Kat’s lips curved up slightly as she got off her bed to stretch and remove the scrunchy that had been holding back her tangled red curls.
“You’re so pretty when you smile,” Meredith said as she went to the door. “Maybe you should practice smiling more this summer. Get really good at it before school starts.”
Of course, this was answered with the classic eye roll, but as Meredith let herself out, she noticed Kat staring curiously at her bureau mirror. Maybe she was considering the value of a cheerful smile after all.
As Meredith got ready for dinner, she decided that even if the kids had been a hot mess in her absence, good seemed to be emerging from it. But, unfortunately, it did raise a difficult question for her. Mishka was right. Someday in the near future she’d have to go home. How would she prepare him for the inevitable? It was hard to admit, but after only two weeks she’d grown quite attached. She suspected she’d be almost as sad as the tenderhearted boy when the time came for her to say goodbye.
14
After deciding she and the children needed a couple days to reestablish their familiar routine, and hoping to reassure them she was sticking around, Meredith booked the Danube River trip for later in the week. She could tell they needed the extra time with her at the villa before any more changes occurred. Mishka was extra clingy the following day, and Kat seemed unusually quiet. Even the day after that, Kat was surprisingly subdued after winning a tennis match and almost polite to her brother at dinnertime. As they finished dessert, Meredith reminded them that tomorrow was their river cruise day.
“We’ll have to get up early in order to board the boat by nine. Although the weather tomorrow looks good, I think we should take jackets in case it gets cool on the river.” She glanced at Mishka, curious as to whether he was getting uneasy about being on the water, but he seemed fairly calm. At least on the exterior. “I’m really looking forward to this,” she said brightly. She hadn’t told the children much about her misadventure when she’d first arrived in Vienna, but she decided to share a bit about it now,explaining how her travel plans had gotten derailed by a pair of clever thieves.
“That’s awful.” Mishka’s eyes grew wide. “Were you scared? Were they terribly mean to you?”
“No, they were terribly nice. That’s why I trusted them.” She held up a finger. “Lesson learned—just because someoneactsnice doesn’t mean theyarenice.”
“And they took everything you had?” Kat asked.
“That’s right. My passport and money and cell phone and everything. I was really up a creek without a paddle.” She smiled. “That’s an American saying. But I was in trouble for sure. I had to figure a way out of my mess.”
“Is that why you came to be our governess?” Kat asked.
“Yes. But here’s the cool part. I’m so glad I did come.” She beamed at them. “I never would’ve met you guys if I hadn’t been robbed like that. There’s a Bible verse that promises God can bring good out of bad when you love and serve Him. And I’ve seen a lot of that in my life.” She finished the last of her coffee. “I guess that’s one reason I’m really looking forward to the river trip tomorrow. I didn’t really think I’d get to see much of Austria after my plans got derailed, so it’ll be extra fun to see it with you two.” She told them a bit more about tomorrow’s plans and what time they’d need to get up.
“Since we’re getting up extra early, I think we should go to bed early too.” She glanced outside. “It’s such a nice evening, I’d really like to take a walk. Anyone want to go with me?”
Kat said she had things she wanted to do in her room, so it was just Meredith and Mishka strolling along the hillside near the woods. As they walked, he took her hand, which was not unusual, but she could tell by his tighter grip that he was nervous about something.
“Are you worried about being on the river tomorrow?” she asked.
“I don’t know…”
Hearing the hesitation in his voice, she knew he was afraid. “I would be surprised if you weren’t a little uneasy,” she said gently. “I know how I can overthink something that scares me. I can worry and get overly anxious, and that just makes it seem all the worse. But when I actually do whatever it is I’m dreading and it turns out just fine, I realize my worrying was for nothing.”
Mishka didn’t say anything.
“You’ve become a good swimmer, Mishka. And Kat and I will be with you. There really is nothing to worry about. Can you trust me about that?”
“I guess so.” Mishka kicked a pinecone. “Kat’s afraid of flying in airplanes. That’s why we don’t go to our island house.”
“Is that because your mom died in a plane accident?”
“Yes.”
“Well, here’s the truth. I’m a little scared about flying too.”
“You are?” He blinked. “But you’re so brave.”
“Well, thank you. But I do get uncomfortable when I fly in planes.”
“But you do it anyway?”
“Do you want to know what my secret is when I fly? It’s something you could use on the river trip tomorrow.”
He nodded, fully attentive.
“I imagine myself in God’s hands. And I know that I’ll be fine. No matter what.”
