Chapter Twenty-nine
Royal Woods Elementary (Part Two)
"Linky!" Lynn Jr. cried, her little legs carrying her fast across the floor towards her father and little brother.
The oncoming tears in Lincoln's eyes nearly receded completely, his dread replaced by joy; most evident in the way he started wriggling excitedly in his father's grasp. "Lynn!" He exclaimed, reaching out to her with tiny hands as she approached.
Lynn came to a skidding stop in front of them. "You're here!" She exclaimed, reaching her own hands up towards where Lincoln was perched, the tips of her little fingers grazing against his. "You're at our school!"
"Um, Junior?" Lynn Sr. didn't want to burst the joyous bubble of his two youngest reuniting, but seeing his daughter appear so suddenly warranted a question. "What exactly are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"
Lynn giggled and responded by lifting her lunchbox to her father. "It's lunchtime, daddy!" She explained. She furthered her explanation by pointing in the direction from which she came.
When Lincoln and Lynn Sr. followed where she pointed, they found a crowd of little ones, undoubtedly other first graders milling towards what could be surmised was the cafeteria.
"Oh," Lynn Sr. said. "I suppose it is that time of day, isn't it?"
"Mister Daddy?" Lincoln reclaimed his attention with a query. "Can you put me down Please?"
Lynn Sr. blinked, "Oh, of course." He bent down and set Lincoln on the ground. "You probably wanna talk to your sister, don't you?"
Lincoln's response was to trot up to Lynn, stopping before her on bouncy, energetic heels. "Hi, Lynn!" He chirped happily. "How are you?"
Lynn giggled and threw her head back in an exaggerated groan, "Oh, you have no idea, Linky. Today during math, we actually had to do problems that added and subtracted at the same time!"
Lincoln's eyes widened in a mix of shock and amazement. "Adding and subtracting at the same time? You can do that? That's amazing, Lynn!"
Lynn set her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out with a proud smirk playing across her lips and standing on her tiptoes in an effort to look taller and more impressive. "Yup! And my teacher says I did a great job with it! I even got a gold star!"
"Wow!" Lincoln marveled; his hands curled against his chest.
Lynn snickered and set herself back down on the flats of her feet. "What about you? How's your day goi—" Her words trailed off when she noticed a faint red puffiness around her brother's eyes. "Linky, were you crying?" She asked, moving forward.
Lincoln jolted and stepped back from Lynn. "Um, a little…" He admitted, lifting up his hands to rub his fists at his eyes.
Lynn stopped him from potentially hurting his eyes with his knuckles, tenderly prying his hands away in her gentle grasp. "What happened?" She asked, crouching down slightly so they were eye level.
Lincoln shuddered, a cold shame creeping over his senses.
"Linky?" Lynn pressed, squeezing his suddenly clammy hands.
"Your brother is just feeling a little nervous about being here, sweetpea." Lynn Sr. interjected. He crouched down to the two of them, setting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Luckily, he forgot all about that pretty much the second he saw you."
Lynn's eyes widened. She'd done that? All she'd done is notice him and come to greet him. "Oh," She said, her sights shifting to the ground between them.
"I'm sorry…" Lincoln mumbled, his hands sliding out of Lynn's.
Lynn jolted and looked back up, "You're sorry? For what?"
Lincoln gulped, unable to lift his gaze from his fumbling hands. "I've tried so hard to be brave for today," He explained in a sniffle. "But I can't stop being afraid." He shuddered and brought his hands to his chest. "I'm sorry…I'm such a scaredy-cat."
"Linky…" Lynn's arms lifted themselves towards her brother, stopping themselves when she remembered the oath that she had taken with her sisters back when he'd first joined their family.
She was really getting tired of that promise. She had seen firsthand at least a thousand (at least in her hyperbolous mind) occasions in which her baby brother could've used a hug from her, a thousand different scenarios in which she wished more than anything she could've taken him into her arms to mend the cracks in his heart in much the same way her parents or sisters had done for her throughout her own life.
And this was situation number one-thousand-and-one. And with that stupid promise holding her back again, she could only stand by and let her arms fall flat at her sides, her hands curling into obstinate fists as she bit her lower lip in a pout.
"Aww, it's okay, squirt." Lynn Sr. reached out and rubbed Lincoln's back. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise you're gonna do great. We all believe in you. And if it's any consolation, your sisters were all nervous when they started school too. And they all got through it, just like you will."
That mention of those shared experiences sparked a thought in Lynn, jolting her back into the there and then.
Her father was right. She, like Lincoln, had been a bundle of nerves back when she started school just a year prior, and thinking back to it at that moment brought a memory to the forefront of her mind.
A memory in which her father had assuaged her fears. A memory that perhaps held the key to helping Lincoln.
…
It had been a balmy, humid morning on that day a year prior, much different from the rainy, chilly day of the present; understandable in that it had been August instead of November.
Despite it being such a vibrant day, one in which the young girl in question would've loved to be out and about, Lynn Loud Jr.'s mind buzzed incessantly with anxiety as she clung to her father's pant leg whilst they journeyed down the hallway.
