Gideon sighed and leaned back in his chair. вЂњEnough! Gideon, not another word until I say itвЂ™s your turn. вЂњYouвЂ™re copying me!вЂќД«elle held up her hands at them both. вЂњWe canвЂ™t both be him!вЂќ TГ©a looked outraged by the notion. вЂњTГ©a,вЂќ Belle said, вЂњjust because Gideon wants to be Doctor Strange for Halloween doesnвЂ™t mean you canвЂ™t be, either.вЂќ TГ©a grinned, showing off a gap in the row of her upper teeth. вЂњIвЂ™m your favorite character?вЂќ Gideon quipped. вЂњI want to be Doctor Strange for Halloween! I told Gid a long time ago that heвЂ™s my favorite character!вЂќ TГ©a gripped the edge of the table like the reins of a bronco. вЂњYes, heвЂ™s a comic book character,вЂќ Gideon said, as though it wearied him to explain what to him was a self-evident fact. TГ©a sat still, then glanced at her mother with feigned befuddlement. Somewhere in that cough came out the phrase, вЂњComic books.вЂќД«elle snapped a stare at her. вЂњStephen Strange,вЂќ Gideon said with crisp articulation. Her face started turning red, like she was trying to hold in a volcanic outburst.Д«elle knew to get to the point of GideonвЂ™s side before the explosion happened. вЂњI said you could speak after Gideon was done.вЂќ

As it turned out, sheвЂ™d become an expert, startling even Rumple with that edge of authority. SheвЂ™d worried in the early years that sheвЂ™d never get the hang of being stern with her children. вЂњTГ©a.вЂќ Belle spoke low but punched the вЂTвЂ™ in her name. I mentioned that Robin, Neal and I had made a deal to dress up as superheroes this year for the school Halloween dance. вЂњWe were having a conversation about our Halloween costumes. Belle didnвЂ™t doubt he put on a similar show for his school teachers. He looked like a law student ready to deliver his opening statement at a mock trial. He made sure to sit straight, gaining a few years on his countenance. Now, what are you and she arguing about?вЂќ вЂњWell, you didnвЂ™t,вЂќ Gideon said, his voice bouncing with smugness. TГ©a immediately whined, вЂњI was gonna guess nine!вЂќ

TГ©a guessed ten while Gideon guessed nine. This happened a couple more times before Belle picked nine. Now, IвЂ™m thinking of a number between one and ten. вЂњAll right,вЂќ Belle declared once the children promised not to speak out of turn, вЂњI want to hear both sides. With no ready answer to TГ©aвЂ™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, thatвЂ™s not fair, TГ©a could pick any costume she wanted. TheyвЂ™d spoken so quickly that sheвЂ™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.

The sorcerer once upon a time