She finished peeling the potato, then set it down on the counter and started to dice it up. "Once they're all peeled and cut up into pieces like this," she said, "then they get boiled on the stove and smooshed up. Just like mashed potatoes."

Did she know what that was?

Somehow, she didn't strike Sam as the Thanksgiving type.

"Hey, Natalia, where are you from, anyway?"