"Well, that's the end," Luan concludes.
As that story is finished, Leni goes overdramatic in tears. "That was so sweet that I can't help but feel sad!"
"Leni, it's not even that sad," Lori says to her.
"It is to me!" Leni whines like a baby. Others are just astounded for how much Leni finds Luna's story as tear-jerking. "Why can't we be friends?"
"Hush it, Leni!" Lori intervenes. "We all are enemies…and friends. Frenemies. But it doesn't mean that we have to fight always…" She then goes to a more sympathetic tone to address to Luan once more. "When a sibling is in need, we'll be there…and literally all the clichés lessons."
"Lori, I never expect for you to say that," Luan expresses.
"I'm not all mean and bossy, okay? But I'm a softy too."
"Awww…" Luan then proceeds to hug her big sister.
"Okay, you may take it easy," Lori insists, feeling the tightness of the embrace that is followed by Luna, Leni and Lynn, who then drags Lincoln with her. "Okay we're all hugging…"
Eventually, they tumble to the floor from too much clinging. The photos from the table drop on them as well.
As they get up, their mother has to say about this: "Well, I'm glad that you sort this out. But now that you admit your mistakes from the past, I would have no other choice but to punish you for that. You almost got a case because of that."
Instead of complaining, Lori just accepts the sentence, "It's okay mom. I learned my lesson. Hardly. I mean literally rough. I was a dumb kid. But I learned the hard way."
"Hmmm glad that you take responsibility for this," Rita replies. "That's good for you. But don't worry, it's not even that hard."
As that is taken care of, the younger ones are still eager for more stories that Lana asks, "Is that…all?"
"Well, all of you, Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn told your stories," Lincoln contemplates. "I guess that's it."
"There's a lot to tell," Lori implies, "Like when you raid the cupboard so you can get your cookies…"
"Or when we went fishing for the first time, and Lincoln slipped from the harbor because he thinks he found 'Nemo'…" Luna adds.
"Or the moment when baby Lincoln sees Luna wearing pink?" Luan brings up, which annoys Luna.
"Don't bring that up, dude!" Luna coaxes her.
"Or that time that we told a lot of stories to Lincoln that ends up on us fighting?" Leni says, but from what she saying, that is what they are doing right now.
"Uhhhh…Leni, that's what we're doing now," Lori corrects her.
"I know! It's so exciting to tell that story again!" Leni squeals.
Lynn also adds, "Or the time we use Lincoln to get us passes in a baseball game and he eventually crawled into the players' bench."
Rita then interrupts, "Have you girls told Lincoln about his Christmas party dance?"
"Ohhh…" the older Louds reply.
But the youngsters are curious, most especially Lincoln. "Christmas party dance?" he questions them.
"Oh, they haven't told you yet? Well, let's see about it." Rita then takes the box and searches for the one CD that contains a clip of Lincoln as a baby. Finally, after trudging through the photos, she locates that CD with the label "Lincoln's party dance". She then plays it to the still functional DVD player on the TV, as the siblings gather to the main coach to witness what they will never forget for the remainder of the day: Lincoln dancing on his diapers.
Just seeing that comedy Fort Knox up on screen, the siblings cannot stop hollering in laughter. Lincoln, of course, is embarrassed that he has to a baby video where is dancing to "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em on his nappies as they unknowingly slip down to the floor.
"Mom!" Lincoln pleads.
"Oh, why?" Rita replies.
"Stop it! Stop it now!"
"Just look at little dude!" Luna comments on the part where Lincoln waves his hands crazily.
But his pleads do not work as the entire living room has become a laugh riot.
Eventually, Rita starts of another story.
Now it was Christmas eve of 2008. Your dad hosted a party for his office in the house. It was fun and merry all around. Lori and I prepared the food and served them to the guests. I was pregnant with Lucy at that time. While your dad was having a delightful time. He almost lost his job from the financial crisis that year. But a lot of bosses looked up to him, and there he went. He was king of the world. And I was just happy to see him happy again, the Lynn I wanted to see.
