AN: Greetings and salutations! This is a quick oneshot about the events surrounding the picture of Lincoln eating his first ice cream in "The Whole Picture". If you've been reading my other fics, it probably won't come as a surprise that I love Lori-Lincoln sibling bonding stories, and that picture's a great backdrop for writing one. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Loud House.
"Come on, Lincoln! Here comes the airplane!" Lori waved her spoon a little, trying to get her baby brother to eat the food on it. The baby looked at her quizzically for a second and briefly opened his mouth, letting Lori give him the food. As soon as he tasted it, though, he made a terrible face and spit it out. Some of it landed in his sister's hair, making her yelp in disgust. "Ugh! Thanks a lot, Lincoln. But you know, I literally don't blame you. Strained peas look pretty yucky to me, too."
Ever since Lincoln had started to eat solid food, it had been Lori's job to feed the baby so her mother could spend more time tending to the other kids. The seven-year-old didn't like handling the disgusting baby food Lincoln had to eat, but she sure did like being a big sister. Lori was what her mother called a "natural leader", which she assumed meant that she got to be in charge of the younger kids. It was a big responsibility that she took very seriously, and if being a good big sister meant feeding Lincoln, that was what she was going to do. Besides, Lincoln was so adorable it was always fun to be with him and watch what he'd do next—even when, like today, he got his yucky food on her.
Shaking her head, Lori picked up a washcloth and started to wipe up the mess her brother had made. As she did, her mother came into the kitchen. "Hi, honey. How's Lincoln?"
"He doesn't like strained peas at all. Why do we have to feed him this stuff if he won't eat it anyway?"
"Honey, babies sometimes take a while to adjust to solid food. You and your sisters did the same thing at his age, too." Rita smiled at her oldest daughter. "You know, I really appreciate you being a big girl and helping with Lincoln. What do you think of getting some ice cream as a reward?"
That definitely excited Lori. "Yes please! I'd love some!" Ice cream was a much-loved treat by all the Louds, especially on a hot summer day like this one. Each Loud girl had her own favorite flavor, and Lori's was mint. As it happened, there was a box of mint ice cream in the freezer that Rita had just bought a couple of days ago, so she was able to prepare Lori a bowl of her favorite. While she was, though, Lincoln watched from his high chair with quite a bit of interest and started to babble a little.
Lori noticed her brother's interest and tugged on her mother's shirt sleeve. "Mom, can Lincoln have some ice cream? I think he wants some."
As if to confirm his sister's observation, Lincoln reached out towards Lori's bowl. "Eye keem," he said, looking very hopeful.
"He certainly does. I think this is a good time for Lincoln's first ice cream." Rita had a big smile on her face. "Honey, sit tight and let me get the camera. Your father's going to want to see this!" She briefly stepped out of the kitchen and returned with camera in hand. "Give him a few spoonfuls," she told her daughter. "Not too much. He's still little and we don't want him getting a sugar crash."
Lori was pretty excited about this. She knew how much she loved ice cream, and now she would be able to introduce it to her brother. She got a spoonful of ice cream from her bowl and presented it to Lincoln. "Open up, Lincoln. Here comes the airplane!" she said to him, just as she had with the peas earlier. This time, Lincoln opened his mouth as wide as he could, letting Lori feed him easily. As he tasted the ice cream, his eyes lit up and he gave his sister a big smile. "Eye keem!" he declared happily. Lori beamed, feeling like she had just won an Olympic medal.
"So cute!" Rita gushed as she took a picture.
Lori gave him two more spoonfuls, and each time Lincoln reacted with pure joy on his little face as their mother snapped pictures. It was so fun for her to see her baby brother so happy, and she almost wanted to give him the whole bowl. After the third spoonful, though, her mother ended it. "Lincoln, you've had enough for today. And it's time for your nap." Rita took the still-smiling baby out of his high chair and cuddled him affectionately before turning to her daughter. "And Lori, you enjoy the rest of your ice cream. You deserve it!"
"Thanks, Mom." Lori was happy to have her ice cream, but today she had realized something. Ice cream was a lot of fun and she certainly enjoyed it, but being a big sister was even better. Today she had made a special memory with her baby brother that she would cherish for years to come. And that was better than all the mint ice cream in the world.