"You don't have to patronize me," she points out, and even before the words have left her mouth, Claire realizes the absurdity in saying something like that to him. "Then again I guess you do." It's hard to explain the ways in which he sounds different - because all the major points are there just with something... less - but she doesn't feel so stuck on pins and needles the way she did back when she knew him in his later years, even if they were buffered by padding after a while.

She lifts one of her braids to demonstrate, then pulls off the ridiculous cap she's wearing over the yarn to scratch at the sweaty tufts of hair sticking up in crinkles along the top of her head. Looking no less ridiculous this way, Claire asks, "Are you going to let me in or should I just push by you and hope for the best?"