“That’s my fault,” Hania said before he could reply. “Izaak cared for me as well as he could, but when Franz found me, I still had a terrible case of typhus. I told him not to tell you in case I died. I recovered but caught pneumonia a few days later. By the time I was finally regaining my health, I decided to wait until I was well enough to surprise you. Franz has been taking care of me in the Pszczyna hospital.”

I flashed a grateful smile at him, then asked the next question on my mind, praying I didn’t know the answer. “Where is Izaak?”

She pressed her lips together before replying. “As soon as he’d recuperated, he and some Sonderkommando workers left together. I coaxed him into telling me where they were going, and all he said was looking for war criminals.” She looked past me for a moment and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to know what that means. He promised to meet me in Warsaw by the end of the summer.”

Mateusz emerged from the barn, likely alerted by the commotion. “You were in almost every letter Maria sent me, Hania,” he said, grinning. “I’m—”

“No need for introductions. I’ve heard so much about you, Mateusz,” she replied, and his smile widened. When he turned to give Franz the kite he’d repaired, she studied him before leaning closer to me and speaking in a sly whisper. “Mazel tov.”

I gave her a light, discreet shove and pretended I didn’t hear her chuckles. Still, at the sound, one that had seen me through the darkest moments during the past four years, my throat tightened. At last one of my missing pieces had returned. One I never should have lost in the first place. When I caught her hands in mine, she sobered.

“Not once did you leave my side,” I managed, swallowing hard. “But I left yours.”

Hania shook her head. “You and Irena gave me my brother, perhaps saved both our lives. My boys won’t have their father, cousins, aunt, or grandparents, but they will have their mother and uncle. For that, I can’t express my gratitude. And now the three of us are together again, aren’t we?” she added as Irena joined us and pulled her into an embrace. When they released each other, Hania gave her a small smile. “Irena,” she said, emphasizing her name as her eyes swept over the darker hair and civilian clothing that had replaced Frieda’s blond locks and SS uniform.

“Hania,” she replied with the same emphasis, grinning before addressing Franz. “You’ve been caring for her for weeks?”

“A doctor never breaches his patient’s trust.”