"Look over there, sweetie!" Rita pointed towards the approaching classroom, most evident in the eclectic frame of rainbow paper adorning the door and the group of children and their parents surrounding it. "There's your class!"
Lynn's response was to shelter herself behind her father with a gasp, hiding her face in the khaki fabric.
Lynn Sr. beamed down at his daughter sympathetically. "What's wrong, Junior?" He asked, setting a hand atop her head. "Don't you wanna go and be with the other kids?"
Lynn shuddered and lifted her gaze up towards her mother and father warily. "Do I—Do I have to go?" She asked in a quail. "Can't I just stay with you guys? Maybe we could visit Pop-Pop?"
Both her parents kneeled down to her, soft expressions of understanding adorning their expressions.
"Pop-Pop's busy today, sweetheart," Rita said lovingly. She placed a hand on her back, "And you don't want to go to work with us. Don't you remember how boring you find Dr. Finestein's office?"
"And let's not forget about how much you hate being cooped up in my cubicle back at my place," Lynn Sr. chuckled. "And look how fun everything looks in there! Don't you wanna go and see it for yourself!?"
Lynn had to admit, there was quite a collection of interesting toys and knick-knacks from where she could see.
But still…
"But what if the other kids are mean to me?" She quailed. Her lower lip started trembling and her eyes begin to wriggle with accumulating moisture. "What if I can't make any friends? Or the teacher thinks I'm dumb? What if—" Her face twisted and she brought her fists up over her eyes.
"What if I wind up all alone!?" She cried, the tears practically bursting from her eyes.
"Junior…" Rita brought a hand to the top of her head, pulling her against herself in a loving embrace. "That won't happen sweetheart. We promise."
Lynn shuddered against her mother, her small fists futilely attempting to stem the torrent of tears. "Please…" She hiccupped and spoke again, leaning into her mother's chest as she did so. "Please don't leave me all alone…"
To many a new parent, it would seem like a hopeless situation, but to a pair of veterans like Lynn Sr. and Rita who had introduced a child to the world of academia four times prior, there had been more than a few discoveries made in ways to assuage the fears of trepidatious students-to-be.
"Hey sweetpea?" Lynn Sr.'s voice roused his junior into turning away from Rita, her fists lowering a fraction of an inch. Once he had her attention, he reached out and gently took her hands into his.
Lynn sniffled, but accepted the tender, warm grasp and stepped in front of her father
"Junior…" He said, giving her hands a little bob. "Have I ever shown you this neat little magic trick I know?"
Lynn blinked and shook her head, "You know magic?"
"Just the one little charm," Lynn Sr. replied. "It's to help people who are afraid to be alone."
The eyes of the youngest Loud daughter widened. Could such a charm really exist? And could her father really know it?
Lynn Sr. smirked at her reaction and gave her hands another bob. "You wanna see it?" He asked.
Lynn nodded mutely.
"Alright then," Lynn Sr. said.
He lifted her hands between them.
"With this charm let it be known," He began in a grand sounding voice. "That the recipient shall never be alone!" He lowered their hands and leaned down towards Lynn.
"With three kisses placed, the recipient will receive—" He laid a quick smooch on Lynn's left cheek.
"Bravery."
Another peck came after, this time on her right cheek.
"Confidence. And lastly…"
Lynn peeked up when her father laid a final kiss upon her forehead.
"Love," Lynn Sr. finished.
When Lynn Sr. pulled back and released his daughter's hands, he beamed down at her, smiling in satisfaction when he saw her reach up to bring her hands over the spots he'd placed the charm.
"And with that," He said. "I'll be with you, Junior. Even when it looks like I'm not."
Lynn brought her hand to her forehead. Suddenly, the fear and dread she had been feeling had evaporated.
She wasn't afraid anymore.
"Feeling better, sweetheart?" Rita asked with a smile.
Lynn brought her hands back down to her cheeks. "I—I do!" She said, her voice gaining strength. Her hands clenched back into fists, now curled with determination. "I do!" She looked up at her father, "Daddy, the magic worked! Your spell worked! How did you do that?!"
Lynn Sr. grinned. "Real simple, Junior! Just gotta say it with conviction and be willing to give a few smooches to make the spell work!" He reached out and gave her a little boop on the nose. "And with you, it's always a cinch to muster up those smooches."
Lynn giggled in response, the last vestiges of her tears drying away from her eyes.
"Now…" Her mother stood up along with her father, and both of Lynn's hands were taken by her parents. "Are you ready to meet your teacher, sweetheart?" She asked.
Lynn bit her lip, but nodded, "I'm ready."
…
That little magic charm had done wonders for not only Lynn's first day of school, but had been a staple whenever she had been afraid of something. From then on, whenever Lynn was scared, be it a perceived monster in her closet or an upcoming doctor's appointment, she could always count on her mother or father to administer the "Triple-kiss no fear charm" to make her brave enough to face anything.
Because who could be afraid when they knew someone they loved stood beside them, even when they seemingly weren't?
"I-I'm s-sorry…" And in that moment, where her baby brother was contesting with much of the same fears she had fought, a fledgling thought was beginning to come to life within her. And even though it had been an agreement between the Loud sisters to let the boy come to them in terms of affection, she just couldn't bear to stand by for that thousand-and-oneth time.
