I do not own The Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.
Chapter 27
Lynn's dream
Lucy stood with all her sisters, except Lily, in a remote part of the hospital so they could have some privacy. Lucy held Luna and Luan's hands while Lori had her phone ready. She gave an encouraging nod to the others before calling Lincoln's phone. However, something was wrong. The phone didn't ring and said the number wasn't available. Lori didn't quit and decided to call Lincoln's wife, Stella.
Stella was the happily married woman to Lincoln Loud and the proud mother of three beautiful children – two daughters and a son. The eldest daughter looked like her mother but had her father's white hair. The son was the middle child, and the second daughter was the youngest. The son and younger daughter looked like their father but with their mother's raven-black hair.
Stella was preparing dinner while her three kids were watching a show on Netflix when her phone rang. She saw the caller ID was her sister-in-law, Lori.
She answered, "Hey, Lori. What's up?"
"Hey Stella. Listen, I've been trying to reach Lincoln, but for some reason, his phone says the caller's not available. Do you know what that's about?" Lori asked.
"Yeah, Lincoln emailed me. His phone broke. He ordered a new one but hasn't gotten it yet."
Lori sighed while rolling her eyes.
"How can we reach him?" Lori questioned.
"He's in Japan working on his latest movie. I can email him, and he can Facetime you when he's available," Stella suggested.
Lori shook her head, "No, Stella, we need him now. It's . . . it's a family emergency."
Stella's eyes widened. She stopped working on dinner and gave Lori her full attention.
"What do you mean emergency? What happened?" Stella asked.
"We just . . . we need Lincoln, Stella. Please. Please tell him to call us right away. We got something to tell him that he should hear from us," Lori explained.
"Whose we?"
"Me and my sisters. Something's come up, and we really need Lincoln. We have to speak to him. Is there a way where we can speak to him right away?"
Stella looked out the window at the ocean, deep in thought. She knew something was wrong but could tell Lori didn't want to worry her.
"I'll . . . I'll call Lincoln's assistant and have him video call you from his laptop or tablet. Okay?" Stella proposed.
"Okay, that'll work. Tell him to call right away and that it's a family emergency," Lori stated.
They hung up, and Stella sighed heavily before calling Lincoln's assistant, Courtney. Courtney had been Lincoln's assistant for years – from when his comic book company got big and when he became a movie director and producer. She was a skinny brunette usually dressed in dress slacks, a white shirt, and a dress blazer jacket. She kept her hair tied in a ponytail with a pair of glasses.
"Hello, Mrs. Loud. Do you need something?" Courtney asked after picking up her phone.
"Yeah, just my husband. I need him to call me back now," Stella said.
"He's working out right now. He'll be done in an hour or so. I can have him call you after he's done."
"No, Courtney. I need him now. It's a family emergency. Please, it's really urgent."
"Okay, hang on."
Courtney got up and walked out of the luxury hotel lobby. The place was really fancy with its black marble floors, bamboo walling, big fancy paintings, and high ceilings with hanging glass lights. Before Stella called, Courtney was in the lobby working with the movie crew to organize everything to finish the movie. They just completed the big action climax. Now, all that was left was the ending.
Courtney walked through the long hallways. The hotel had its own gym. Lincoln was inside lifting heavy weights with his personal trainer coaching him for his next movie. To say that Lincoln was not that little kid anymore would be an understatement. Growing up and puberty have been more than kind to him. He was taller than his sisters and parents at a towering 6ft 5. His workout and diet paid off better than anyone expected. He was built like a tank of 225 pounds of muscle. His arms had visible veins, as well as his six-pack abs.
As Lincoln was bench pressing big heavy weights with his trainer spotting him, Courtney waved to the trainer, Dave, and pointed to the phone.
"Lincoln! Stop for a moment," Dave told him.
"What?" Lincoln asked.
"Courtney's here," Dave said as they rested the bench bar on the rack.
Lincoln sat up, panting steady breaths. His temple and the middle of his chest were wet with sweat.
"What is it?" Lincoln asked.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. Loud, but it's your wife. She's it's urgent. It's a family emergency," Courtney said.
Both Dave and Lincoln looked concerned. Lincoln squinted his eyes pensively as he got up, and Courtney handed him the phone.
