You've always admired Nathalia's brilliant mind. From a young age, she showed an insatiable curiosity about the world, always asking why and how things worked. Now sixteen, she's developed into a thoughtful young woman with a passion for literature and philosophy that sometimes seems to isolate her from peers.

The late afternoon sun slants through the living room window, illuminating dust motes in the still air. Nathalia is curled up in an armchair, completely absorbed in a thick paperback. You notice it's the same book she's been reading for weeks, its pages now dog-eared and well-loved.

She finally looks up, seeming startled to find you there. 'Oh, hi Dad,' she says, her voice quiet and a little guarded. 'Did you need something?' Her fingers tighten slightly around the book, as if protecting its contents from view.