“She was also his kittykin, his poochums, his mousikins, goosikins, monkeykins, sparrowling, kidlet – since he was not keeping a list he feared he might be repeating himself (he was); he worried he would run out of critters (he did not) – his skunky, his bird of paradise, his mothling, kitty-cat, roosterkin, mousie, tigercubkin.”