"It's almost noon. Hope she shows up...it's boring in here..."

The sky was a harsh gray and the winds grew violent on this morning as Lincoln and a sleeping Lily in her car seat took shelter for the coming storm in this nearly empty Catholic church that reside close enough to the bus stop he'd said they'd be waiting next to. The boy, hair shaggy and starting to show his age, sits in the back of the pews made of mahogany and scans the entire room. The oddly golden orange lit room showcased a massive room, trimmed with gold and white craftsmanship and caked with some of the best imitation of old Renaissance architecture in a modern setting. Not good enough compared to the actual styles of old, but good enough to pass as the real deal to some. Along with the dense orange light that the chandeliers casted with minor help from the many lit candelabras. Faint traveling light from the sky outside hits the many stained glass windows to allow a ghoulish blue light to balance to color in the room.

Lincoln leans back. The young man wore a gray hoodie, a plain orange t-shirt underneath, dark blue pants that are slight baggy, and a pair of black sneakers. Not the normal attire one dons while attending church. The boy thought about taking a nap as he waiting for his ride, but is cut short as the priest walked through the doors leading into the room. The white collared soothsayer walked along the Masonic checker board patterned nave to the altar to only end up speaking to some of the other members there. Lincoln takes a moment to look at the group of people standing on the altar and then decided to look behind them. The biggest beacon of attention reside there and it was an outrageously detailed rose gold or some stained gold centerpiece of Jesus on the cross. Lincoln studied it from where he sat to see every strand of hair, every body detail from rib linings and wounds and even the crown of thorns that rested on his head looked sharp enough to cut anyone who was dumb enough, or brave enough, to touch it. Lincoln scoffed at the sight and returned his attention to the priest.

The father seemed to be making his way into his fifties and his hair was beginning to grey along with his full beard. Lincoln stared at him as he was leering into the very soul of the unnamed man, looking for a flaw to justify this ministry he was chomping at the bit to pretzel. Lincoln thought about all the common cliched stereotypes one can have for a minister in a Catholic setting. Maybe this minister were like many other ministers and had a kiddie porn dungeon and a sick attraction for his alter boys. Maybe he was one of those strange offset types who has a secret room at his home that's wall to wall with Nazi paraphernalia from pictures to helmets to weapons to the Nazi flag itself. Lincoln joked within the catacombs of his mind that this religion has a New-New Testament that says the church shines a sign of acceptance of alter boy fisiting rape, judging how quick the church and the cult like community that surround it is quick to protect its ministers. The boy shook the thought of preachers dressed as Nazis and looking for poor children to sodomize and sighed. Sure he was Catholicism-numb.

He was only trying to distract himself from the facts that's leading him to live back home. With all his sisters. The fact his father was gone.

A month ago, Lincoln lost his father to what was called a heart attack. Lincoln remembered that the mix match family were about to have dinner before Lincoln's stepmother, who he kept calling Ms. Aster, started an argument with Lynn Sr. The two had a heated vocal match before Lincoln's father gripped his chest and fell to the linoleum flooring. The next day, Lincoln hears his father is okay and would be coming home the next day only to find out, sometime during the night, Lincoln's father just stopped breathing. Though the details of his father's death seems odd, it was written off as failure on the hospital's night staff and just failing health in general. After burying him, Ms. Aster somewhat disappeared entirely. She was just gone without warning, leaving it up to the courts to try to make Rita, Lincoln's mother, his guardian. However, though she's been released from the psyche ward, she has also asked to join a rehab program in Arizona to help her not jump back to her terrible drinking habits and isn't available enough to take care of Lincoln and Lily. With options almost ruled out and the possibility of foster care at the door, the courts try a different approach and decided to ask for the care of Lincoln and Lily to be given to the eldest sibling: Lori. Being labeled as an adult in the eyes of the state, Lincoln and his baby sister are now in her care and are going to move in with them. Movers took all of their belongs to the house and now all the two had to do was go there themselves.

Lincoln looks to his sleeping little sister as he sat of the pew, with a slight feeling of dread looming over him like the storm clouds taking their places in the skies above. The thought of returning to that house with his sisters was still very concerning. There's been no call, no letter no anything from back home. The only person he's had contact with is Lynn. Though she's still in the disciplinary school, the two send letters to one another and Lincoln visited there as often as he could, despite his father's pleas to refrain from it. Through the letters, Lynn makes barely any mention of her other sisters over the time they've been writing. Lynn mentions one afternoon when Leni visited out of the blue about a month ago. She stated that Leni was in a gray sweatsuit and looked pale. She recalled she talked in cryptics and what sounded like verses to a song or something. The visit lasted about five minutes and all Leni could say in the end was "I'm sorry" before getting up and leaving. That note sat in the back of Lincoln's head.