"Stella, it's Lincoln," Lincoln spoke.
"Lincoln, you need to get to your phone or tablet and call Lori," Stella stated.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"She wouldn't say. She says it's a family emergency. They need you. Just call them."
"Okay. I will. I love you, honey."
"I love you too, Linky. Be safe."
"I will. Bye-bye."
Lincoln handed his assistant her phone back. He turned to Dave and said, " I have to take this."
"We're pretty much done for the day anyway," Dave said.
Lincoln went to get his laptop. Lori and the other sisters waited eagerly for Lincoln to call them. Finally, Lori's phone rang for a video call, and much to her relief, the caller ID said, 'Lincoln.' Lori turned to the others. Behind her dark bangs, Lucy was especially nervous as both her eyes and lips quivered. Lori pressed the green button, and the screen on her phone showed their beloved brother. Most of them were surprised with raised eyebrows to their white-haired sibling, who was so big, strong, and muscular.
"Lori," Lincoln spoke but raised his eyebrow in confusion, "Wait, is that Leni? Luna? Lucy? Are all of our sisters there?"
"Yes, Lincoln," Lori answered.
"What's going on?"
Lori glanced at the others before placing her phone on the stand and leaning it against the wall on the table so it could view everyone.
"Lincoln . . . you should probably sit down. We got something to tell you, and . . . it's not easy to hear," Lori said.
Lincoln squinted his eyes in confusion, "Why? What happened? Did Mom or Dad die?"
"No, this isn't about Mom and Dad. Lincoln, please just sit down."
Lincoln stared at her for a few seconds. Then he put the laptop on a table, pulled out a chair, and placed it in front of the table before sitting in it.
"Okay, I'm sitting. Now, tell me what the emergency is. What's going on?" Lincoln asked firmly.
Lucy's lips trembled as she glanced around at her sisters. Luna and Luan held her hands and her shoulders in reassurance. They looked back at Lincoln, and Lucy spoke.
"Lincoln . . . I found Lynn," Lucy said in a broken voice.
Lincoln's confused expression didn't change.
"Lynn who?" Lincoln questioned.
"Our Lynn, Lincoln! Lynn Loud Jr.! I found her! She's alive!" Lucy exclaimed with her tears escaping.
She covered her eyes and sobbed. Luna and Luan held her in comfort. The twins and Leni couldn't hold back their tears either. Lincoln's face slowly turned to shock as he stared at his sisters wide-eyed. Every hair on his body stood straight up. The blood on his face left him, making him look a little pale, and an ungodly chill ran through his body.
"What?" Lincoln spoke.
Lori's eyes were watery as she explained.
"Lucy found Lynn. She was at a book signing event. She got lost trying to find a coffee shop, and . . . and there she was. She found Lynn," Lori explained.
Lincoln's face slightly twitched.
"Lynn? She's . . . she's alive?" Lincoln asked.
Lori nodded.
Lincoln looked away, and then his eyes shifted around, trying to make sense of what was happening. For the most prolonged moment, all the noise just fell away. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't even hear his own heartbeat. All he could hear was a mild ringing sound like when someone was just told that they'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Lori explained how Lucy had found her but quickly noticed Lincoln wasn't looking or moving. She called out his name but got no response, so she called again louder. Then all the sisters called, "Lincoln!"
That was enough to snap him out of his daze as he looked back at his sisters. The corner of his eye was twitching, and his voice was hoarse.
"Lynn's . . . alive?" Lincoln asked.
Leni nodded, "Yes, sweetie, she is."
Lincoln adjusted himself in his chair while taking deep breaths. A chill went through him, and his head felt like it was on fire – he felt like he would faint. As he was breathing, he was doing his best to keep himself composed and not cry. His sisters saw it all, and it ached their hearts more than anything.
"How-how did you find her?" Lincoln asked.
"I found her," Lucy spoke, "I was at a book signing. I went looking for a coffee shop, but I got lost . . . and I found her. (chokes up with tears) She was living in a cardboard box in an alleyway."
"What?" Lincoln spoke while tilting his head.
"Lincoln . . . the reason why we didn't find her was because . . . she's been homeless all this time," Lori said.
"Homeless? What, like a hobo? Hobo-homeless?"
"Yes, honey," Leni answered.
