I stare at the food on my plate. Thank you, Hitler, that I’m not one of the starving.

‘Is Vati in danger?’ I ask, vaguely aware of his special duties in the SS to protect Hitler and the party. I picture him, face to face with ugly thugs on the streets of Leipzig, many against one, just the way it is with Tomas.

‘Of course not,’ Mutti says quickly. ‘But he has an important job, through the Leipziger, to make sure the citizens of this city know truth from the lies of the doubters and the bad-mouthers,’ she adds firmly.

‘But what exactly does he do when he puts on his Schutzstaffel uniform?’

Mutti smiles. ‘He’s a senior officer, Hetty,’ she laughs. ‘He does a lot of organising and paperwork. Now, enough of this, both of you, you’ll be late for school and I must visit my blessed old soldiers today.’

I swallow the rest of my milk and follow Karl into the hall to gather our coats and satchels.

‘Bye, Mutti,’ I say, kissing her cheek.

‘Come on, funny Little Mouse,’ Karl says, holding the front door wide for me to pass through. ‘I’ll take care of you. Always.’

*

At the end of school, I wait for Erna just inside the big double doors. Students pour out of classrooms, congregating in the corridor before passing out into the bright light outside. Walter appears amongst the throng, walking apart from the chattering groups. I try to catch his eye, but his head is down. There’s a pressure in my chest as he passes. I long to reach out and touch his shoulder, ask him what happened between him and Karl, but my arm stays limp at my side and the opportunity is gone.

Outside school, my heart sinks when I see Tomas waiting. Erna nudges me as he walks towards us.

‘Who’s this?’ she asks with a giggle. ‘Your sweetheart?’

‘Don’t be silly. It’s just Tomas from my old school,’ I whisper out of the side of my mouth, because he’s within earshot. He looks so scruffy and rough, like a battered old coin next to shiny new ones. I have the urge to grab Erna and run away, but it’s too late.

‘Hello, Tomas from Hetty’s old school,’ Erna says with a smirk, as I hang back.

‘Hello.’ Tomas looks uncertainly from me to Erna and back. He pushes his ugly glasses up his nose. A thin line of mucus tracks its way down from one of Tomas’s pink nostrils and reaches his top lip. His tongue flicks out and licks at it.

Erna turns away. She hitches her satchel onto her shoulder and gives me a little wave. ‘See you tomorrow, Hetty,’ she says, leaving me with Tomas.

I set off fast for home and Tomas trots to catch up.

‘How’ve you been?’ he asks.

‘All right. You?’

He shrugs.

I remember the conversation over breakfast this morning, and my heart softens a little. ‘Your father got a job yet?’