3.9 Unresolved

Vincent's not able to move out before a tragedy befalls the household. 

RIP Hawky! We'll all miss you! 

Of course his grandparents choose this moment to come over for a visit. They're impatiently waiting for Olivia to join them for the hunt. She's taking so long that Felix resorts to calling her cell phone. 

It's a bit hard to adjust to the lonely bus rides, but Lincoln does his best. He spends a lot of the ride now quietly absorbed in his thoughts. 

It's a bit difficult for his parents as well. Normally Vincent is lurking around somewhere, looking miserable while he does his homework. 

They miss him. 

But they all find their own rhythm again. 

Olivia repurposes the nursery into...a nursery. But for plants. (Badum tss!) 

I'm here all week. 

"Kipper!" 

He finally lashes out against bath time. He's been weak-willed for too long! Kipper will revel in his natural musk! 

Evan's held up at work, but Olivia is free when Lincoln's badging ceremony comes around. 

She seems more proud of Lincoln's badges than he is. 

This activity was just something to do after school. Lincoln finds himself to be...not so attached...to the outdoors, unlike his mother. He enjoyed watching the older scouts make rafts, learning how to make fires, and traps... but roughing it in the wilderness wasn't so nice. He's too happy with things like their futuristic shower and his inventing bench to really enjoy camping. 

"I'm sorry I missed the ceremony," Evan apologises as the pair returns home. 

Lincoln just shrugs before going to his room. 

"Is he alright? I hope he isn't mad at me," Evan worries. His parents were never there for any of his school events. It didn't bother him consciously, but he knows it hurt inside... 

"To be honest, Lincoln wasn't so keen on the whole thing either. I've never seen a kid look so disinterested when the spotlight was on them!" Olivia chuckles, "But I think he's alright." 

Evan's relieved, because he anticipates some other late nights in the future. He takes his career very seriously. 

Why else would he be talking to this fox thing? 

How does that jetpack stay on??? 

Aaaand bills! 

Evan barely avoids running into Lincoln on his way out of the house. 

"Well excuse you too," Evan mutters. 

Despite Lincoln's disinterest in the outdoors, Olivia wonders if a family camping trip is in order. It would help them bond! 

Evan's not so keen on spending time in a tent, either. 

"Sorry, love. I think you'll have to stick with your full moon camping." 

Olivia's a bit disappointed, but one benefit of staying at home is caring for her garden. 

Her plants are coming along nicely! 

Lincoln comes home and takes a cautious look around...

"Hey, Kip! Wanna go out for a walk?" 

Kipper loves walks and Lincoln hates homework, so win-win! 

Once they get to the dog park Lincoln unclips Kipper's leash. He trusts Kipper not to run off into traffic or anything crazy. 

Kipper makes his way to the toy box, eager to play. 

Lincoln ends up playing chess with this elderly woman. 

"You know, you kinda look like a guy in a family photo we have," Lincoln tells her, "Any idea why that is?" 

Sadie looks at him, squints, and stares at him so intensely for a moment that he thinks she's trying to see into his soul... 

"You're very...blue," she finally says, "An alright colour. Better than red, like the Sim Nation president!" 

Lincoln frowns. He knows the President is his grandmother, the one they do not speak about at home. "She's red?" 

"Like blood," Sadie nods, satisfied, "I don't like it." 

Sadie used to have red hair, but she would insist that it's a different shade than the one Naomi likes to wear. Lincoln isn't aware of this, but it's better not to get sucked into that kind of argument. 

"So...do you know my grandpa?" 

"Hm? Calvin, my older brother...he was green. Also not a bad colour." 

Lincoln sighs. They're not getting anywhere. Later on, he will ask his father about this woman and learn that Sadie, his father's aunt, still lives in her parents' old home and has meanings attached to colours and patterns that only make sense to her. Evan will also tell Lincoln not to worry about her because she still lives with several of her siblings, a sister-in-law, and two adult nieces.

When Lincoln asks why they don't ever visit them, Evan will suddenly change the subject, letting the matter go unresolved for many years. 