There was no way to know before hand just what has been going on back home. Lincoln wasn't as naive and quick to assume like he did once he served his time, and he wasn't going to be caught off guard now that he has to go back. Now with Lily at his hip and Lynn most likely going to be let go in a matter of days, he had no choice but to be cautious and keep his eyes open. He wanted to believe deep down that all of his sisters cleaned up their acts and changed there ways, but something told him in the back of his head that not much has changed. If anything, things could have gotten worst. Lincoln wanted to shake the thought but turned his attention to the confessional booths across from the main altar and stared at it like it was a beacon of hope. Though the idea of clearing himself of his sins seemed like a good idea, the idea of hope turned into a scheme of blind failure.

Lincoln just shook his head. Going into a confessional is just going to therapy with a deity stabled poorly over it. Why would one spill their guts to a stranger who can't actually help them? A pill for this on one end, a few Hail Marys on the other. Lincoln didn't want to see a reason for him to emotionally filet himself.

Before he can resume his generation X teenage way of thinking, he gets a text on his phone. It was from Lori. Basically, it told him she was mere moments away from the church and to make his way out front. Lincoln puts the phone away in his pocket and looks under his pew to pull out a bag. He digs in the bag aimlessly to find a blanket. He covers up Lily in case it rains and lifts the car seat handle upward. He grabs ahold of the handle, picks it up and made his way for the door before stopping for a moment. He turns to the altar once more to see the behemoth of an icon in rose gold once more. The idea of Jesus, a man who died for the sake of everyone else, rubbed him the wrong way. Lincoln just thought Jesus should have played it smart and saved himself when he had a chance. That is, if Jesus was ever real to begin with. Lincoln didn't think so. He turned his attention to the door and walked into the lobby area before he stops once more. There was this sign by the door. The sign was in a cheap brass plaque that read in off putting black letters in all caps 'TO SEEK IN HE, WHO SEEKS HE, SHALL FIND'. Lincoln groans and walks outside to the fairly wide parking lot onto the sidewalk in a scene all too familiar.

Lincoln sits the sleeping baby next to him as he was gearing up to wait before the sounds of a engine came coming down the road. Lincoln watches in self-righteous silence as the car comes to a clean stop right in front of him. There it was, the same lightly dented Ruidoso brown 1978 Lelend L'accord that came to get him last time. All he was waiting on now was a rough looking Lori to come outside the car to see him. The drivers door open and Lincoln rolled his eyes, not in the sense of being rude, but in a sense he's still very skeptical about this whole situation. Lori walked out of the car and to the sidewalk. Lincoln looks at her for a second and froze.

This..couldn't be right.

Lori stood there in front of him in a black turtleneck sweater with short sleeves. She had dark blue jeans and a pair of jet black tennis shoes. For some reason, she was wearing black gloves. On top of the, her hair was lush and clean, she smelt like cinnamon and vanilla, and on top of all that...she was smiling. Not a toothy smile but an honest smile.

Lincoln backs up a bit before Lori moves in and hugs him tightly. Lincoln felt like screaming bloody murder, but doesn't. The hug seemed...warm. Comforting. No hint of malice was detected. Lincoln breaks the hug to see the sweet smiling Lori in astonishment. The storms cracks and growls overhead, Lori, without saying as word, picks up Lily in the seat while opening the car door behind the passenger seat and buckles it up. She gently shuts the door and gestures Lincoln to get in. Lincoln, still stunned by just how calm and different she was compared to how he left her. He slowly gets into the car, buckles up and Lori starts driving towards home.

As they start driving down the road, a tune starts playing on the radio-an old tune. Sounded like its was recorded in the 1940s or some time close. The song was easy to listen to and had an old R&B swing to it. However, Lincoln was lost on the track for a split second, feeling it was implying.

I don't want to set the world on fire

I just want to start a flame in your heart

In my heart I have but one desire

And that one is you, no other will do…

Before Lincoln had a moment to analyze the lyrics, Lori turns down the radio and takes a deep breathe.

"Welcome back, Lincoln" Lori said calm and sweetly.

Lincoln is lost. He looks around the car to see it was...clean. No stains. Soda cans were gone. Everything was up to code as if the inside of the car was gutted and redone. Then he smells the air. That same vanilla and cinnamon scent. The harsh smell of lit tobacco wasn't present. Lori noticed Lincoln wasn't looking at her and figure he didn't hear her.

"Did you hear me, Lincoln?" asked Lori as she kept her eyes on the road.

Lincoln stopped what he was doing and looked to Lori.

