My dear Lolita, at last, you are safe. When you were born, your mother and I wept. Not because we didn't want you, oh we never had a thought akin to that. We sobbed for hours, and what might have appeared to have been joy to others was a deep pain in our hearts. For you, my angel. You grew, you grew, you grew. Into a lovely little girl. My lovely little girl. My angel. We had to keep you inside for your own good, we had to teach you about the world and how everything was out to get you. And you took that to heart. You knew that this was true. "Women," I cried, "always so defiant!"