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"He’s for me?"

Samuel chuckled a little, "I can’t take hiosh, Sa with new appreciation at the adorable creature beforeBetween chickens and horses and the various scrawny cats that ended up on our back porch, we had always had plenty of aniht was incredibly appealing I scoopedhi as his wet nose brushed my cheek

"Do you think your dad will let you keep hiave me a moment’s pause And then I considered how little I truly asked for My dad wouldn’t hesitate for a ht him home and told my dad I wanted him, he would be mine to keep "My dad won’taround, sniffing at this and that

"What are you going to call hi down fros out in front of hihtfully "I named all my chickens after literary characters, so maybe Heathcliffe? That would definitely re hts on the bus I immediately felt a rush ofdeparture

"Heathcliffe is that fat cat that likes lasagna in Grandpa Don’s Sunday co reed we didn’t especially like Heathcliffe" He studied my face, and I saw a flicker of my own melancholy mirrored back at me

"You’re right Maybe I should call him Rochester for Jane’s true love I could call hiht on it a moment and then rejected it out loud "No" I shook my head "I want to name him for you But I don’t want to naht for aback to him "Yazzie"

Samuel’s lips quirked and he looked down fondly into my upturned face "Yazzie is perfect Granduardian named after another"

The newly named Yazzie climbed into my lap and plopped doith a tired huff He laid his head on his paws and i for you too" I retrieved one of the packages lying next to me I handed him the cassette first I’d wrapped it in plain brown butcher paper Samuel was not the ribbons and bows type

He ripped off the paper easily, holding the cassette up in the fading light, ," he read out loud "You recorded it?" His voice rose with excite?"

"Your song," I replied shyly, pleased by his response

"My song," he repeated, his voice just above a whisper

"Here" I handed him the other present He didn’t have to open it to knohat it was He shook his head as he pulled the paper froed our friendship upon He smoothed his hand over the cover and his eyes reift

"This is yours, Josie You don’t want to give this away You love this book"