This happened a couple more times before Belle picked nine. Now, I’m thinking of a number between one and ten. “All right,” Belle declared once the children promised not to speak out of turn, “I want to hear both sides. With no ready answer to Téa’s accusation, Belle demanded that the yelling stop immediately and that the kids, who were glaring each other down over the kitchen counter, sit at the table. No, Gideon had already picked and she should just pick another one. Something about how girls should dress up as girls, that no, that’s not fair, Téa could pick any costume she wanted. They’d spoken so quickly that she’d caught only snippets as she entered the kitchen. Belle was still reeling from the heated argument between her twelve-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter.