she let her mind wander back into a vision of herself relaxing in the bath, her head leaning back against the lip of the tub. Then she snapped back to reality.
“Where is Nell?”
Esa grimaced. “In her room. I don’t think she likes all this moving . . . too painful, maybe?”
Michelle nodded.
Poor kid. She’s been pushed from pillar to post. Well, not anymore.
She steered the conversation toward something more positive. “What did you two end up doing yesterday?”
“Yesterday . . . mmm . . .” Esa rubbed his forehead. “You have to excuse me. All the days feel like they’re running together for me.”
Michelle smiled kindly. “It’s easy to understand how you’d be overwhelmed.”
“Such a mild way of putting it!” Esa replied with a good-natured laugh. The sound of it echoing off the tiles seemed to momentarily embarrass him. “Ah, yesterday. We didn’t go to the beach. As you pointed out: no bathing suit. We actually spent the afternoon at the planetarium.”
“That must have been fun.”
“Truthfully? It was boring.”
Moron
.
“And what did you two do last night?”
“I got a pizza—she loves American pizza, that’s one thing I’m learning fast—and we watched
Rio
—you know, the movie with the angry birds?”
“Oh yeah, I know it. The last kids I looked after knew all the lines and songs by heart. It started to drive me a little crazy after a while.”
“I think she liked it. I don’t know. I had some e-mail I had to deal with, so I worked on my laptop while we sat together on the couch.”
Michelle didn’t say anything, even though she wanted to point out to Esa that right now, Nell needed his full attention when they did something together, not some half-assed gesture that said, “Here’s a pizza and a movie, kid, enjoy yourself.” She’d already scolded him about his babysitting faux pas yesterday; she hoped she didn’t have to do it again. And again. And again.
After showing her around her new living quarters, Esa introduced himself to Jamie, who suddenly turned from Mr. Trash Talk into Mr. Overwhelmed when confronted with Esa in the flesh. Then Esa disappeared, leaving Jamie looking mildly stunned in his wake.
“You going to be okay here?” he asked, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.
“What do you think?”
“I think you hit the jackpot.”
Michelle made a face. “I
am
going to be working.”
“Yeah, looks like a real backbreaking job,” her brother teased. He hugged Michelle. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t. Especially since Dad’s about to keel over from malaria.”
Jamie’s smile disappeared. “Seriously, Michelle.”
“Jesus, Jamie, I won’t. I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”
“I’m pullin’ doubles all week. Hopefully it’ll be busy.” He peered out into the hallway. “Guess I’m not gonna meet the kid, huh?”
“Not today,” Michelle said, picturing Nell reading in her room. “But soon. I promise.”
“Okay, then.” Her brother tousled her hair. “I’m off. Talk to you in a few. And keep an eye on Saari. You can’t trust those Finns.”
“Right. I’ll try to remember that.”
* * *
After Jamie left,
and she’d put away all her things, Michelle went to talk to Nell. She knocked on the bedroom door. There was zero hesitation in Nell calling out, “Come in!”
She was sitting at her desk in front of her laptop.
“What are you up to?” Michelle asked.
“Working on our list.”
“Really? Can I see?”
Michelle came over to the computer, and began reading aloud. “‘Favorite foods: McVitie’s biscuits, pizza, crisps, chicken, McDonald’s, chocolate chip cookies, brownies.’”
“Wow,” said Michelle. Nell was going to be pretty disappointed when she found out she wouldn’t be eating junk twenty-four seven.
“‘Things I like to do,’” Michelle continued. “‘Play tennis, go to the cinema, read, write, science, playtime, go to the library.’”
“I can think of
“Where is Nell?”
Esa grimaced. “In her room. I don’t think she likes all this moving . . . too painful, maybe?”
Michelle nodded.
Poor kid. She’s been pushed from pillar to post. Well, not anymore.
She steered the conversation toward something more positive. “What did you two end up doing yesterday?”
“Yesterday . . . mmm . . .” Esa rubbed his forehead. “You have to excuse me. All the days feel like they’re running together for me.”
Michelle smiled kindly. “It’s easy to understand how you’d be overwhelmed.”
“Such a mild way of putting it!” Esa replied with a good-natured laugh. The sound of it echoing off the tiles seemed to momentarily embarrass him. “Ah, yesterday. We didn’t go to the beach. As you pointed out: no bathing suit. We actually spent the afternoon at the planetarium.”
“That must have been fun.”
“Truthfully? It was boring.”
Moron
.
“And what did you two do last night?”
“I got a pizza—she loves American pizza, that’s one thing I’m learning fast—and we watched
Rio
—you know, the movie with the angry birds?”
“Oh yeah, I know it. The last kids I looked after knew all the lines and songs by heart. It started to drive me a little crazy after a while.”
“I think she liked it. I don’t know. I had some e-mail I had to deal with, so I worked on my laptop while we sat together on the couch.”
Michelle didn’t say anything, even though she wanted to point out to Esa that right now, Nell needed his full attention when they did something together, not some half-assed gesture that said, “Here’s a pizza and a movie, kid, enjoy yourself.” She’d already scolded him about his babysitting faux pas yesterday; she hoped she didn’t have to do it again. And again. And again.
After showing her around her new living quarters, Esa introduced himself to Jamie, who suddenly turned from Mr. Trash Talk into Mr. Overwhelmed when confronted with Esa in the flesh. Then Esa disappeared, leaving Jamie looking mildly stunned in his wake.
“You going to be okay here?” he asked, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.
“What do you think?”
“I think you hit the jackpot.”
Michelle made a face. “I
am
going to be working.”
“Yeah, looks like a real backbreaking job,” her brother teased. He hugged Michelle. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t. Especially since Dad’s about to keel over from malaria.”
Jamie’s smile disappeared. “Seriously, Michelle.”
“Jesus, Jamie, I won’t. I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”
“I’m pullin’ doubles all week. Hopefully it’ll be busy.” He peered out into the hallway. “Guess I’m not gonna meet the kid, huh?”
“Not today,” Michelle said, picturing Nell reading in her room. “But soon. I promise.”
“Okay, then.” Her brother tousled her hair. “I’m off. Talk to you in a few. And keep an eye on Saari. You can’t trust those Finns.”
“Right. I’ll try to remember that.”
* * *
After Jamie left,
and she’d put away all her things, Michelle went to talk to Nell. She knocked on the bedroom door. There was zero hesitation in Nell calling out, “Come in!”
She was sitting at her desk in front of her laptop.
“What are you up to?” Michelle asked.
“Working on our list.”
“Really? Can I see?”
Michelle came over to the computer, and began reading aloud. “‘Favorite foods: McVitie’s biscuits, pizza, crisps, chicken, McDonald’s, chocolate chip cookies, brownies.’”
“Wow,” said Michelle. Nell was going to be pretty disappointed when she found out she wouldn’t be eating junk twenty-four seven.
“‘Things I like to do,’” Michelle continued. “‘Play tennis, go to the cinema, read, write, science, playtime, go to the library.’”
“I can think of
Similar Books
