[This she listens to with interest, perking up a little, despite the cold and the winds, the way the rain patters steadily against the drop of the awning.]

Oh, I know. [Her tiny smile widens some.] Try telling that to my dad, though. I did once when I was eight [someone, an aunt or a teacher, had given her a medical book and she'd read it voraciously, and read it over again whenever she got bored.] and he didn't let me leave the house until I was in four layers of clothes. He still doesn't.

[It's said fondly, however, with an edge of exasperation that's more for show.]