“We very sorry,” Lottie replied contritely. Her smile was sweet, but it was too sweet. It felt practiced.
“Dancing Krampus very soft fur,” Mina’s son blurted. Veck nudged him. “I not scareded. I Berk. Berk a warrior. No mean make mad.” Hesitating, he added, “I sorry.”
Kehl nodded.
“She frends the Candy lady Mama no like. She bad too?” the small male asked Veck in growl-speak.
Veck rumbled down at him in Lo denaii, “Kehlor and Kehlor Purred-roo ‘stand Lo denaii.”
The small male’s eyes widened. He blushed as he turned to us. “No mean no ‘fense,” the little boy pointed out.
“My Purr-roo goot female. Dace goot frend my Purr-roo,” Kehl rumbled out defensively.
“I have no idea what Veck and Berk just said,” Mina muttered, her gaze darting between them, “but I have a feeling another apology is in order.”
“Berkr likes Canny,” Lottie chirped. “Berkr likes Cannylots, even I hear she say leave me the ‘lones,” Lottie emphasized with wide eyes. Swishing from side to side, she smilingly told me, “My favorite dolly is named Canny. Mama likes her. It makes her smile big and laugh.”
It was Mina’s turn to blush. She was blushing so hard in fact, I had to wonder at it.
“Well, it was super nice to meet you, Pru. Dorothy, Dougie, Carrie all speak highly of you. Even Berkr… when he’s feeling generous,” she said with a nervous little chuckle.
“Kunkle Berked-nerd say you not ‘nnoying,” Berk corrected his mother with a frown.
The feeling was not mutual.
Kehl let out a chuff at that but otherwise kept quiet.
“What goes on here?” Kirch came rumbling up to us, got one look at Lottie’s super sweet innocent look and his son’s overdone bug-eyed stare and frowned down at them. His voice got gruff as he rumbled in his native tongue. “Ey. What you two do now?”
They pointed at each other, which just made me laugh.
Kirch looked to me sharply. One hand over my mouth to cover up my laugh, I waved him off with the other. “I’m sorry but it’s kinda funny.”
“Kehl not ‘fended,” Kehl rumbled out with a shrug. “Kirch naughtier when small.”
Kirch gave him a look to rival Rek’s dramatic nostril flarings. “What mean Kirch naughtier? Kirch good boy!”
Veck let out a loud snort.
“Not from you!” he snapped at Veck.
Veck grinned like Kirch’s teeth baring glare was nothing more than a tiny dog yapping at him.
“Not you two too,” Mina muttered.
“Tarnk good. Tarnk on best ‘havior, like Bia,” Tarnk chirped.
“Bia almost always naughty,” Kirch grumbled.
Mina grinned at that, an inside joke I was just fine not being privy too.
“It was nice meeting you. We’re still making the rounds,” I admitted.
Mina nodded, forced a smile as Kirch started to heckle Veck and Veck blew him off, and motioned for her little ones to come along.
“Oh! Mama! We go dance too?!” they asked excitedly as they spied Dorothy dancing with Rosa’s brood and little Orrie.
“Ask first, and no more funny business or you’re stuck with me, you got me?” She struck me as firm but fair as a parent.
