He loves me, he loves me not? Love—even life itself—is on the line as Connie drives all the way to Washington, D.C., to mend fences with Mitch. But his cool reception matches the frigid waters that nearly cost Connie her life during a stopover in West Virginia. A sudden job opportunity abroad creates yet another crisis for their relationship. Meanwhile, Odyssey's master of mispronunciation, Bart Rathbone, decides to sponsor—what else?—a Shakespeare festival. But he ends up with more theatrics behind stage than on it. Throughout these and other conflict-solving stories, kids 8 and up will learn that running away from a problem only makes matters worse. Volume 41 contains the following stories (and themes): Do or Diet (patience and perseverance) Hindsight (the value of every moment) The Taming of the Two (teamwork) The Mailman Cometh (responsibility) Teacher's Pest (love your enemies) My Girl Hallie (putting people before things) Seeing Red (admitting you're wrong) Black Clouds (God's presence in tough times) Silver Lining (revenge) Pink Is Not My Color (unconditional love) Something Blue, 1 & 2 (counting the cost)