"Wait, wait, wait," Lincoln said before closing his eyes hard while rubbing the bridge of his nose, "You're telling me that Lynn, our Lynn, Lynn Loud Jr., has been homeless and living in the streets for over twenty years?"
The girls nodded. Lucy's lips trembled as she tried so hard not to cry.
"Is . . . is she okay?" Lincoln asked.
Luna shook her head, "No, bro, she's not. That's why we're here at the hospital."
Lincoln gave a long blink, "What happened? Why-why is she at the hospital?"
"She got bit by a dog and stepped on a rusty nail. Her foot got a bad infection . . . and they—"
Lori stopped and turned to the others, and they all gave the slightest but most encouraging nod.
Lori looked back at her brother, "They had to amputate her leg . . . from the knee down."
Lincoln's eyes slightly widened as he sat back in the chair. He closed his eyes, and a tear from each eye rolled down his cheeks.
"What . . . hospital are you at?" Lincoln asked.
"We're in Detroit, the one in Midtown," Lana answered.
Lincoln inhaled sharply and cleared his throat, "Okay . . . I'll-I'll get on my private jet and fly out first thing in the morning where I am and-and try to be there as soon as I can. You didn't tell Mom and Dad, did you?"
"No, and we didn't tell Lily either," Luan answered.
"Don't tell them. I think the news alone would give them a heart attack," Lola said.
"Okay, I'm gonna get with my assistant and make some calls. Tomorrow, I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?" Lincoln said.
"Okay, we'll be here," Lori said.
Lincoln nodded, "Okay."
"Hey, Lincoln! We love you," Leni said comfortingly.
"I love you girls, too," Lincoln said before hanging up his laptop.
It was quiet for a while. The girls all had sad but concerned faces.
"Jesus, you were right, Lucy. I thought he was gonna faint!" Luna spoke.
"You could see the blood leaving his face. He looked so pale when we told him," Lana added.
"It's because he searched for her the hardest. He was the last to let her go when we all thought she was dead," Lori said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"And it was so hard for him to let her go and move on," Leni said with a bummed-out look.
"Guys, I don't want to make things worse, but what are we going to do with Lynn after she heals? And Mom and Dad . . . sooner or later, we have to tell them," Luan pointed out.
Lisa adjusted her glasses, "It's likely that Lynn will have to move in with one of us since she won't be able to take care of herself. And if what Lucy said is true, then something will have to be done about Lynn's substance addiction."
End of Lynn's dream
Lynn was so tired that she drifted to sleep. She was in the living room with her sisters, Lori, Lucy, and Lana. Lynn had mixed feelings about that nightmare. While she was relieved that her siblings cared deeply about her, she worried and dreaded the possible future of her being homeless and later losing a leg. Wondering whether or not these were just dreams or visions of the future terrified her.
When Lynn woke up, her drowsiness had left. She saw Lori, Lucy, and Lana taking turns playing Lincoln's video games. They asked him, and he said yes. Lucy was working on her dark fantasy vampire fanfiction stories on her notebook and laptop. Lola was thinking of ideas for her 'I Spy' photos on her notepad. Luan was in the kitchen with Luna, making dinner. Everyone voted for a breakfast dinner – pancakes. Luan still wanted to spice things up for the pancakes. So, she made options for everyone regarding what to put in them, like blueberries, chocolate chips, strawberries, cinnamon, and other stuff.
Lynn was never really into video games, but she liked to watch them. Lori was really into Jak 2 and 3. She was good at it and enjoyed fighting both the Crimson Guards and the Metalheads. Lana fell in love with Viewtiful Joe. She loved everything about it, from the graphics to the gameplay to the characters. Lucy liked Okami. The unique art style mixed with the incredible gameplay impressed her. She liked it enough that it made her smile.
Lynn rubbed her eyes as she sat up straight on the recliner chair.
"Where's Lincoln?" Lynn asked, looking around.
"He went on a date with his girlfriend, Stella," Lori answered as she was shooting Crimson Guards with the Yellow Blaster.
"When will he be back?" Lynn asked while rubbing her eyes.
"Probably not for a long while," Lana answered.
Lynn slumped back in the chair with a glum look on her face, and that didn't escape Lucy's sight. She glanced back at the others, and they caught her look before she turned back to Lynn.
"Hey, Lynn," Lucy spoke.
Lynn turned to her.
"Do you want to play Lincoln's video games?" Lucy asked.
"Eh, video games were never really my thing," Lynn shrugged.
"Come on, Lynn. It might be fun. You won't know until you try," Lana urged.
Lynn sighed and nodded. She picked Sly Cooper 2. At first, it was a bit of a slow start, but soon, it pulled her in. She liked playing Murray the most and kicking bad guy butt. The more she had fun, the more it made the other sisters happy – especially Lucy. Playing video games did get Lynn's mind off of all the negative things that have recently happened. Plus, anything to keep her mind off the nightmares was more than welcome.
Then, Lincoln finally returned with Rita. Rita had returned from nursing school, and Lincoln was back after his date with his girlfriend Stella, which explains why he was in his cargo jeans and wearing his red and black jeans hoodie.
"Hey guys, you're back," Lana said.
"Mom, how was nursing school? And Lincoln, how was your date?" Lori asked.
"It was good. I got stuff down and learned a lot," Rita answered as she put down her purse bag, "Where's your father?"
"He went out to hang out with his friend, Kevin. He said something about meeting his fiancé," Lana answered.
"Hmm," Rita nodded.
Lincoln went around kissing his sisters' heads.
"Lincoln, get everyone here," Rita said.
Lincoln went upstairs to get his sisters to the living room while Rita got Luan and Luna from the kitchen.
"So, Lynn . . . Lincoln and I talked to Dr. Lopez and Clyde," Rita started, "And Lincoln showed me his visions and . . . I trust Lincoln, and I need to trust you, Lynn. I need to give you a chance."
Lynn and the others looked a little confused with raised eyebrows. There was a long moment of silence before Rita spoke.
"I'm going to let you play sports," Rita said.
Their eyes widened.
"What?!" Lynn exclaimed.
"Both Dr. Lopez and Clyde came to the same conclusion. Lynn, your confidence is shot. That's why you think you're a bad person. What could have happened with the Bad Luck Incident and the Sister Fight Protocol has affected you more than the rest of us. Even though those events haven't happened and never will, you still think yourself a terrible person and a sore loser when you're not," Rita explained and then turned to her son, "Lincoln, tell her everything you told me."
Lincoln stepped forward, teleported his laptop into his hands, and placed it on the table.
"Lynn . . . not only are you one of the greatest sisters ever who has a heart made of pure gold, but you're an athlete. You love sports. It's your bread and butter. It's who you are. I believe in you. Your family believes in you. Your friends believe in you. The problem is there's one person who doesn't – the most important person that has to believe in you," Lincoln explained.
He hovered a mirror in his hands and held it before Lynn. Lynn's eyes widened slightly as she gazed at her reflection.
"This person you see needs to believe in you," Lincoln said before putting down the mirror, "You're not a bad person. You're not a bad sister. You're not a sore loser. You're afraid that you won't amount to anything in life, but the truth is you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Like changing who you are for someone you love. The old you, the Lynn who would treat me horribly, that Lynn is long gone. You did that. My sisters kicked my butt into shape, but it was you who turned me into a fighter."
Lincoln teleported his champion belt from the trophy cabinet and held it up.
"I never would have won this without you training me. That was you. You did that. You did something amazing. You figured out how to turn me into a fighter. However, there lies a problem, and this is where sports come in," Lincoln explained.
The sisters exchanged looks with each other as Lincoln talked. Rita stood close by with her arms crossed.
"Words alone are not enough to make you believe in yourself. Words alone are not enough to restore your confidence," Lincoln stated.
"Wait, that's why you want to put Lynn back in sports?" Luna asked.
"Yes, because actions speak louder than words. Sports are what made Lynn's confidence as strong as stone. Just like comics are what makes me tick, sports are what makes Lynn tick," Lincoln said before he walked over to Lynn, "We know about the voices in your head and the nightmares you've been having. We need to boost your confidence so we can do something about the nightmares and voices. We need to send a message to your heart and soul . . . and we need to send it loud and clear."
Lincoln went to his laptop and pulled up a video. It was a video from the movie Miracle, and it was the scene where Kurt Russel's character, Coach Brooks, was giving his team a pep talk about how to beat the Russians. Lynn and the others raised an eyebrow and tilted their heads in confusion.