"It's okay, squirt," Lynn Sr. shushed the boy tenderly, rubbing his back as Lincoln wept with his fists rubbing against his eyes, shaking like a leaf on a hurricane.
"Linky?" Lincoln peered past one of his hands, affixing a single baby blue eye on his big sister, now standing right in front of him, biting her cheek unsurely, but resolutely.
"L-Lynn?" Lincoln's lower lip trembled. Was she mad at him? Or worse, disappointed? His body suddenly felt like stone and he hid behind his hands again. "I'm sorry, Lynn. I'm so sorry for letting you down!"
Lynn's nerves lessened, her determination growing stronger as the lion in her heart urged her to comfort her baby brother. "Linky…" She repeated, reaching out and lovingly taking his hands from his eyes. Once they were down and securely gripped in her own warm grasp, she smiled at Lincoln. "You didn't let me down."
Lincoln sniffled. "I didn't?" He asked, his shoulders relaxing from around his neck a smidge.
"No way!" Lynn said with an emphatic nod. "You could never let me down, Linky!" She looked down at their hands, giving them a little bob of motion as she thought back to that memory of her first day a year prior. "Y'know Linky, I know how you feel. Daddy's telling the truth. When I started kindie a year ago, I was scared too."
Lincoln blinked hard, letting a few more errant tears fall. "W-What did you do?" He asked when his eyes opened again.
Lynn took her attention off Lincoln to glance at her father. "Daddy taught me a little magic spell," She said, turning back to Lincoln.
Lincoln tilted his head cutely, "A magic spell?" He took another breath through his congested nose, nearly eliciting a giggle from Lynn when she heard the slight rattle of his breath. "Like the one the fairies did in Sleeping Beauty?"
"Yeah, just like that!" Lynn confirmed in a grin. "It's a little spell to help people not be alone!" She swung their hands between them, a faint tinge of pinkness coming over her face. "I could cast it on you if you want…"
Besides them, Lynn Sr.'s eyes widened. She isn't… He thought in giddy realization, his hand edging towards his pocket where his phone was.
"W-Will it help?" Lincoln asked in a quiver.
Lynn grinned brighter and nodded again, "It's helped me every time I've needed it!"
Lincoln didn't need any further convincing. His big sister never led him astray, and he doubted she would today.
"O-Okay," He agreed with a small watery cough.
"Okay!" Lynn repeated cheerily. Alright, Lynnie, don't mess this up, She internally added.
She took a deep breath, standing a little taller on her toes and closing her eyes as she summoned the courage and the words.
Seeing her do this, Lincoln jolted slightly, but quickly followed along with Lynn, closing his eyes and taking a breath that calmed his frazzled nerves.
Meanwhile, Lynn Sr. had loaded the video app on his phone, filming the sure to be adorable interaction for posterity.
"W-With this charm, l-let it be known," Lynn began in a bit of a warble. She lifted her and Lincoln's hands upward. "That the recip-recipi-recipient shall never be alone!" She bit her cheek, somewhat miffed at herself for her flub, but continued on. "With three kisses placed, the recipient will receive…" She leaned forward, nearly stumbling, but just avoiding so.
"Bravery." She laid the first kiss, quick as a wink upon her baby brother's left cheek and squishing it slightly upward.
Lincoln gasped, his eyes popping open in surprise just as Lynn went for his right cheek.
"Confidence." She continued, going to plant the second kiss while going scarlet in the face. Her bashfulness was quickly shooting up to a fever pitch, but she had to finish the spell ding-dang-darn it!
"And lastly," She said, standing to her full height once more. She administered the final gentle smooch upon his forehead, "Love."
Had Lincoln been surprised before, now he was left completely dumbstruck. Had Lynn just used the one word he cherished most in the world?
Lynn backed away from Lincoln, opening her eyes.
Seeing Lincoln's stunned expression, she couldn't help but smile again, even though she was now as red as a beet.
"And with that," She said, her father's words coming as easy as breathing. "I'll be with you, Linky. Even when it looks like I'm not."
And to her delight, Lincoln brought one of his hands up away from hers, touching his palm to the spots she'd kissed, eyes wide with wonder.
"D-Do you feel better, Linky?" She tremulously asked.
Lincoln lowered his hand, looking back at Lynn once more. He did feel better. Every ounce of his fear had completely evaporated.
All thanks to his big sister's spell, and the love that was expressed with it.
"Mmhmm!" He hummed, nodding in cheerful reply.
Lynn's heart felt close to bursting in that moment. "Good," She said, swinging their hands again. "That makes me happy, Linky."
Oohhh! If Lynn's heart was close to bursting, then Lynn Sr.'s heart had already exploded into a thousand pieces of multicolored confetti. This is going right on the computer when we get home! He thought, tapping on the stop button and saving the recording.
He just knew he'd be rewatching it until he was old and gray, no doubt about it.
…
"Ohhhh!" Rita held a palm to her cheek as she watched the video Lynn Sr. was showing her on his phone. "How could I have missed this!? Oh I could just kick myself for taking so long in the front office!"
