“Here honey, pump the handle like this.” Gary gently pressed down on the top and caught the gel that oozed out with his other hand. He turned his cupped hand in the light and showed his niece how the purple crystals hung suspended in the goo, twinkling like stars.

The little girl’s eyes grew round and she immediately began hammering at the pump. The weak plastic whined with each abusive strike.

“Carefully.” Gary admonished. “You might break it.”

Lisa looked up at him with wide eyes. “Your pump can break?”

“Almost anything can break if it’s not being used properly.” Gary said. “Now do it like I did.”

His niece scrunched up her face and she placed two pudgy hands on top of the pump.

“No, not like that. You have to have one hand under the spout to catch the gel.”

Lisa ignored him and pressed down with all of her might, depositing a quivering mound of purple slime onto the white crosshatch of the tile of the floor. The young girl looked at her handywork and giggled. “I made a pretty mess!”

Gary sighed.