Violet laughed and Lizzy giggled in the kitchen as they were swiping cupcakes while Jack and Sebastian weren’t looking and keeping themselves hidden. When the doorbell rang, Violet went to open it with her dads. Lisha also went to go find Beatrice, who was actually in the garage with Bella attempting some kind of trick with a pull-up bar.

Lizzy waited in the kitchen and happily finished her cupcake, having the time of her life, when a woman walked in, and she completely froze. Lizzy at the woman with an odd curiosity. It had been a few years, but she thought she recognized her, though she looked a lot less sickly than the last time they met.

“Is something wrong?” the woman asked nervously. Lizzy suddenly knew who she was thinking of when she heard the voice.

“Diana, is that you?” Lizzy asked. The woman froze and tilted her head.

“My name’s Diane... With an E. I think you may be confusing me with someone else.”

“Really…? You two look so alike though. Like you’re doppelgangers. Well, except that Diana looked-“

“I’m sorry, but there’s nobody here tonight named that.” Diane forcefully interrupted. They had a moment of locking eyes. Lizzy knew she wasn’t saying something, but didn’t know what. But she clearly knew something about her cousin.

“Do you know her?” Lizzy asked quietly.

“I knew someone named Diana. I thought she was a friend once. Then she almost got me in a lot of trouble. Now we don’t talk anymore.”

Lizzy finally realized what had happened. Diane didn’t meet Diana. She was one of Diana’s hosts. The knowledge of it started to make her feel sick. She bowed her head and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-“

“No, it’s alright.” Diane said. “Diana still calls sometimes, but I haven’t answered in years. I’ve got all I need without her.” Lizzy fell silent and Diane tried loosening her expression. “You must be my niece’s friend, Lizzy, right? She’s told me a lot about you.”

“Y-yeah! And you’re her Aunt Diane I guess. She’s told me about you too.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Like-” She didn’t know anything about Diane besides her name and eating disorder. She had to guess traits fast. “Like how you…um, you have two kids; Lizzy’s cousins.”

“Oh yeah, Ben and Sophie are a handful, but they’re good kids.”

“I’m sure.” They kind of stood there awkwardly. 

“I know you want to go play with the kids.” Diane said, dropping the friendliness and looking even more like Diana. “You can go now.” Lizzy nodded, swiped four cupcakes in one swift motion, and ran out of the kitchen before Diane could say anything about it. When Lizzy went into the living room, she saw Violet laughing with two other kids that she presumed to be Ben and Sophie.

Sophie was Lizzy and Violet’s age and looked quite tall, about 5’10, but had a typical body shape. Her hair was a dirty blonde color and was cut down to right above her shoulders. She had on a pair of shorts and a loosened black belt around her waist. Sophie’s shirt was pink with the words “Wild Girl!” printed on it. It was a gift from Bella on her last birthday. Her earrings here shiny black and white skull designs, and she had a matching designed ring on her finger.

Ben on the other hand was dressed a lot more discreetly than his older sister. He could’ve only been a couple years younger, but his whole demeanor made him seem like he could’ve never been from the same family as her. He had on a sizable solid dark green sweater that concealed any indicator of what his body type really might’ve been. He also had on jeans that looked about a size or two too big, but were firmly held up by a belt. His side swept brown hair almost reached his droopy eyes, which made him look quite tired. Lizzy couldn’t tell if he actually was or not with a pair of boxed glasses hiding any bags that might’ve been there.

Violet and Sophie were talking, and Ben was standing close behind his sister, peering down at his phone with interest. When Lizzy entered the room, Sophie perked her head up and pointed at her.

“Is that the friend?” she asked with excitement.

“That’s the friend.” Violet confirmed.

“I’m the friend.” Lizzy said with a nervous laugh. She would’ve waved to them if she had any free hands, which made her remember why she swiped the confections. “You want a cupcake?”

“You bet!” Sophie said, accepting her gift and taking another from Lizzy’s hands. She turned around and held it out to Ben. “Come on Benny bro, take a treat.”

“I told you that’s not my name…” he mumbled. Sophie sighed and toned down her eagerness and excitement.

“Come on Ben, take a break from your comics for a bit. You can read them after the cupcake, alright?”

“Hm…” Ben looked at how nicely Sophie was asking. “Alright.” He put his phone away and took the cupcake.