Lynn Sr. pulled the phone back just as the adorable video came to an end, right when Lynn Jr. told Lincoln that him feeling better made her happy. "We gotta make sure to get this on the computer the second we get home!"
Between them, Lincoln trotted along, a hand clasped in each of his parents' own hands as they led him down the hallway. His mind was abuzz with what had just happened. Ever since the charm had been placed and Lynn had been called away by a friend for lunch, the fear that had been looming over him had been wiped away without a trace, replaced instead with those three things she had wished to impart on him.
Bravery, confidence, and most notable of all, love.
Lynn had sent him off with love. Did that mean that she loved him? He'd be so happy if that were true! Because…
His cheeks pinkened as a giddy little smile came over him.
Because he loved her!
"You sure are lucky, aren't you, Lincoln?" His attention was diverted from his thoughts instead to his mother, beaming down at him whilst her and Lynn Sr. lifted Lincoln off the ground, swinging him through the air between them. "Having a big sister who cares so much about you."
Lincoln giggled from his trip through the air. "Uh-huh!" He agreed, his sneakers swiping against the floor as he was brought back down. He beamed up at his mother and father, "Because of her, I'm not afraid anymore!"
"Wow, that charm must've worked wonders then!" Lynn Sr. said. He stuck his nose up self-importantly. Good thing I taught it to her! He mentally added.
Rita scoffed amusedly. She could practically read Lynn Sr,'s self-congratulatory thoughts. "That's wonderful, Lincoln," She said, squeezing his hand lovingly. "I'm sure Lynn would love to know her magic charm helped you."
Lincoln's blush returned and he looked back down, his bashful little smile showcasing his poorly hidden joy for his parents to quietly adore over.
He couldn't help it. Another one of his sisters loved him!
And now that he thought about it, he loved her, too! Why wouldn't he? Ever since his very first day with his family, she had been stalwart in being his ever-steady and ever-ready playmate. He still remembered that first time they had played marbles together, how they had laid side-by-side on their bellies on the carpet in the living room, Lynn patiently holding his good hand in hers and curling his thumb to better handle his marble.
When one thought about it, that was a miracle in of itself. He had been terrified of any and all contact back then, still a shattered little boy with a freshly battered heart, yet he had been more than willing to let his new big sister sidle right up to him.
Sure Lynn's general zeal had been a bit much for him to take in at first, his unsure self a little afraid that she was lulling him into a false sense of security in some nefarious plan to pull the rug out from under him, but over time, her continued efforts and the genuine enthusiasm she showed every time he agreed to play with her made it clear.
Lynn Loud Jr. meant no harm, she just wanted to be his friend.
And Lincoln had found a friend in her. His very first. And in just two short months, just seven measly weeks of playing out in the backyard, going down the slide, rolling the ball back and forth, and staring at the clouds, a bond had formed, one that would be unbreakable forevermore.
That of friends, possibly even best friends considering just how much they adored one another.
And because of that, Lincoln knew just what he was going to do the next time he saw Lynn.
He'd run up, give her a big hug, and tell her that he loved her! With a kiss on the cheek of his own to boot!
"Look, Lincoln!" That was a thought for later though, as the sudden announcement from his mother brought him back down to earth. "There's your classroom!"
Lincoln snapped up, his eyes widening when he saw just how close he and his parents were to the door framed by rainbow paper.
"Moment of truth time, squirt," Lynn Sr. said, crouching down to Lincoln's level. "Are you ready to meet your teacher?"
Lincoln continued gazing up at the door, emblazoned with several prismatic silver star stickers over the simple brown lacquered wood.
A tinge of nervousness crept up from the pit of his stomach. Lincoln though, just closed his eyes.
"I'll be with you, Linky. Even when it looks like I'm not." Lynn's words echoed through his mind, and in the darkness behind his eyelids, he imagined she was standing right next to him.
His anxieties truly stood no chance.
Lincoln opened his eyes and looked to his parents. "I'm ready," He affirmed with a beaming nod.
Lynn Sr. returned the smile and stood up. "We certainly have quite the brave boy, don't we, Rita?"
"We sure do," Rita agreed with a coo. She reached out and lightly tapped her knuckles against the door. "And he's going to be such an amazing student too!"
Lincoln believed them, and thanks to that belief, he faced the door without fear, even when it began to open.
"Oh, hello there!"
…
"So that was the little brother you told us about?" Margo, one of Lynn's friends queried when they sat at one of the dozen round tables that dotted the cafeteria floor.
Lynn set her lunchbox in front of her. "Yup!" She replied in a cheery chirp. "That's Linky!"
Margo brought her hands up to her cheeks, "He's so cute!"
Lynn smiled appreciatively, a drop of pride blooming within her. "Told ya!" She giggled, undoing the clasps of the lunchbox. Her eyes glittered when she saw the lunch her father had made for her that day; a turkey and ham sandwich on wheat bread with a cup of chocolate pudding, a small bag of pretzels and a carton of strawberry milk.
Her stomach gave an apprehensive little hop within her belly. Just what a hungry girl needed after a day of hard learning. Mmm! She thought, rubbing her hands together.
