[The first remark has her smiling small over her work, but she says nothing in response. Instead she moves on to the next fruit, skinning and quartering it as mechanically as the first.]

It's a dish from home. [From one of them.] The fruit is pureed with a liqueur and allowed to chill and age, then swirled in with a sticky grain. It's a dessert meant for a special occasion. This fruit isn't exactly what we need for it, but it's close enough to pass.

[Click, click goes the heel of the knife.]