"No, no, don't apologize." She holds her hand up as if she can stem his apologies or take them back for him, letting the book drop into her lap. "You don't have to navigate it, it's your life. I get it, I do, and I'm glad I could help."

The unspoken but is so loud it's practically deafening.

"You have a really good thing going, especially now that you get out of the house and interact with adults on occasion. You know, Sofia has structure and people she can depend on, and you're doing amazing. You're such a good dad, it's... ridiculous."

It's still there, like Jumanji drums thundering in the background.

"I don't want to intrude and before you say I'm not, please let me finish. I'm the least dependable person you know, and we both know that. I don't even know if I'm staying. I don't know if I'm going and then coming back or going and staying gone or staying and then going. But I can't subject Sofia to that uncertainty. Or you."

She can't fall in love with that baby and then leave her except that is exactly what she is doing before that baby can get attached.