The sun sank over Royal Pines, the sky going first bright orange, then soft purple. The streetlights along Franklin Avenue winked on one-by-one, and kids started making their way home. Dad was in the kitchen thawing meat and cutting onions for dinner. Mom was in the living room, relaxing, and most of the Loud kids were in their bedrooms. Lincoln checked on Lynn periodically throughout the afternoon. The first time he did she was reading a copy of Sports Illustrated. When he opened the door, she looked up and grinned. "I'm okay, mom."
"Just making sure."
The second time, she was asleep, softly snoring. Twilight pooled in the room.
Pulling the door softly shut, Lincoln went downstairs and reported to dad.
"I'm sure she'll be fine."
Lincoln started to protest, but dad started singing about dinner, so Lincoln went out back where Lana and Lola were still playing. He sat on the back steps and watched as he silently worried over Lynn. When you have eleven kids, you can't take the time to fuss over every single one of them. Lincoln knew that, but still, he wished dad would take this a little more seriously.
Lana came over and sat next to Lincoln, startling him from his reprieve.
"Hey, Linc, how's it going?" she asked.
"Alright," Lincoln said. "How about you?"
Lana sighed. "The jeep's busted again. I've been working on it for an hour but can't get it right. The tire rod's bent."
The jeep was Lana and Lola's battery operated Power Wheel. It was a hand-me-down from when Luna and Luan were little. It had a million and one things wrong with it, but Lana, who already displayed an aptitude for mechanics, kept it in running order.
"Maybe replace it?" Lincoln suggested.
"Well, duh, but I don't have the part. I have to order it."
For a while, they sat in silence as night drew on around them. The yelling of kids and barking of dogs slowly faded, and the sound of crickets took over. Inside, dad was still prepping for dinner.
"I texted Lori," dad said into the living room. "She hasn't answered."
"They probably got lost in there," mom said. "You know how girls are."
Lincoln grabbed an apple and smuggled it upstairs. Luna and Lucy were sitting outside of Luna and Luan's door.
"That sounds better," Lucy said, "but it could be darker."
Luna sighed. "It's not a funeral, dude. It's a rock song."
"What are you guys doing out here?" Lincoln asked.
"Luan's recording another skit for her website," Luna said, looking thoughtfully at her guitar.
"Ah."
Before heading to his room, Lincoln checked in on Lisa and Lily. Lilly was sitting happily in her crib and playing with a stuffed rabbit. Lisa was bent over a long table crammed with beakers, test tubes, and a whole bunch of other science stuff Lincoln couldn't name.
"Hey, Lisa, how's it going?"
"I am on the verge of a scientific breakthrough," she replied without turning.
"Sweet."
He rattled the bars of Lilly's cage and smiled at her. She giggled and threw herself back on the mattress.
"Well, dad's starting dinner, so hurry it up."
"Understood."
Back in his own room, Lincoln stretched out on his bed and ate his apple. When he was done, he sat the core on the nightstand and pulled out his Nintendo DS.
In the street outside, a black van pulled to the curb and stopped, its headlights going dark. Inside, one of Lincoln Loud's sisters was dead.
