Loud Visions

Chapter 12

"You're seriously defending him?! Did you literally not hear a word we said?!" Lori demanded.

She was so angry you could feel the fire in her breath.

"Instead of doing his job as a parent to protect, he just sat on top of a truck like a little crybaby thumb sucker! How are you okay with that?!" Lynn shouted.

"Kids, I'm asking you to be reasonable about this. When something happens, and everyone panics, that causes you to panic, and when you panic, your mind doesn't focus very well. Your father is not good in hot situations," Rita started.

"What are you saying?" Leni asked.

"I'm saying that while Lana was screaming for help, how could he have known it was Lana? How many people were screaming for help? Don't you think more than one person was screaming? And more than one parent brought their daughters. Don't you think they were screaming for help as well?"

Everyone was baffled at what Rita was saying.

"Are you excusing Dad's behavior? Are you saying that he didn't do anything wrong?" Luan asked.

"I'm saying your father didn't know what he saw or heard. Adrenaline was pumping in his body like crazy. Everyone was screaming. He couldn't tell if it was you screaming or someone else. He wasn't the only one that brought his daughter, and you weren't the only one calling for help, Lana," Rita explained.

The sisters all glanced at each other in awe of what their mother was saying.

"But I saw him! I saw him see me!" Lana objected.

"Maybe your father was looking in your direction, but his vision didn't focus on you per se. The point is, kids, you can't blame or judge him too harshly."

Lori scoffed a chuckle as she rolled her eyes, "I don't believe this."

"You're excusing him, Mom. Your rationalization doesn't change that Lana almost got killed, and Dad didn't do anything about it," Lisa stated.

"I'm saying it wasn't his fault that he got scared," Rita replied.

Lincoln rubbed his eyes while shaking his head and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Lincoln, honey, come now. You can't be too harsh on your father, either," Rita said.

Lincoln turned to her, and he spoke in a tired tone, "I . . . I really don't like who you two are right now."

His parents' eyes widened, and the sisters turned to him.

"I think . . . I think I can't stay here. I'm going to ask if I can crash at Clyde's for a while," Lincoln said, getting up.

His sisters crowded around him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Lincoln, Lincoln, stop. Please, you can't go," Lori said, holding him by his shoulders.

Leni and Luna held him from behind.

"Why not?" Lincoln asked.

"Because we need you here. Lana needs you," Lori answered.

Lincoln's eyes widened slightly. He turned to look at her and saw her eyes so huge that no one with a heart could resist. Lincoln nodded in agreement before hugging his older sisters.

"Okay?" Lori asked.

Lincoln nodded again.

"Good, now go shower. Oof."

"Yeah, bro. You smell like Lana after a mud bath," Luna added.

"Lana, do you want to shower first, or can I go?" Lincoln asked.