"Mother!" Kathryn cried, releasing Dell. "How terrible! Gerald! What a stupid name. I love Bass, and you can't take him away from me."
"That wasn't very nice, was it, Amanda?"
"It's done," she said. "He's twenty-two, and I want you to talk to him, Kathryn."
Kathryn scowled.
"And I've arranged for you to go over to their house to watch Alice, if you must, Dell."
Dell forgot he was indignant. "Well, Kippie, maybe this one time you can do as your mother wants," he said. "Surely Bass won't mind if you miss him this once. He's an understanding sort of chap."
Kathryn thought for a moment, scowling. "All right, I'll do it—if you'll call me Kippie, Mother."
Amanda studied her. "All right—Kippie," she said finally.
After agreeing reluctantly not to call Replacements until Gerald had come and gone, Kippie wriggled into a Kippie-like position and poked her finger deep into her cheek again.