"Melissa," Mom said in her serious voice, looking distraught. "I don't feel comfortable with this.....I'm not leaving you here. Richard, what do you think?"

"I think....I think that she should try. Mel is growing up, Debs. She needs some freedom," Dad said unsurely.

Mel beamed at her Dad and Gran put her arm around Mel's shoulders.

"Richard! We can't just leave Mel, a thirteen year old girl, here without us in a foreign country!" Mom gasped, whirling on her husband and speaking with quite the edge.

"Honey, we'll be only fifteen minutes away. If she has any trouble, we'll be able to get here quickly," Dad said, gently putting his hands on Mom's forearms.

Mom sighed frustratedly. She turned to the hopeful Gran and Mel. "Fine. But Mel, call me if you have any issues, okay?"

"Thank you so much!" Mel squealed. She ran to Mom and Dad and hugged them both tightly. When she released them, she noticed that both of their faces were tight. And Dad's was regretful. "You can trust me," Gran said as she stepped forward. She noticed too the nervous looks on their faces.

"Okay," they said uncertainly in unison.

Mel smiled. She wasn't sure about this either, but hey, it was possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night Mel rested herself in bed. She turned off the lamp. They darkness of the room creeped her out. The moonlight through the open window shined eerily on the white walls and the porcelain dolls' faces. Ugh, Mel thought. Dolls creeped her out. She closed her eyes and tucked herself under the covers, half hoping the water horses would call her.