Page 410 of Wicked Brutal

Becca says something in Arabic.

“BECCA. Use one of the ones I know.”

“Learn more.”

“I’m ten. And I already speak three languages.”

“English doesn’t count.”

“It absolutely counts.”

Katya’s voice comes from the doorway — Russian — and Tobias whips around to answer. Theodore is behind her carrying two catering boxes, his wedding ring catching the light.

Katya starts laughing, and Becca joins her, and Tobias groans. “You’re all annoying.”

Piper appears. “What’s annoying in French?”

“No,” I say.

Bella answers from directly behind Katya, and Tobias whips around. “Why would you tell her?”

“You’re creating a monster,” Iz tells her.

“You helped.”

“I taught him proper French.”

“And I improved it.”

“Your French isn’t better than mine.”

“My everything is better than yours.”

They came in the door mid-argument and they’ll leave the same way; four years hasn’t changed that. Tobias says something in French, Bella answers, Iz cuts in, Becca joins them, and within seconds all four are arguing.

Piper looks at me. “Grenouille.”

“Exactly.”

Then everyone else starts arriving. And arriving. And arriving. Nobody waits at the door. Nobody asks where anything goes. They know. Alice walks straight into my office to leave a folder of new illustrations on my desk. Saoirse puts her bag beside mine, because apparently we are discussing nonprofit work tomorrow morning whether I like it or not. Louise sees the frosting on Piper’s dress and looks personally wounded. Clifford tells his wife it’s children’s clothing and therefore functioning exactly as designed. Louise tells him to stay out of it. Gideon and Walter take over the grill with Ryan. Cassandra comes through from her house carrying the serving bowl I forgot over there yesterday. Delilah gets ambushed at the door by Piper demanding to know whether she brought art. Arthur steals something off Katya’s tray and gets his hand slapped. Theodore kisses his wife and steals something anyway.

Thomas walks in carrying two trash bags, because Cat intercepted the literal Governor of Massachusetts outside and informed him the bins were full.

“Really?” he says to his daughter.

“You have hands.”

“I have people for this.”

“You’re at a four-year-old’s birthday party.”

Kaid raises his drink. “Welcome home, Governor.”

Thomas flips him off. Piper appears. “Dollar.”

Thomas looks down. Then silently reaches for his wallet, and everyone laughs.

And just like that, our house isn’t ours anymore. It’s theirs. All of theirs. The girls crowd the kitchen. The boys take over the yard. The parents drift between both. Tobias disappears with his friends and comes back whenever he smells food. Piper runs from person to person like she personally invited every one of them for the sole purpose of worshipping her. Which, honestly, she probably did.