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“Why Gilbert?”

“He was the first in our fa He was such a good boy, and in a sincere way He honestly cared about his mother, his little sister, his classmates at school, his country He was one of the first boys in the Hollow to sign up for the Army after Pearl Harbor He was the first e, much less finish it” Dick sirl, just a little, well, stupid But she was the first girl born to the faenerations, so she was special, too

“When their father died and hisends ht I didn’t tell her who I was exactly, just a distant cousin as interested insure the family ell taken care of I think she knew there was soht about me, especially when I told her I didn’t want tothe”

“I always got the impression that you were lucky to take care of yourself How’d you support a family?” I asked

“I have ways of htly offended “When Gilbert needed raduate school, I sold a kidney on the black market for tuition”

“We can grow those back?” I asked

“It wasn’t my kidney”

“And noe’re back to the disturbing territory I’m co patriarch In essence, you’re a total fraud”

He looked chastened “Don’t tell anybody”

“Are you going to tell hiht to know he has some family left”

“What a into the store and shout, ‘Hey, pal, wanna go outside and play catch with Grandpa?’ “

I shrugged “Well, you ht want to work your way up to catch He does have that bad hip You should at least think about telling hiot to lose?”

Dick tucked his canines over his botto self-assurance, fell away as he said, “What if he’s ashamed of me?”

“You’re a varandpa on the block He’ll be thrilled”

“I’ll think about it,” Dick said Suddenly, he raised his voice and poked h this Don’t try to nudge the situation along Don’t drop hints or ues or—”