“True, but I’m guessing you’ll know how to skin a squirrel if we manage to catch one.” Eloise smiled, then leaned forward, serious again. “The Nazis now pay ten guilders for reporting a Jew in hiding. Can you believe there are people so desperate that they’d trade a person’s life for ten measly guilders?”

“I often wonder how Miriam and Avi are. And Elisheva.”

“God knows, I pray for them every day.” Eloise sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was no longer perfectly cut and styled, but Eloise was still a beautiful woman.

“Have you seen Erik?” Ans asked. “He’s been on my mind for days as I made my way home, and I can’t wait to see him. I’m so afraid he’s angry with me for disappearing.”

“He came by the day after you left, and I gave him your letter. He returned the following day asking for directions to your parents’ farm. I could honestly tell him that I didn’t know.”

“Did he seem angry?”

“Frustrated, I think.”

“I need to go see him after I wash and change my clothes. I know I look horrible at the moment —”

“There’s no hot water, but we can warm some for you on the stove. But, Ans . . . do you think it’s wise to see him?”

“What do you mean? We love each other. He warned me about the Gestapo raid and saved my life.”

“You’ve been apart for nearly a year. He may have changed his mind about you since then. And . . . and he works for the enemy.”

“I know. And I’ve seen my share of cruel policemen and prison guards. But Erik isn’t like them.”

“I hope you’re right.”

It felt wonderful to bathe and change into fresh clothes. But the mirror told Ans why Meta hadn’t recognized her. Her skin was gray, her blonde hair thin and limp. Dark circles rimmed her eyes like bruises. She had the figure of a ten-year-old girl. She wondered if Erik would be repulsed.

The walk to his apartment across town tired her out. The trek up his stairs left her breathless. But the joy she felt when Erik opened the door and pulled her into his arms was worth all the pain of getting there. “Ans! You’re skin and bones!” he said after holding her tightly and kissing her.

“I’ve dreamed of your kisses for months. I can’t believe we’re finally together again!”

“Come in, come in,” he said, opening the door wider. Erik seemed exactly the same, as if he hadn’t suffered from wartime hunger like everyone else —a privilege for Dutch Nazi Party members, she guessed.

“Are you all right, Ans? When did you get back?”

“Today.”