Lincoln realises that it's time to go home when Kipper starts tearing up the park furniture. 

But his mother beats him to it. 

She's relieved that Lincoln's just playing chess in the park under adult supervision, but it could have been worse. 

It takes her some time to track down Kipper, but thankfully he's just hanging out in the women's bathroom. 

"Lincoln, you can't just go out past sunset without telling us where you are," Olivia sighs. "Me and your father didn't know where you were, we were so worried!" 

"But I took Kip out on a walk, like I'm supposed to..." 

Olivia's expression becomes bemused, "That walk is only supposed to last an hour. It's almost eight in the evening." 

"But we weren't doing anything bad..."

"I know, Lincoln, but if we don't know where you are, we'll get worried. What if you're hurt and we can't find you? What if your cellphone dies and we can't come get you?" 

Lincoln sighs. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, he just wanted to have some fun... "I'm sorry, mom." 

"Let me or dad know the next time you want to go out, alright?" 

"Ok..." 

"Now, you need to do your homework, mister." 

"But moooooom," Lincoln protests. 

"No buts! It's way overdue, come on now." 

Lincoln sighs, but pulls out his homework. 

Much to his confusion, when he complains about school being boring and the work being pointless, his dad smiles and says, "Atta boy. Still have to do it, though." 

***

The next morning, Vincent comes over for a surprise visit. 

"Did I...come at a bad time?" Vincent looks Evan up and down. 

"Naaah, it's alright. I can go get dressed later. What's up? How's the new place?" 

"It was nice, but lonely. I just moved in with my girlfriend." 

"Oh, that's great! What's her name? What does she do?" 

"Her name is Linda and she's...retired." 

"She's...what?" 

Vincent's a bit embarrassed, but manages to tell Evan about his new girlfriend. 

"It's a crazy story, really. A girl from school reached out to me, saying she thought we might be siblings. She heard from her dad a while ago, who let it slip that she had a brother in town. She knew he worked with our mother, and read about your 'brave decision to take in a distant relative' and put two and two together. It turns out that my...dad... got another woman here knocked up before he skipped town. We had the science lab do some DNA tests, and it turns out we're half-siblings! Both related to the one and only Abner Dickerson. I went over to her place to get to know her better and met her mother...Linda." 

Evan is, understandably, concerned. 

"Vince...she's old enough to be your grandma."

"Only barely!" 

"Vince-" 

"I know! It's really...unexpected, for me too. I didn't think I'd be able to relate to her, with the huge age gap. But she's such a wonderful artist, she helped me get over my insecurities, my perfectionism...I'm happy, dad. Can't you be happy for me too?" 

"I'm still going to worry," Evan tells Vincent honestly, "But I'm happy that you're happy." 

Olivia is harder to bring around. 

"Vince, that's really not normal. What is she thinking, getting involved with someone so young?" 

"We're artists, mom. We've borne our souls for each other on canvas! It's not a normal relationship." 

"Vincent, that's exactly what someone who wants to manipulate you would say. You've only known her for a few weeks and you've moved in together already?" 

"You just don't get it! You're better with animals than people!" As soon as Vincent says it, he regrets it, but there's no going back now. "You wouldn't understand the kind of connection we have!" 

Olivia's face betrays the hurt she feels, but she keeps her voice steady. 

"You're right, I don't understand." 

Vincent looks away, clearly troubled, but doesn't apologise. "I'll be going now." 

His parents wince as he slams the front door shut. 

Lincoln is very confused when he comes home to such a somber atmosphere. Evan tells him that they got into an argument with Vincent and that mom is just sad. They won't tell him what the fight was about, just confusing Lincoln more. Why won't anyone tell him anything? 

------------------------------------------

AN: Decided to cut the chapter short here. Next chapter Lincoln ages up to teen! 

Vincent really did start dating the much, much older mother of his half-sister. I normally let huge age-gap relationships in my games slide, but this was too odd for me not to look at! If I remember right, his girlfriend is a descendant of the Ivanovs.