“Ask if they have peanut butter.”

“I'm a child because I like peanut butter?”

“No, you're a child because of the way you eat peanut butter. No one over the age of ten should finger dip jars and as I'm being kept in the dark over your age, I assume that you are over ten.”

“Ava, you're asking me not to touch you. That goes against all of my instincts.”

“Better?" he asks as he looks up at me. "I'm sorry. For everything, Ava.”

“There are lots of things you can do, Ava. But I can't ask you to do any of them.”

“No. Have a bath with me.”