Lincoln was still in a daze when he came home after school. The way Mindy doted on him throughout the day had left a lasting effect on him - especially since it didn't stop after that morning. At lunch, she greeted him with a boop on the nose, eliciting another blush. During the same period, she offered him one of the donut holes that her mom had packed her for dessert. When he said yes, rather than handing him a hole, she simply popped it into his mouth. It took him five seconds before he could even start chewing.

That, and he was seriously considering her suggestion to enter the talent show. Sure, he had never performed in front of a large audience before, but there was a first time for everything, wasn't there? Lord knows he'd have to clear that hurdle sooner or later if he was serious about pursuing magic as a hobby.

All of that was running through his mind as he walked through the front door. The house, as he expected, was already abuzz with activity - Lori hanging out on the stairs while she called Bobby, the twins upstairs arguing over which one of them was taller, Lynn in the kitchen trying to deadlift the refrigerator...

...and at the center of it all, Lucy, who was cradling a finger puppet in her hand with a dreamy smile on her face.

Curious, Lincoln walked up and took a seat next to his little sister.

"Hey, Lucy. Whatcha got there?"

"His name's Thaddeus," said Lucy, keeping her eyes on the puppet. "I made him today."

Lincoln raised an eyebrow at this. "Made him? Where, in art class?"

"No," she said. "I met a boy on the playground - someone I had never seen before. He was sitting on the ground making puppets, all by himself. He taught me how to make my own."

At this, his mind conjured up an image of a quiet little boy, sitting alone amongst a chaotic, cacophonic crowd of kids, oblivious to the commotion around him. Knowing how reserved and introverted his little sister was, he found it unsurprising that she would gravitate towards such a boy.

"What's his name?" he asked.

"Milo." she replied.

"Cute?"

Her smile swelled. "A little," she said, shimmying a little as she tried to hold in a giggle. "I think he likes me."

Lincoln beamed. It was moments like these that reminded him that, underneath that mask of stoicism and aloofness, his dark, brooding poet of a sister was still just a little girl. Enchanted, he gave her thick, licorice-like hair a good tousling. "Ahhh, that's my girl," he said warmly. "Have you told the other girls yet?"

And just like that, Lucy lost her smile. "I'd rather not. You know how they get when they hear about a boy. Or a girl, in your case."

"Don't get me started," Lincoln said with a shudder. "Speaking of which, I met someone new yesterday, too."

"Oh, really?" she asked, breaking out of her usual monotone as a hint of excitement entered her voice. "Do tell."

"Her name's Mindy. I was having lunch with the gang when she just slid her way into our circle and introduced herself. It was kinda weird, if I'm being honest, but for some reason she's really taken a liking to us."

His eyes drifted downward, and he began twiddling his fingers. "Especially me."

Lucy leaned into Lincoln, a burgeoning grin forming on her face. "Do tell," she repeated, with noticeably more fervor than before.

Lincoln took a cursory glance around the room to make sure that there were no other sisters in earshot. Once he sensed that the coast was clear, he proceeded.

"W-well, today, before school, she was talking to us about the talent show. I think she's going to be in it. She sings, you know, and she's, uh, got a really good voice. I mean, I'm no singer myself, but from my, you know, point of view, I..."

Lincoln's cheeks got redder and redder as he continued his story. He was doing whatever he could to stall himself from reaching the ending of his anecdote, knowing that he ran the risk of passing out from bashfulness as soon as he got there.

Unfortunately, Lucy could only tolerate so much.

"Get to the point."

"Okay, okay. Um... she asked if I wanted to sign up and do magic, and I said I'd have to think about it, and out of nowhere she... she..."

"Yessss?"

"...she called me cute," he squeaked. "As a button."

Lucy gasped with delight, lunged forward and squeezed him as tight as she could. Lincoln was a bit startled at first, but eventually returned the hug.

"I'm so proud of you, big brother," she whispered.

At this, Lincoln's smile blossomed into an ear-to-ear grin, as his heart swelled in his chest. It wasn't often that he had the privilege of hearing one of his younger sisters call him "big brother", and when it did happen, it was almost always either Lola or Lana. Hearing Lucy, of all girls, refer to him in such a way, was the kind of heart-meltingly sweet moment that only came around once in a blue moon. Lincoln would have been happy to hold that hug for hours...

...if he wasn't running out of air.

"L-Lucy... thank you, but I still need to breathe."

At this, Lucy withdrew her arms and scooted away, leaving his ribs slightly achy.

Gosh, she's strong for a little girl, he thought.

"I wouldn't let her get away if I were you," she said. "It's obvious that she likes you. And you like her, don't you?"

"Well, of course I-" began Lincoln, only to stop himself as he felt a needle of doubt prick him. True, Mindy was infectiously cheerful, and she certainly made yesterday's lunch period more interesting than it would have been. That, and she was pretty easy on the eyes. Attractive, even. But he wasn't sure how comfortable he was with her zealous displays of affection.

"...actually, that's a good question," he said. "I don't think I'd mind keeping her as a friend, but... I don't know. She's a bit much."

Lucy shrugged. "She probably just wants to make a strong first impression. She'll mellow out."

"Gosh, I sure hope so," he said with a nervous chuckle. "After what happened this morning I felt like I was going to explode."

The two of them shared a laugh, and then a quick hug, before hopping off the couch and making their way upstairs. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, though, they were met with a sight that made both of their hearts sink in unison: a grinning Lori, with her arms folded across her chest and her left eyebrow cocked.

"Uh- hey, Lori," said Lincoln. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough."