Sunday mornings in the Loud House usually meant chores, chaos, and the occasional flying pancake. But this time, Rita announced something that made everyone freeze.
"Kids, I've got a double shift today. That means I need one of you to be in charge while I'm gone."
Immediately, every sister shouted, "ME!"
Dante leaned against the banister, sipping orange juice, while Lincoln groaned. "Here we go again."
To settle it, Rita drew names from a hat. When she unfolded the slip, the house went silent.
"…Dante."
The room exploded.
"WHAT?!" Lori shouted. "He's not even a Loud!"
"He's practically family," Rita said. "And honestly, he's the only one who doesn't cause a fire when I leave."
"Debatable," Lisa muttered.
As soon as the parents left, eleven sets of eyes turned on Dante. He raised his hands. "Okay, let's just get through today without breaking anything expensive."
Easier said than done.
Lynn Jr. challenged him to oversee her "extreme training routine." Within minutes, he was dodging soccer balls in the backyard while holding a stopwatch.
Lola demanded he judge her pageant poses, complete with glitter explosions. He actually gave her helpful advice about stage confidence, which nearly made her faint.
Lana begged him to help fix her go-kart. Dante rolled up his sleeves and got grease all over his shirt, but the smile on her face was worth it.
Lucy appeared out of nowhere, asking him to critique her latest poem. He admitted it was haunting but beautiful, which made her vanish back into the shadows, oddly pleased.
Meanwhile, Lincoln sulked on the couch. "How come you get to be in charge? This is my family!"
Dante sat beside him, wiping grease off his hands. "Then help me out. Being in charge doesn't mean bossing them around — it means keeping things balanced. You know them better than anyone."
Lincoln blinked. "Huh. I… never thought of it that way."
The afternoon went surprisingly smoothly. Sure, there were a few mishaps — Lily finger-painted on the wall, Luan unleashed a whoopee cushion army, and Lori hogged the phone until Dante literally unplugged it — but nothing caught on fire.
When Rita returned home, she blinked at the mostly-clean living room. "Wow. The house is still standing."
"Barely," Dante muttered.
Lincoln stepped forward. "He did good, Mom. Really good."
Rita smiled warmly. "I knew I could count on you."
As the sisters groaned and scattered, Dante leaned back on the couch. "Next time, I'm putting my name last in the hat."
Lincoln grinned. "Nah, next time it's my turn."
But deep down, he didn't mind sharing the spotlight with Dante — not anymore.