"So he's really been living with you this whole time then?" Before Lynn could dig into her food though, Margo spoke up again.
Lynn looked to her friend, "Of course! What, did you think he slept outside?"
Margo shook her head, "No, nothing like that. It's just still kind of hard to believe that you suddenly got a little brother out of nowhere."
Lynn sat up higher, puffing her chest out as she set her fists on her hips. "Well believe it! He's my little brother, through and through!" She set herself back down, a soft smile coming across her visage, "And life has been so awesome since he showed up!"
Lynn wasn't exaggerating, yes Lincoln had improved her life just by being there, but over time, she noticed another small ripple effect he had had on the Loud house, one that had improved her quality of life amongst her siblings.
Lynn remembered a few weeks prior to Lincoln's arrival. Her mother had sat her and her sisters down, telling them just how important it was for them to all be gentle with their soon to be brother, to keep their respective tempers in check so as to not make the transition into their family all the harder for the poor little thing.
They all of course agreed. Why wouldn't they? After hearing just a fraction of what Lincoln had been through, they knew they had to at least try.
And not only did they try, they most certainly succeeded. The Loud house, once a hot bed for sibling squabbling and fight clouds, had cooled following Lincoln's arrival; with situations that would have resulted in a tussle now tending to end much more amicably. For instance, a week or so beforehand, Lori and Leni had nearly come to blows over a dress, their faces cherry red as they both appeared ready to explode.
Then, Lincoln walked into the room, and all it took was a pair of wide eyes, a trembly lip, and a quaky, "Are you guys fighting?" to get them to forget all about their admittedly silly predicament, and to run to their little brother in a rush to reassure him.
All that mattered was making sure Lincoln knew he was in a home filled with love, for him, and for each other.
So yes, life had gotten better between the Loud sisters because of Lincoln, but if there was any sister whose life improved the most, Lynn would say it was hers.
Lynn had always been a bundle of energy, a lightning bolt in the form of a little girl that just had to bounce every which way until she just couldn't go anymore. It was just who she was.
And unfortunately, her sisters sometimes found that particular character trait of hers…annoying.
That word left a bitter tang in Lynn's heart every time it crossed her mind. That and a few choice others such as "brat", "pest", or "twit", all said to her by some of the people she loved most in the world. And she knew her older sisters loved her as well, but dozens of orders to go away whenever she poked her head into their rooms along with countless heated lectures about how bad she was every time she let a ball slip out of her hands or she bumped into one of them during a sprint made it admittedly hard to feel, or even fully believe that love she knew to be there.
She had shed more than a few tears into her pillow on lonely nights when that belief was particularly scarce.
But something happened when Lincoln appeared, when the Loud sisters all made it their mission to be more gentle for his sake.
They also started to act gentler with Lynn…
…
"Alright, squirt." Lynn watched as her father lifted Lincoln from their spot on the ground. "Let's get you to bed for your nap. You look ready to conk out right about now."
Lincoln took to his father's shoulder like a baby bird to a nest, having no argument over the fierce drowsiness that had overtaken him whilst he had been playing marbles with Lynn. "Okay, Mister Daddy…" He murmured with closing eyes.
Lynn Sr. smiled and began heading for the stairs, rubbing Lincoln's back to further lull him into dreamland along the way.
A frown crossed Lynn's face, only for a second though as it was wiped away when she saw Lincoln's eyes open to look out to her over their father's shoulder.
"Bye-Bye, Lynn," He mewled, lifting up a hand to wave sluggishly at her.
Lynn's heart melted and a sweet smile of her own came over her face. "Bye-bye, Linky," She said, offering a wave of her own. "Have a nice nap. I'll see you when you wake up, kay?"
Lincoln nodded before nestling back into the warm fuzzy green cloth of their father's sweater, allowing the sandman to usher him off to slumber in what had to be a millisecond.
Lynn continued to watch as her father carried off her beloved baby brother upward, waiting until they were well out of sight to say the next thought that came to her head.
"I love you…" She whispered, bringing a hand over her now surely molten heart.
And then she was alone again, and when the warmth in her heart settled, she realized as such.
She let out a despondent sigh and flopped back down on the carpet, eyeing the marbles left sitting in the ring of string in which she and her brother had been playing in.
Oh, Linky… She thought, picking up one of the marbles and holding it up to the light on the ceiling. I sure wish you didn't have to nap so much. I know mommy and daddy say that it's important that you get your rest, but it leaves me all alone…
She bit her lip and brought the marble down, Nobody else will play with me, after all.
"Oh, there you are, Lynnie!" Then, at the exact moment her thought ended, the cheery voice of Leni preceded her appearing in front of Lynn.
"I've been wondering where you are," Leni said, crouching down to Lynn's level.
Lynn quirked an eyebrow, "Hi, Leni. What are you doing here?"
Leni responded by gently taking Lynn's hand in her own, ushering her off her feet and bringing her along to the stairs, "Lori sent me to get you. She's calling a sis—a sibling meeting."
Lynn quirked both eyebrows, "A sibling meeting, right now?"
Leni nodded and began ascending the stairs with Lynn, "Uh-huh. Lori said there's something we all need to discuss, but can only talk about while Lincoln's taking his nap."
