Those Who Are Stifled

At friends' house while checking on their cat, Amelia:

(Scene: the Bean holds a stuffed cat with his face torn off, and I am "assigned" to play with a plastic Kewpie doll we call Cabeza and a small brown pig-like animal. They sit next to me on the couch.)

"Call Amelia. Tell her come here."

"Amelia! We want to play with you."

"No no no no no"--(shaking her head and looking disappointed)--"Let THEM talk."