“A little cramped?” I repeated incredulously. When Jürgen was a child, she gave him the sole bedroom while she slept on the sofa in her kitchen. Did she think I could put my children in her bathtub to sleep each night? “Aunt Adele, that’s a very generous offer, but it’s just not practical. We wouldn’t fit here. And where would Mayim go?”

“She’d have to go home, of course, but the rest of you could live here for free. You could live off the profit from the sale of your home for a long time if you were careful with it, regardless of what happens with Jürgen’s job—”

“Father borrowed against the villa when the market was high,” I interrupted her, flushing. “If we sell it now, we lose my family home and we still walk away with a debt. All we can do is hold on and hope things turn around.”

“Wishful thinking is not a plan—”

“But wishful thinking is all I have left,” I snapped. I spun back to the kettle and moved it off the heat too fast, splashing drops of scalding water onto my skin. I cursed and dropped the kettle into the sink, then ran cold water over my hand. Small, angry spots appeared on my skin, but it wasn’t a bad burn—my pride hurt more than my hand. Adele rose, approached me slowly, and peered over my shoulder at my hand.

“You know it is my intention to die in this house, just as I was born here. But, Sofie, attachment to our family homes doesn’t mean we can’t adapt. You simply must find a better way forward.”

I didn’t stay for tea. I packed the children up and left to nurse my aching wrist and my bruised pride at home.

When Karl invited us to meet him and Lydia for a picnic on Saturday morning, Jürgen and I were of two minds about accepting their invitation.

“He might have news about this job, and it would be good to know one way or another,” Jürgen said heavily. “Besides, I want to ask them what their thoughts are on these new laws.” The Nazi government utilized the Enabling Act and passed the Law for Rectification of the Distress of Nation and Reich. It allowed the chancellor and his cabinet to create legislation and to enshrine it in law without the support of the parliament. Hitler argued that this was necessary to bring stability, but to me it seemed increasingly apparent that whatever instability we were suffering from was by his design and at his pleasure.

“What if we don’t like their answers?” I said hesitantly.

“Then at least we’ll know the friendship is over,” Jürgen sighed.