This melts even my cold, dead heart

That same nephew and his mother were once on their way home from my parents’ house one evening, and Big Sister #3 wanted to keep Four-Year-Old Nephew awake during the ride. “Let’s play the word game,” she said. (I had recently taught him to play the word-association game.) “I’ll start, she said. Night.”

“Moon,” came the reply.

“Sun.”

“Day.”

“Blanket.”

“Warm.”

“Papa,” said Big Sister #3.

There was a tiny pause, and he replied, “Funny.”

“Grammy.”

A slightly longer pause.

“Love.”