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Nina reached instinctively for her cah the lens, she saw her mother’s sharp profile soften when she looked at the church spire “What’s it like, Mo that?”
“It’s been so long,” Mo away “It uess ”
On her other side, Meredith moved closer as well The three of them followed the small croho’d come from the ship They walked up Harbor Drive and there were bits and pieces of Sitka’s Russian past everywhere—street names and store names and restaurant menus There was even a totem pole don that had an ele
Mo as they passed one reminder of her hoh the doors of St Michael’s Church, she stuirls hadn’t reached out to steady her
There were glittering, golden Russian icons everywhere Sos on wooden boards; others were jewel-studded old White arches separated the rooold scrollwork On display were ornately beaded wedding gowns and religious vestments
Mo what she could Finally, she ended up at what Nina figured was the altar—a small area draped in heavy white silk adorned with Russian crosses old thread There were candles all around, and a pair of old Bibles lay open
“Do you want us to pray with you?” Meredith asked
“No ” Moh Nina had seen no tears Then she walked out of the church and up a short distance Nina could tell that her mother had studied aShe passed a sign that advertised Russian-American history tours and turned into a cerassy area studded with fragile-looking trees and clumps of brown bushes A coppery doround The grave markers were old-fashioned; many were handmade Even the n A white picket fence delineated the princess’s final resting place The few ceroith moss It looked as if no one new had been buried here in years, and yet Morave
Nina took a picture of her mother, who stood in front of a o storhtly bound white hair She lookedethereal almost, too pale and slim to be real, but the sadness in her blue eyes was as honest as any emotion Nina had ever seen She put the ca, and moved in beside her mother
“Who are you looking for?”
“No one,” Mohosts ”
They stood there a rave of Dhtened her shoulders and said, “I a round Jackie O–style sunglasses on and coiled a scarf around her throat
The three of them walked back dohere they found a small restaurant on the water that promised SITKA’S BEST RUSSIAN FOOD
Nina opened the door and a bell rang cheerily overhead Inside the long, narrow room were a dozen or so tables; most were full of people They didn’t look like tourists, either There were big, broad-shouldered s, wohtly colored kerchiefs and dated floral dresses, and a few men in yellow plastic fisherman’s overalls
A woht smile She was older than her voice sounded—ly plump Silvery curls frarandmother “Hello, there Welcome to the restaurant I’ for three laminated menus, she led them to a little table by theOutside, the water was a sparkling expanse of blue A fishing boat e marked by silvery ripples