "In that case, I'll be sure to make a big pot of cocoa when we get home!"
Not long after, Lynn and Lincoln were settled in their seats, relishing the warmth of Vanzilla's heater spiriting away the chill that the wind had imprinted on them.
"Lynn?" Lincoln mumbled, his eyelids drooping and his head tilting against the cushiony fabric of his carseat.
Lynn let out a great mewl of a yawn and laid her head on the side of the carseat as well, resting close to Lincoln, "Yeah, Linc?"
"I'm glad you're my big sister," Lincoln declared, seconds away from slumber.
Lynn smiled and allowed her eyes to close, "And I'm glad you're my baby brother, Lincoln."
And in her mind, a single additional thought passed through young Lynn Loud Jr.'s mind, cementing her bond with her beloved brother just as she fell asleep.
And I love you…