"Uh, yeah. I heard you. Sorry…" Lincoln said sheepishly.

Lori moves her hand over to Lincoln and pats his head and pet his hair. She giggles a bit.

"Someone needs a haircut, huh?" Lori joked, hoping to kill the silence between them.

Lincoln darts his eyes toward her. Though it was still very strange and the overall tone is still very odd, he could tell she was really trying her best. He puts on a smile and a dry chuckle.

"Nah, I was thinking about keeping it long and shaggy. I think it makes me look older" said Lincoln, still holding his smile.

"Well, it DOES make you look handsome" Lori said nicely.

Lincoln kinda retracts and leans in his seat, not finding that statement easy to take in.

Lori looks to Lincoln and covers her mouth, realizing what she said.

"Lincoln…" started Lori. "I know I've done and said some things a while back that have made you want to hate me, but I want you to know I've changed-we all have."

Lincoln sighs.

"You...y-you do know why I'm not really ready to believe you a hundred percent, right?" asked Lincoln.

Lori nods.

"We put you through so much then but I'm here to say sorry for every horrible thing I've said and done to you...and tried to do to you. That's all in the past. I'm a better woman now" Lori assured.

Lincoln believes it to be genuine, but something just bugged him.

"You may have changed, but what about the others?" asked Lincoln.

"Like I said, we've all changed for the better. Everything is better than it was before. We're almost a different family entirely" Lori insisted.

Lincoln looks out the window.

"Lincoln, I'm not saying I'm worth forgiving but I am asking for the opportunity to prove to you that we love you and we're better then we were before. Isn't that what you wanted?" Lori asked.

Lincoln, still staring outside as the rain starts to drizzle, sighs and looks to Lori. Lori turns on the heat in the car and looks to Lincoln with a sweet smile. Lincoln was still unsure, but knew he can't keep acting like this. Lori seemed truthful and Lincoln did want them to shape up so they could be a family again. Lincoln scratches his head and huffs.

"Maybe I prejudged you, Lori. I'm sorry..I need to learn to trust again" Lincoln said honestly.

Lori pats his head.

"Hey, what's with the gloves anyway, Lori? It's not THAT cold outside" Lincoln asked nicely in jest.

Lori pulls her hand back over to her side of the car, and lightly shakes.

Lincoln looked at her as if she had a third eye.

"I-I'm just a little bit cold, Lincoln. Sorry-short sleeves and such" Lori defended.

Lincoln started at Lori a bit from the corner of his eyes to see she was sweating on the corner of her face. He knew she turned on the heater not too long ago, so why say that?

Lincoln decides to push forward, feeling that settling on the matter would be best.

"So, what is everyone like there? Has everyone changed as drastically as ya leading on?" asked Lincoln.

Lori smiles again.

"Everyone has changed completely, little brother. Trust me-you're going to like being home again. For real this time" Lori said with glee.

Lincoln was finding her peppy attitude somewhat refreshing.

"So, what about Lynn? When will she return?" asked Lincoln.

"Tomorrow. I'll have to have Luna pick her up" said Lori calmly.

Lincoln got quiet.

"Ya...think that's a good idea, Lori?" asked Lincoln.

"Well, those two have some bad blood and if Lynn changed just as much as the rest of us have, she'll be willing to give her a chance. How can we heal unless we make the effort to do so?" Lori commented.

"Are you sure?" asked Lincoln.

Lori chuckles.

"Trust me, Lincoln. I learned on big lesson in this time apart" she said sweetly as she slowly breaks at a stop sign.

"Uh, what is that..?" Lincoln asked.

In that moment, Lori's smile fades to a plain expression and her eyes, once full of life, grown dim and soulless. Lincoln is taken aback.

"That the fear of the unknown is more pleasing than the pain of knowing...so, sometimes...questions aren't the best thing to look for. ..sometimes you have to take what is given to you; fact or not.." said Lori in a monotone fashion.

Before Lincoln to ask a question, Lori snaps back into her peppy mood.

"Oh! We need to hurry back! I nearly forgot about the party!" said Lori happily.

Lincoln's brow rises with concern.

"Uh...party? What party?" asked Lincoln in worry.

Lori slowly turns to him and smiles sweetly.

"Your homecoming party, Lincoln. We been waiting for you!" Lori said excitedly.

Lincoln was lost as Lori drove past the stop sign. It seems like she changed but something again seemed off. Lincoln shook the thought. This is a happy day. He was just being cynical. It's just teenage angst. Nothing more and nothing less. Lincoln stares out the window as Lori starts to hum. However, the humming sounded kind of sad. Lincoln decided to let Lori have this moment and not question everything.

After all, there was a party to enjoy.