Lynn blinked, Wow, that was fast. She then remembered the marble she had been holding, now between her and Leni's palms.
Should she chance it? She already felt 90% sure about what the answer would be.
"Um…Leni?" She began in a demure softness. "Do you—do you maybe wanna play marbles with me after?"
"Hmm?" Leni glanced back at Lynn. "Did you say something, Lynnie?"
Lynn shrank away, "Um, no. I was just humming something."
Leni didn't seem to notice the way she recoiled, instead offering a cheery, "Okay." And looking back forward with Lynn's hand securely in hers.
She was probably gonna say no anyway, Lynn thought, biting her cheek morosely. Like a lot of the other times. Just like all the other girls…
Suddenly, she felt a hollow sensation in her chest.
Not long after, Lynn found herself sitting in Lori's room. Her usual preferred spot atop Lori's bed was left empty, Lynn instead choosing to somewhat hide herself away in the gap between Lori's bedside drawer and the bed proper.
She definitely felt rather small at that moment.
"Alright, everyone," Lori said, beginning the meeting by banging her flip-flop gavel. "I hereby call this sibling meeting to order."
"So what'd ya call us here for, Lori? Didn't we have a sibling meeting just yesterday?" Luan was quick to interject past procedure, her impatience with having her Sunday interrupted startingly apparent.
Lori gave Luan a sideways glare. "I brought us all here to discuss something important," She continued. She lowered her gavel and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "You guys remember what we saw last night?"
Everyone instantly knew what she was talking about, the earthshattering detail that had come to light about their little brother.
"Linky's scars…" Leni said in a whisper, her verbal confirmation sending a harsh chill down Lynn's spine.
Lynn couldn't recall a time before in her young life she had seen something so horrifying, so sickening, so disturbing to think about as the thought, no the fact that someone had harmed her beloved baby brother in such a viscerally brutal way. It had been such a shock to her young mind, that Lynn hadn't even been angry at Lincoln's mother. All her emotions had been laser focused into shock and sadness for her brother, who she had realized then more than ever really needed every single mote of love she and her family could give.
"Yeah…" Lori agreed.
"Why do we need to talk about that?" Luan distracted herself by tracing her finger along the carpet in little figure eights. "We all saw them and we all managed to make Lincoln feel better." She took a sharp breath through her nose and lifted her hand to wipe at the small bit of moisture that had accumulated at the corners of her eyes. "So there's no need to talk about it."
Luna stood up from her spot and went over to take a seat by Luan, taking her into her arms for a hug once she was with her.
"It's not the scars I want to talk about, Luan," Lori said softly. "It's what they made me realize." She took another deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking onward. "What we saw on Linc last night…It proved how much he's been hurt, and that made me realize, though we've never been that intense about it…"
She sighed and her shoulders fell before she lifted her hands to look at them.
"We've hurt each other quite a bit too…"
Lori's words were like a hurricane level blast of wind through the room, bringing out a harsh jolt from all the sisters.
We've hurt each other too? Lynn repeated the words in her mind before looking down at her own smaller hands. In her mind, she imagined the true events that paired with Lori's words, the times in which she had harmed her sisters in a bout of poorly handled anger that though forgivable due to the intense and tumultuous emotions that tended to plague those of younger years, did little in assuaging the sharp guilt that came in their aftermath.
I did… Lynn thought with a gulp,her little hands shaking. I hurt my sisters.
"Look guys," Lori went on, her and the other girls not noticing the way Lynn had paled in her spot between the bed and drawer. "I think anyone you'd ask would say we've all been doing a pretty good job with being gentle with Lincoln. And like I said, I don't think we've ever been nearly as bad with each other as his—" Lori took a moment to bite her lip, "—As that woman was with him. But the fact of the matter is that we could still be better with each other. And yeah, I know we can't be perfect, there will definitely still be times where we do get mad at each other, maybe even hit each other. But the least we can do is try, right? Try to be better? For each other?"
She stepped out from behind the podium. "Let's do a little exercise. Let's all apologize to each other. After that, we'll talk about how we can be better with each other in the future; gentler, like we are with Lincoln."
Nobody rejected the idea, their hearts swayed both by the persuasiveness of Lori's words, and the sudden need to make amends that had taken root in their hearts.
So the room was soon filled with the sisters making said amends, usually capping them off with either a strong hug, a kiss on the cheek, a pat on the back, or some combination of all three.
With a few notable exceptions.
"Luan, I'm really having a hard time taking your apology seriously," Lori said in a deadpan.
Luan slapped her knee whilst stuck in her doubled over state. "N-N-No, I really do mean it!" She guffawed. "I-I really am sorry for the time I put that whoopie cushion under your seat at the f-family r-reuni—BWAHAHA!"
Lori had to take a moment to remind herself that she was trying to put a moratorium on hitting.
Everyone continued with their apologies, everyone except Lynn, who had remained in her little crevice between the bed and dresser drawer, legs drawn up against herself and her arms folded across her knees.
"Lynnie?" It wasn't until Leni's soft voice caressed her ears that she looked up.
