"Papa's always silly. He'd forget his own name if I used it all the time." And, cooties or not, Sophie shifts Sitara just enough so she can lean in and land a kiss somewhere between Adrien's cheek and the corner of his mouth.

"It's more a pet name, like mon chou." The sting that had prompted the phrase so long ago had long since left.

"Would you like to know a secret?" she asks Sitara.