“Hey, can you be a saint and throw my wrapper away?” Sophie asked him, holding out her cupcake wrapper. Silently, Ben took it from her and she thanked him. Without saying a word he also took Lizzy’s and Violet’s and left for the kitchen where his mother was.

“Is something wrong with your brother?” Lizzy asked.

“Don’t mind him.” Sophie laughed. “He’s always off in his own world with comics and heroes and stuff. Sometimes he forgets to eat… and drink… and sleep… and use the bathroom… and anything else that might be important.”

“Sounds like… quite a talk to take care of, but I was talking more about how he…”

“His shyness?” Sophie finished. “He doesn’t like new people all that much, but trust me when I say he’ll warm up to you. Ben just doesn’t like to get out really. He's a bit afraid to get out of the house. Try to not raise your voice too much or get in his face or he might shut down for the rest of the night.”

“I’ll try.” Lizzy said. “He just seems so much more different than…”

“Than me?” Sophie laughed. “Yeah, we get that a lot. I promise he’s a lot more energetic and outgoing in private when he’s warmed up to you.”

“It’s true.” Violet confirmed. “You have to earn his company. Sophie on the other hand will force her way into your home if it means she can make another friend.”

“Don’t say it like that!” she laughed, giving Violet a little shove. “Besides, we’re here for you, not me. Happy birthday!”

“Sophie,” interrupted a man behind them. “Where’s your brother?” He was just shorter than the girl and his brown hair was just about as long as hers. The tired expression in his eyes matched Ben’s, but it looked like he was coping with it a lot worse, yawning and roughly blinking every few seconds.

“Go take a nap, dad,” Sophie sighed. “Ben’s with mom.”

“That’s honey.” he said, smiling weakly and wandering into the kitchen.

“Your dad looks like death.” Lizzy pointed out.

“He pulled an all nighter and an all dayer too.” Sophie said, concerned. “He’s been doing it a lot lately. We had to help him out of the car while mom went inside.”

“Why doesn’t he just take a nap or you know… sleep?”

“Dad says writers never sleep. He keeps up with just his willpower.”

“When Uncle Kevin’s more awake he’s fun.” Violet promised. “He does look a bit soulless right now though.”

“Oh, if it’s soulless, he said having kids does that.”

“My dads never look that soulless.” Violet said. “What about your moms, Liz?”

“I don’t think my moms have souls.” The other two girls laughed, but Lizzy had serious doubts that either of them did have a soul.

“Birthday girl!” yelled Jack from upstairs. “Who’s ready to get blessed by the birthday fairy tonight?” Violet dropped her cupcake and looked around.

“Not the birthday fairy…” Violet whispered. “Not again… Dad, where are you?!” she yelled, looking around paranoid.

Violet walked to the stairs just in time to see Jack in a fairy costume and dangling off the edge of the 2nd floor railing, held up by a rope that Sebastian was holding onto like his life depended on it. Meanwhile Violet was pacing the ground floor and looking like Jack was tap dancing on a nuclear warhead.

“Dad, you said you’d never do this again!” she cried.

“But honey, it’s your 16th! The birthday fairy must come out again!” Diane walked out with Ben clutching at her leg with crumbs still on his mouth and Kevin leaning on her shoulder. She saw Jack in his costume hung in the air and sighed.

“Jack, the last time you did that you broke a leg.” Diane pointed out.

“Buzzkill.” Jack scoffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

“Because breaking your leg again wouldn’t kill the mood.”

“I wanna do it right this time,” he said confidently. “Sebby, lower the fairy!”

“This is the last time… I do this…” Sebastian grunted as he slowly lowered Jack. He stopped right in front of Violet and pulled out a wand and tapped her on the nose.

“I hereby grant you the age of 16!” he said proudly. He then looked up. “You’re good now Sebby.” As soon as he said that, Sebastian let go of the rope and Jack fell about a foot and hit the ground, getting back up in no time. 

“Next time just a toast would be fine.” Violet laughed, hugging him and burying her face into his shoulder. Sebastian walked down the stairs to receive his hug too. “And you should talk him out of doing it next time.”

“I tried.” he moaned. “I couldn’t win.”

“Hey,” Diane barked, getting real serious all of a sudden. She took out a pad of paper and a pencil and put on a sly smile. “Are we playing Pictionary or what?”