[ She takes the shift in subject in stride. It can’t be easy discussing your child with someone you aren’t well-acquainted with. Maybe it’s a topic they can come back to at a later time. Maybe not. But she isn’t going to try and force it. ]

Well, now that we’re doing this together, if we split up, it’s pretty much guaranteed that we’re going to die.

[ It’s said with a straight face and a deadly serious tone. Yes. They’re absolutely going to die. Mhmm.

And then she cracks and snickers. ]

I’m pretty sure the city wouldn’t bring us here to only be murdered by little balls of light.