Upon looking into her big sister's kind blue eyes, Lynn felt the guilt that had been ruminating within her renew its assault, armed with a thousand memories in which she had expressed her ire at her big sisters, undoubtedly sowing the seeds for all those times in which they rebuked her.
It was no wonder really, she was a terrible sister.
She had to at least apologize, even if they didn't forgive her, she just had to.
"Leni…" Lynn crawled out from her little hideaway, going up to Leni with fumbling hands. She looked up at her, biting her lip as her vision grew blurry. "I—About that time I kicked a ball into your face, I…I'm sorry."
She had to bring up a fist to wipe that first pesky tear that threatened to come down. "And Lori…" She said, loud enough for her to hear a few feet away. "I—I'm sorry about all those times I pulled your hair. And Luna, I didn't mean to step on your headphones, but I'm sorry for that, too. And Luan, I know you're still mad about me breaking Mr. Coconuts, but he was scary!"
At that point, Lynn's cheeks were awash with tears, each desperately trying to be swiped away by the very hands she was hiding behind.
"Still…" She cried, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for being such a bad sister! No wonder none of you ever wanna play with me! I'm the worst sister ev—Mmph!"
Her words were cut off by the swift hands of Leni plucking her up and into her arms.
"Shh, shh, shh," She shushed while holding Lynn close and rocking her in her arms. "There, there, Lynnie. All is forgiven, sweetheart, all is forgiven."
Lynn, though still wracked with guilt, couldn't resist the warmth of Leni's embrace, snuggling into her comfort while her eyes remained shut and her body shuddered with the coughs that came with her heaving lungs.
"Hey, Lynnie…?" Lori's voice came next, and Lynn managed to pry open a single eye to peek out at her.
Lori smiled a bittersweet smile and reached out to place a hand on her back, imparting some warmth into her spasming muscles. "Remember all those times I yelled at you whenever you 'bothered' me in my room?" She rubbed a few circles into her babyest sister's back and leaned forward to give her a kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry about that," She whispered when she pulled back. "And I promise to be better for you, okay?"
Lynn coughed again, but managed a nod.
Suddenly, that hollowness within her felt a little less painful.
"Ditto for me," Luan spoke next, taking a seat besides Lori. "Sorry about all those times I pinched you or bonked you on the head." She crossed her arms and shook her head with a chuckle, "And even though I miss him, I'm sure Mr. Coconuts is making a few angels laugh in the big comedy club in the sky, so I guess I can forgive and forget, kay?"
Lynn's fingers clenched around Leni's shirt, an involuntary reaction to the next weight being lifted off her back with Luan's forgiveness.
"I'm sorry, too." Luna took a spot besides Leni, peering down at Lynn over her shoulder. She leaned down and gave their babyest sister a sweet forehead nuzzle against the crown of her head. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that back then. It was just an accident. Headphones aren't worth hurting your feelings."
Lynn gulped, and lifted her head to nuzzle Luna in return. A thank you for the next bit of hollowness that dissipated because of her.
Leni reclaimed Lynn's attention with another gentle rock, "Lynnie…I'm sorry for all those times I've hurt your feelings myself." She brought a hand beneath Lynn's chin and gently lifted her gaze up onto her and the rest of their sisters. "And thank you for apologizing to us," She went on. She smiled and leaned down to give her a sweet little smooch to her forehead, "But you are not a bad sister. To any of us."
Lynn sniffled, her fingers clenching Leni's shirt again. "I-I'm not?" She asked, looking to and fro between all her sisters.
"Of course not!" Luna exclaimed, weaving around Leni to hug Lynn from the side.
"Lynnie…" Lori joined the hug from the other side. "We love you."
"To the sun, moon and everywhere in between!" Luan finished, joining the hug from the middle and embracing Lynn from the back.
The hollowness sank away, replaced instead by a warmth that made Lynn's heart feel full.
"So no more feeling bad, Lynnie," Leni whispered, completing the four way hug with another affectionate squeeze. "All is forgiven. Okay?"
Lynn sniffled, her tensed muscles relaxing in her big sisters' collective affections as her heart overflowed with warmth.
"Okay," She whispered in reply.
There was no denying that the Loud sisters loved each other, but like all siblings, they were prone to squabbles, and in those squabbles, harm was sometimes inflicted, unnoticed until the arrival of their baby brother, who had been harmed in ways they could never imagine, in turn making them aware of what harm could do to the hearts of others.
In that moment though, they absolved themselves of the harms they inflicted on each other, resolving to move forward as better sisters not just for the sake of their brother who had so much love to make up for.
But for themselves as well, as they too deserved each other's love.
…
So yeah, Lynn wasn't exaggerating. Life truly had gotten better because of her little brother, both for her and the entirety of the Loud house. Sure there were still little tiffs here and there between the sisters, such as the aforementioned thing with the dress, but for the most part, slights that would've caused a fight cloud to spring up were handled much more amiably now.
For instance, when Lynn had accidentally barged into Lori's room without knocking, Lori simply gave her a pointed glare with her hands on her hips and asked, "Lynnie, did you forget something?" and Lynn just had to go back out, knock on the door, and wait for Lori to say she could come in. No yelling needed.
