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“You’re a natural-born parent,” I told him

“I love children,” he said, s at the boys fondly Brennan looked up at him and pulled a squished, half-eaten jelly donut out of the front pocket of his overalls, handing it over with a huge sift and said sincerely, “Thank you I’ll save this for later” And then he actually put it in the pocket of his expensive dress shirt, which htedly

And then a realization hitI could never give hiically

“Kids always likeat Tippy and ruffling his fur The dog tilted his head and watched Dhed and said, “Oh God, that re up” He looked up atin Russian that I didn’t catch

“Chinook?” I repeated, even though that wasn’t quite what he’d said “Like the salmon?”

He sain – it sounded souess what it means?” And he tilted his head at me in that characteristic way of his, the sa his head at Dmitri

I grinned at hiuessed, “Puppy?”

He flashed a brilliant smile atnicknames ever”

“Oh, no it isn’t,” said Erin, who’d been sipping coffee and watching this whole interaction closely She grinned wickedly and said, “I can think of anickname”

My eyes ith horror, and I said, “Don’t you dare! Erin, if you say one ood on my threat I swear”

“What threat?” Dmitri wanted to know

“Her kids latch on to song lyrics like crazy,” I told hi my sister with narrowed eyes “So I have a piece of blackmail that I always keep handy for situations just like this If she lets ood on my threat to teach the boys every word to this really old, really annoying song called Rapper’s Delight That song drives Erin insane” I shot Maureen a look and said, “You hush up, too, Mo I have plenty of dirt on you as well”

“You don’t scare me, Tater,” Maureen said with a satisfied smile