Page 103 of Engulfing Emma

“We’re only here for five days,” she says. “There may not be time.”

“I like to be optimistic,” I tell her. “And prepared.”

“What kind of sights?” Evie asks from the back.

“Well, there’s Neuschwanstein Castle. It’s the one Disney modeled Cinderella’s castle after.”

“I’ve never been to Disney World,” Evie says.

“But your mom says you love roller coasters.”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t fly, remember? And it’s a really long drive from New York to Florida.”

“Well, she flies now,” I say.

I see Evie’s face light up in the rearview mirror. “Mom, will you take me to Disney World?”

Emma laughs. “One thing at a time, Evelyn. Let’s get through this first, okay?”

“Have you taken Leo there?” Evie asks.

“I have. It was our first guys-only trip. We went in the spring.”

“Did he love it?”

“He may have been just a bit too young to get the most out of it, but I think he enjoyed it. I, on the other hand, got really tired of going on that Dumbo ride that just goes around in circles. I think once he’s three, he’ll really get into it.”

“We should all plan a trip together,” Evie says. “Next summer when Leo is three.”

“Evelyn, that’s enough,” Emma scolds her.

“Fine,” Evie pouts. “So, what other sights do you think we should see?”

I look apprehensively at Emma. “Well, I’d love to go to the top of Zugspitze.”

“Zugspitze—what’s that?” Evie asks.

“It’s the tallest mountain in Germany. But I’m not sure your mom would be up for it.”

“Why wouldn’t I be up for it?” Emma asks.

“Because you have to go up by cable car, the last hundred yards anyway. You can take a train up most of the way.”

“What’s a cable car?” Evie asks.

“It’s kind of like a really big elevator.”

“Okaaaaaay,” Emma says. “Let’s move on.”

Evie and I laugh.

I nod to my phone in the cup holder. “Emma, can you check Google maps on my phone and see how far we are from the hotel?”

“The hotel?” Evie asks. “Can’t we try to find him first?”

“Sweetie,” Emma says. “You barely slept on the plane. We have days to find him.”

“Mo-om,” she whines. “It’s why we’re here. Why do we have to wait? What good is lying around the hotel going to do us? They say you should stay awake so you can acclimate to the time change easier. Plus, the sooner we find him, the more other stuff we can do. Right, Brett?”

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