"Lynn, you're the US hockey team. The Soviets are the nightmares, the voices, and the negative feelings. And Coach Brooks will tell you how to fight and beat them," Lincoln said before playing the video.
The girls turned to the laptop and watched the video. Coach Brooks stated:
"You don't defend them. You attack them. You take their game and shove it right back in their face."
Lincoln, keeping his eyes on Lynn, replayed the part where he said, 'You don't defend them' repeatedly. Then he replayed 'You attack them' over and over. The sisters' eyes widened slightly, getting what Lincoln was saying.
"The voices that are telling me I'm not good enough and that I'm a failure . . . I need to attack them. That's what you're saying," Lynn nodded.
"Exactly," Lincoln replied.
Then, he teleported Lisa's whiteboard to the living room. He wrote Lynn's name on one side and 'Nightmares & Voices' on the other.
"The nightmares and voices don't tell you what you are (crossing the names with an 'X'). You do (circling Lynn's name.) They don't tell you who you are. You do. They don't tell you what you're worth. You do. They don't tell you what to do with your life. You do. They don't tell whether you're a winner or not. You do. This isn't about trophies, medals, or some title. This is about sending a message to yourself and those voices and nightmares. Mom, permission to swear for one night, please," Lincoln said.
Rita sighed, "No f-bombs, but alright. One night. Then I want you back on good behavior like always."
Lincoln nodded in agreement and turned back to Lynn, "You know what that message is, Lynn? That message to the voices and nightmares is to tell them to get the hell out. This ain't their house. It's yours. The message is they can go fuck themselves and die. Because their time messing with your head with their bullshit and making you feel shitty is over. We are not going to leave you all alone. I will never abandon you, Lynn Loud Jr. Your family will always be there for you. You are a winner, and words alone are not enough for you to get that. Words alone are not enough for you to believe in yourself. Words alone are meager and fall short. Words, even the 'honest word,' are not loud enough. Actions always speak louder than words, and that's what we need. Words alone for common people, and like Coach Brooks said, common people go nowhere. Lynn Loud Jr. . . . we know you. We know who you are. You are not common. You are uncommon. You are unbreakable. You are strong, brave, kind, caring, remarkable, daring, adaptable, smart, creative, and sometimes larger than life. Win, lose, tie, it doesn't matter because you will play like the champion we all know you are. You're going to prove yourself that you can win without luck rituals and with good sportsmanship. By the time we're done with you, Lynn, your confidence will skyrocket, and other people like the NFL and the Marines will ask you for some of that confidence. Winning trophies are just going to be souvenirs you'll collect on the path you'll take to believe that you are awesome."
The girls widened when Lincoln swore, but they were amazed and moved by his words. Lynn was especially impressed. Her eyes glistened as she listened to Lincoln's speech. She felt her heartstrings tug when he spoke so highly of her. He really believed in her. Each member of the Loud family present in that room was inspired. They had small smiles and felt weak to the knees.
"Lincoln," Lori spoke, "Was all that at the top of your head, or did you write that down?"
"Yeah, bro, that speech was epic," Luna agreed.
"I got goosebumps, but in a good way," Leni said, feeling her arms.
"Well," Lincoln said, pulling out a notepad from his pocket, "I didn't write the whole speech down, but I wrote the important parts."
"Lincoln, you're right about all that, but . . . who is going to take me into their team? You're right about actions speaking louder than words, but who will take me in? Even with mostly everyone on my side about Scoots, I still really ruined myself by breaking her nose," Lynn pointed out.
"Well, baseball is off the table. So, we're going to move on to another beloved sport that you are great at – soccer," Lincoln said.
"Soccer?" Luan asked.
"Yep. Not to give spoilers, but I used my future vision powers to determine the best sport for you to make a comeback. Hockey and roller derby are too rough for my and Mom's taste. Golf is more of Lori's thing. Tennis wouldn't be as exciting for you. So, we went with soccer. If that doesn't work, we can go with basketball, but their schedule is a little tricky with you being in summer school. Tomorrow, we're signing you up for The Royal Woods White Tigers."
"White Tigers?" Lola asked.
"Yeah, they wanted to be the White Lions, but the baseball team already took it. The basketball team went with the White Hawks. So, soccer's got tigers. Also, I checked the schedules with the sports teams online, and soccer is the best one. They play after your summer school hours," Rita said.
Lynn looked away, rubbing her head, "I don't know, Lincoln. I know the coach. Coach Summers is a tough nut to crack. I don't think she'll let me in after what happened with Scoots."
"Lynn, I'm not just the Man with the Plan. I'm the master of convincing. Trust me, I know how to get through to people. Plus, no one is a failure if they have friends, and guess what? You have friends already on the team who will vouch for you," Lincoln replied.
Lynn's eyes widened, "Really? Who?"
"Paula, Margo, and Maddie. In fact, I called them and asked them if they'd vouch for you, and they said," Lincoln pulled out his phone and played the group phone call he had with them, "Heck yeah! Of course, we will! We got her back."
Lynn's eyes widened when she heard her friends say that.
"They said that?" Lynn asked.
Lincoln nodded, "You've helped me, Lynn. Now, it's our turn to help you. Not to steal from President Jimmy Carter, but the words from his speech about the crisis in confidence fit the situation here. It's time to stop crying and start sweating. Stop talking and start walking. Restoring that faith in yourself is now the most important task."
Lynn looked around at all her sisters and mother, who were giving her encouraging looks and nods. Lynn turned to her brother and let all his words sink in. She knew he was right. If he believes in her so strongly, then she can't give up on herself, especially not on her family. Lynn took a deep breath as she stood up straight.
"Okay. I'll do it. I'll get back into sports, and I'll be me again. I won't be a quitter, especially if my family is rooting for me. I won't flunk out either with my grades. I'll play my heart out and work hard. Also, you're right about Jimmy Carter's words. No more tears. It's time to sweat. It's time to put words into action," Lynn said.
"Heck yeah!" Luan cheered.
"You're ding dang right!" Lana stated.
"Absolutely!" Lola added.
"Atta girl!" Lori cheered.
"That's the Lynn I know and love," Lucy said.
"Who's gonna believe in herself?" Lincoln asked.
"Me!" Lynn answered confidently.
"Who's gonna take those voices and nightmares, bend them into pretzels, throw them into a blender, and feed them to a dragon?"
"Me!"
"Who's gonna kick butt and take some names!"
"Me!"
"Who's gonna be a winner and a champion down to the bone?"
"Me!"
"Who?! Tell me who!"
"Me! Lynn Loud Jr.! Me!"
The family cheered and squeezed Lynn into a group hug. After a long and passionate embrace, they got ready for their breakfast dinner.
Lincoln hugged Lynn and held her up. Lynn held Lincoln's shoulders, keeping herself stable.
"I'm not complaining, but is this going to be a regular thing with you?" Lynn asked.
"Absolutely. In fact, girls stay in the living room. I'm carrying all you girls to the dining room," Lincoln said.
"Why?" Lori asked.
"Because I want to, and I'm weird, but guess what? Normal is boring, and weird is interesting," Lincoln answered, placing Lynn in the chair.
"Oh please, you just want to show off how strong you are," Lynn said.
"Maybe," Lincoln smirked as he carried Leni.
"Well, I'm not complaining. It never gets old," Leni said while smiling.
Then Lincoln carried the twins. Each in one hand.
"Yeah, this is pretty fun," Lana grinned.
"A queen getting the royal treatment? How do I say no to that?" Lola asked.
"I stopped questioning it ages ago. I don't have to learn to love it because I already do," Lucy said as Lincoln carried her.
"Whatever, just don't drop me, please," Lori said as Lincoln carried her.
Lincoln carried Luna and Luan to the kitchen – a sister in each hand.
"It's never going to get old, dudes. Might as well get used to it," Luna said.
"I'm not lazy, but it is nice to see how strong Lincoln is now," Luan said.
Luan brought out Mr. Coconuts, "You're sure his name is Lincoln and not Hercules or Atlas? I can already see him holding the world if he can hold you."
"Hey! That's not nice, Mr. Coconuts. For your information, I've lost a few pounds lately," Luan objected.
"She's right, actually," Lincoln said while placing them down, "You're not as heavy as before."
"See? Even he agrees with me," Luan said.
"Oh please, he's your brother. Of course, he's going to agree with you," Mr. Coconuts said.