When she had been running around and accidentally snagged Luna's headphone cable on her arm, Luna crossly told her to watch what she was doing along with a warning that she could've tripped and gotten hurt.
It was stern, but again, no yelling, just understanding that it was an accident and a tender reminder to try to do better in the future.
Even better than the new mindful leniency she got; Lynn had been delighted in the fact that her sisters were now more willing to play with her. Whether it be marbles, a quick game of catch or even an impromptu game of tag, whenever Lincoln was occupied in some way or another, there was now a significantly greater chance of them actually acquiescing to her request for a playmate, and Lynn loved every second of it whenever they did!
Gone were the doubts, the hidden tears shed into her pillows whenever past lectures crept into her mind at night.
Her sisters loved her, just like she loved them.
And in Lynn Jr.'s young mind, Lincoln had been the catalyst to that wonderful change.
"Wow," Margo said. "It sounds like you sure got lucky your mommy and daddy adopted him."
Lynn nodded and picked up the first triangular half of her sandwich. "Yup!" She heartily agreed, her stomach rumbling when she smelled the decadent fillings that made up the contents between the bread. "Linky becoming my baby brother was a luckier break than me finding a whole field of four leaf clovers!"
Her stomach grumbled again, and not wanting to keep it waiting any longer, Lynn brought her sandwich to her lips.
"Oh give me a break!"
Before she could satiate her hunger though, Lynn heard a voice, a snide little voice that she had found herself unfortunate to have to contend with on a daily basis.
Lynn groaned and put her sandwich back into her lunchbox. "What is it, Stevie?" She asked, turning to glean a disinterested look at him.
Stevie let out a huff, "You're saying that fake little brother of yours is supposed to have made your life so much better? What a load of crock!"
Lynn's eyes narrowed and she stood up from her seat, going up to the boy who so insisted on being a thorn in her side. "He does make my life better, Stevie," She retorted, standing on her tiptoes to make up for their slight height difference. "And for the last time, Lincoln is my real baby brother."
Stevie sneered and crossed his arms over his chest, "Lincoln? I thought his name was Stinkoln."
A tinge of red crept into Lynn's vision and at her side, her fist clenched.
She would've thrown that fist, but the recollection of that fateful meeting with her sisters reminded her.
Hurt could not be so readily taken back, and though Stevie was clearly doing his best to ruffle her feathers, she had to try and abide by the agreement they had taken.
Avoid hurting others.
So, Lynn instead took a breath. "I told you his name a bazillion times, Stevie. If you still don't remember it, then you're just a dummy."
Then, wanting to end it there, she turned back towards the table to take her seat once more.
"Hey, who are you calling dummy!"
Only for Lynn to suddenly be launched forward by Stevie shoving her from behind.
"Augh!" Her cry was quickly followed by her chin hitting the edge of the table before she fell to the ground. To make matters worse, her hand had caught on the rim of her lunchbox as she went down, sending it along with the contents of her meal, so lovingly prepared by her father, splattering all over her.
Things went quiet and Lynn stared blearily at the ground as pudding dribbled down over her hair and her chin stung from the impact of slamming into the table.
Her lunch lay scattered around her, her sandwich and its fillings sprawled across the tile, her milk spilling languidly onto her scattered pretzels while her overturned pudding cup continued to rest on her head.
Her stomach growled pitifully as she beheld the wasted food, a sacrilegious scene amongst the members of the Loud family due to their shared instilled belief that food was not something to be wasted when there was a world of hungry people who were not as fortunate as them.
As she thought of that belief and the fact that her hunger was destined to go unabated, her lower lip trembled, her eyes welled up…
And the tinge of red returned, now a crimson shroud that overtook her fragile young emotions.
She knew that Lincoln needed all her parent's attention on that oh-so-important day.
But in the great expression of rage that followed, Lynn would unfortunately require some of that attention for herself in the near future.
She could only hope her little brother would forgive her for it.
AN: Hello again my dear readers. As always, I do apologize for the time between chapters. Between life stuff and the soul draining nature of work, energy and inspiration can be hard to come by. I hope you all understand.
In the interim, I want to welcome any new readers that have found this story and to all those who have been here for a while, I sincerely thank you for continuing to follow this story. I promise to do my best to have quicker updates to my stories in the future.
Now for our preview pow-wow. Oooooh, Lynn Jr.'s gonna get in trouble. We can only hope her parents will be understanding given the circumstances. Especially since her little magic spell gave Lincoln the courage to meet his teacher.
I hope you guys don't mind the focus on Lynn this chapter. One reviewer posted that this is the cutest version they've ever seen of her and I guess I got a little inspired. It's an interesting thought experiment. How would she have developed as a character if she had stayed the youngest for as long as she did? I decided I wanted to explore that. Plus, I got to throw in a "Brawl in the family" reference for fun because of it.
Next time! Lincoln meets his teacher! Lynn will have to face the consequences of her actions! How will that go? You'll have to stay tuned to find out in the next chapter of Family is Where Love Rings the Loudest, coming to a screen near you!
And as always, reviews and feedback are the lifeblood of a storyteller, so anything at all is always greatly appreciated!
Until then,
Manegie, out!