As for you kids, well, you were waiting in your rooms to practice for your Christmas presentation. Let's just say it's going well.
"Dudes, you're phoning it in!" Luna complains to her siblings for their phony performance, as she leads them to sing a Christmas carol.
"But Luna, we're not good singers like you," Leni whines.
"Dudettes, I don't need perfect singers. Hopefully a little rock background will help. I need you guys to try to sing, even though you don't know how," Luna expounds.
"So, what's the use of practice then?" Luan asks, "If practice makes perfect, but no one's perfect, so why practice? Hahaha!" This makes Luna annoyed. Add to that is Lynn's incomprehensible singing or squealing, which she thinks is singing.
I knew that my little kids would do good. I boasted so much to the folks that I can't help.
After kitchen duty, Rita proceeds to Lori and Leni's room where the kids sported in angel outfits are gathered to rehearse. "How are my little angels?"
"I'm trying to get them to sing, mom, but it's too hard," Luna bemoans.
Rita then encourages her, "Ohhh…it doesn't matter if you are good singers, just have a wonderful time singing for the guests."
"That's what I told them, mom, but they kept complaining." Luna elaborates by pointing at Leni needlessly rearranging her angel getup to make her feel stylish, Luan trying to play a xylophone by banging on the keys and Lynn screeching her voice at the top of her lungs.
"I can sing!" Lynn bolts out, a sound that kind of compares to nails on a chalkboard for Luna.
"See?" she reiterates.
"Okay…yeah pretty much pain in the neck, but just have fun. It will work." She then advises them, "I'll leave Lori to you, once she's done with the ham. She might help. And make sure you girls stay in this room. I can only say when you girls can go out. And keep an eye on Lincoln. I don't want him intruding the chocolate fondue, and so are all of you."
"Mom, trust us. We didn't get our hands on yummy, yummy chocolate. So does Linky."
"Oh really? Then tell me why he has chocolate on his hands?" She then points to baby Lincoln sucking molten chocolate on his fingers. When he sees his mother suspicious at him, he quickly hides his hands.
"I am watching you, boy," Rita warns him. "Now girls, watch him okay. I'll get back right away." After that, she leaves the room and heads back down to accommodate the other guests.
"We will do absolutely fine, mom!" Luna assures, then heads back but not before leaving the door open.
I actually knew that you girls snuck to the kitchen and got a dip on the chocolate fondue. But I rather keep that silent to keep you at focus on the presentation.
"Dudes, you all heard mom! We need to perfect this performance for her! For dad's office!" Luna encourages.
"Uhhh…she actually said to have fun. So why can't we have fun?" Lynn carps. "I want fun!"
"I want to have fun too!" Leni adds. "Wait? What is fun to do?"
"Well, I guess you're fun-ing it in. Hahaha! Get it?" Luan jokes, which annoys Luna.
Out of that contempt, Luna thinks of an idea. "How about this? Since you guys have been saying that 'we can't sing', how about you just go 'Ahhhhh!' like actual angels?"
"I thought angels are peaceful?" Luan wonders.
"No, they are heavenly. They supposed to bring heavenly music," Luna explains. "You three line on the back, while I do the stanzas."
"Oooh I heard that guy swings on vines, talks to monkeys and shouts 'AHHHHH!'" Leni blindingly implies.
"No, not Tarzan. Stanza!" Luna corrects her. "And why would you think of Tarzan?"
Leni then shrugs.
"What's the use of angel anyway?" Lynn brings it up. "They fly, then?"
"They guide you. They protect you, like that…" Luna halfheartedly expounds. "Look, let's get this through, so we can eat the s'mores dessert cake that mom has in the fridge. I want all four of you here!"
"All four of us?" Leni asks.
"Yes, you four. You, Luan, Lynn and Linky," Luna corrects her.
"About that, where is Linky?"
"He is…" As Leni asks, Luna looks back at her baby brother on his baby car seat to see him gone. "Linky?"
Their eyes then lead to his possible drip tracks that lead to the open door. "Linky!"