Nod. "And there's really no way he comes out ahead, here. But I've met people like his kid before - there's really no way he's going to get what he wants, either."

"Everyone can just become their true selves. This child is young and has not found theirs, yet. It will become clear in time."

"That might be true," he nods. "It's not that kids like them never grow up into adults with a straightforward gender. But they'll remember being hurt over it, too, even if they do; they already resent him, and that's not going to get better if they stay."

"And you expect taking them away will make them not resent us?"

"It has the best chance, out of anything plausible. I don't know them well enough to say how likely it is, though."

"It makes little sense. They should thank me for showing them their true self."

"Humans vary pretty widely; there's a pretty good chance that this is their true self."

"...I do not understand. But it has been years."

"Mmhmm. That's what I mean by it being their true self - they aren't going to stop, because they can't, it's part of them."

"Very well."

"Thank you."

"I will want to talk to you about this again in the future."

"I'm not sure when I'll be out this way again, and if you want it explained -"

"I already have a specialist on the way; he'll be there in a few months."

"I shall wait for them."

"I'll tell him not to dawdle."

"And we'll be leaving in the morning. I don't get the impression they want to see their father again."

"They are unlikely to. Go. You both have my thanks."

He bows and goes, retracing his path through the restaurants to pick up dinner and then returning to the hotel room.

She is napping.

He quietly sets the food on the bedside table.

She wakes up but doesn't move when he approaches her, the only evidence of this being the way her breathing hitches and changes a bit. She doesn't even open her eyes.

...well.

"Hey, just me, I have dinner."

She opens her eyes then sits up slowly and peers at the food.

He made a guess that meals generally consist of approximately one thing, here, and that seems like the opposite of what's needed today. There are small portions of two different fish dishes, one chicken, one pork, a couple kinds of vegetables, and two desserts; enough for two, maybe two and a half dinners. "Go ahead and have whatever you want, I already ate."