"You're cruising for a bruising, bub," Luan warned.
"Whoa, whoa, chill dudes. We got pancakes to make," Luna said.
"And they'll go straight to her thighs!" Mr. Coconuts hollered.
Luan growled at the puppet.
When Lincoln picked up and carried Lisa, she said, "Also, Lynn, you'll be satisfied to know that you won't be spending summer school with Mr. Bolhofner but instead with Mrs. Salter."
Lincoln placed each sister and mom in a chair.
"Wait, what? Really?" Lynn asked.
"Yes. Lincoln showed Stella and me a vision of what your summer life would be like with Mr. Bolhofner, and he wouldn't have helped you with your mental and emotional state since he is insensitive and cruel. So, Lincoln, with the help of his girlfriend Stella and their friends, created a distraction while I snuck into the principal's office to change which classes you should be in," Lisa explained.
"Oh, thank you. How the heck did you distract the teachers?" Lynn asked.
Lincoln played a video on his phone. It was of Lincoln with his girlfriend Stella, Clyde, Liam, Zach, and Rusty with all their girlfriends, Chloe, Polly, Tabby, and Giggles. They took the boys to the cafeteria, and the girls reacted to the scene from Tom & Jerry's Solid Serenade, where Tom pulled in what he thought was the girl's cat but was actually the dog. The whole time, the boys, including Lincoln, tried to contain their laughing. Stella spoke perfectly but used the full words from Zoot Cat, while the other girls used typical melodramatic lines.
Stella spoke while holding Lincoln, "I love you (kisses face repeatedly). When I'm with you, I'm what you call a hep cat (kisses face). I am hep to the jive. (rubs head and hair) I'm in the groove, darling. Now you set my soul on fire (kisses face). It is not just a little spark. It is a flame, a big roaring flame. I can feel it now. It is burning, burning, BURNING."
Most of the kids were giggling and recording, but the teachers all had their arms crossed or their hands on their hips.
"Okay, ya lovebirds. Show's over. Get off the tables," Principal Ramirez ordered.
"I know it's the last day of school, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. You kids still have to behave," Mrs. Johnson lectured.
Lincoln stopped the video, and all the sisters smiled and giggled. Lincoln held his head up and smiled confidently as he followed Luan and Luna into the kitchen. He helped them make the pancakes and brought them to everyone. The pancakes were a slice of heaven.
"And that worked? You got into the computer and switched me to Mrs. Salter?" Lynn asked.
"Correct. Mrs. Salter is more kind, caring, and sensitive to people's feelings. In addition to switching you over to her in the system, I spoke with Mrs. Salter directly and told her that she may have you in her class and she should be aware of your situation. Of course, she was completely understanding and assured me that if you were in her class for the summer, which you are, she assist you both academically and emotionally," Lisa explained.
"Well, that's good. Thank you. Thank you both," Lynn said.
"No problem. Mr. Bolhofner's not evil. He's just not the right person for the job," Lincoln said.
Lynn Sr. returned from hanging out with Kevin just as they finished dinner. He already ate, so he wasn't hungry, but he was bummed out that he didn't get a chance to have pancakes with his family.
It was Rita's turn on the Bedroom Clock. Lynn Sr. was at first confused, but after Rita explained everything, he understood. Before going to bed, he went upstairs to use the bathroom. While he was up there, Lincoln took this chance to ask Rita some honest questions. They were in bed, arranging the pillows and making the bed comfortable.
"Mom," Lincoln spoke, getting her attention, "Remember when I asked you if you liked Dad, and you said no?"
Rita hesitantly answered, "Yes."
"How do you feel about Lynn and the rest of my sisters? Be honest. Be completely honest. I won't judge or tell anyone. Do you like Lynn?"
Rita looked down with her eyes and sharply inhaled and exhaled.
"If I'm being brutally honest, honey . . . she's hard to swallow. She's not my first pick when it comes to which daughter I want to spend time with. In fact, I wondered why your father and I spent so much time with your sisters for a while, and I think I figured it out," Rita explained.
Lincoln's eyes widened slightly as he looked at her.
Rita turned to him, "Lincoln, you're not perfect, but you're not a recipe for disaster like your sisters. Yeah, sometimes you got in trouble and caused problems in the past, but not nearly as many or as bad as your sisters. In fact, you've fixed more problems than you caused. I think your father and I paid so much attention to them because we were trying to . . . to fix them or make them less problematic. They have such hobbies, and we were worried about what they could do with them as far as career-wise. I guess what I'm trying to say is your sisters didn't always have their heads screwed on right, but you always did. At least, your head is better screwed on right than your sisters. (scoffs) Still, though, that wasn't fair to you. You needed us as much as they did."
Lincoln wasn't sure if that made him feel better about himself, but he nodded.
"I see . . . and about Lynn, does she cause the most problems? Or she did in the past?" Lincoln asked.
"Well . . . her problems were the worst and most destructive. (deep sigh) However, after you showed me what could have happened, I felt profound anger and disappointment toward them. Never in all my years have I ever thought they would be capable of doing such horrible things. I still love them . . . and in some ways there is a part of me, deep down inside, that still holds a pill of disappointment in them. As well as myself. I know those bad futures didn't happen, but once you see something, you can never unsee it. It's going to take some time for that pill to go away, Lincoln, but it will. There will be a time when I won't feel disappointment toward them or me," Rita explained.
Lincoln heard where she was coming from. It made sense for her to feel this way. Seeing the bad things that your own flesh and blood are capable of will make you see things differently, especially your family. She is definitely right about seeing something and not being able to unsee it. Lincoln wasn't sure about his next question, but he wanted to know.
"Mom . . . am I . . . your favorite?" Lincoln asked in an unsure tone.
Rita gave Lincoln a long and gentle look before she reached out and held his hand. She rubbed his hand with her thumb.
"Lately, Lincoln . . . yes, you have been. I shouldn't play favorites, but if I'm being honest with myself and you, you're my favorite. You have more goodness in you than all of us combined, and that makes me so proud of you and so ashamed that I almost lost such a precious gift because of my stupidity and failure to be a proper parent," Rita answered.
Lincoln held her hand. His face saddened as his eyes glistened because his heart ached for the following question.
"Is Lynn . . . your least favorite?" Lincoln asked in a hoarse voice.
Rita looked away to fight back her tears as she pressed her lips hard together. She closed her eyes in shame. She knew she couldn't lie to her son. Her heart ached as she nodded. Lincoln remained silent. He couldn't help but feel guilty. As he was moving up and spreading his wings, Lynn had been suffering from depression and being everyone's least favorite, and the bad luck incident didn't even happen.
"Lincoln," Rita spoke, getting Lincoln's attention, "In your visions, is there an outcome where it's possible for her to . . . to end up homeless?"
"Do you really want to know?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes, Lincoln. Please, please, show me," Rita pleaded.
Lincoln pulled out two light orbs. One showed a homeless Lynn shivering in a cold alleyway. The other showed Lynn as athletic and strong. She was standing with a group of young women, all cheering in victory as they won the NWSL championship. Each of them had a medal around their neck, but the team held Lynn up as she held the trophy up high. Rita's eyes widened as she looked closely at the light orbs.
"I see two major outcomes. One outcome is that she becomes homeless as she sinks into depression. The other, I see her becoming an aspiring athlete. She reaches for the stars and becomes a champion. Either outcome can happen. It's just a matter of how much confidence she has in herself – how much she believes in herself. We have to help her and be there for her," Lincoln explained.
"We will be. I will be, but Lincoln, what Lynn is going through doesn't change that your father and I still need to connect with you. I have the day off tomorrow. So, you and I are going on a mother-and-son date while Lynn is at school," Rita stated.
"A mother-and-son date?" Lincoln asked.
"Yep. A whole day. Me and you. I want to keep bonding with my boy. This is the closest I've ever been to you, and I want to be closer. Also, I got some ideas for my book, and I want to talk shop about stories and whatnot," Rita answered.
Lincoln smiled, "Okay, Mom, but leave room in your schedule for the rest of your kids."
"I will."
With that, they went to bed, and Rita dreamed pleasant and beautiful dreams. Her dreams were of her books getting published and becoming New Times's best-seller. She was so proud, not only of what she accomplished but also of her son, who was there, and it was he who would make her books into movies and shows. Knowing they were visions of the future gave her more happiness as she held Lincoln close while they slept soundly.
