“That’s ridiculous!” Mama snapped. Though my mother was usually respectful and deferential toward the older woman, she would not suffer her accusing me. But her eyes traveled to my pocket and, as she saw the bit of pretzel, widened. I watched as she remembered seeing me looking at the girl on the street and realized that was how I had gotten it. Concern, then anger, crossed her face.

Still Mama defended me. “Leave my daughter alone.” She walked over and stepped in between Bubbe and me. She pushed the old woman’s finger away. Bubbe’s anger grew and she grabbed Mama’s wrist roughly.

“Stop it!” I protested too loudly, heedless of who might hear. How dare she put her hands on my pregnant mother like that? I reached out and tried to pull Mama’s wrist away from Bubbe’s grip, but it was surprisingly tight. Mama freed herself and jerked backward. Her foot slipped and she fell to the ground in a heap, yelping like an injured animal. Hurriedly I helped her to her feet. “Mama, are you okay?” She did not answer, but nodded, face pale.

Saul placed himself between me and his grandmother. “Sadie didn’t take anything. Go back to the chamber, Bubbe.” His voice was gentle, but firm. The old woman muttered something and started back.

“I’m sorry about that,” Saul said in a low voice as we followed his grandmother toward the chamber. “She doesn’t mean any harm, but she’s almost ninety and getting a bit confused. It’s hard to watch people you love grow old.”

“And hard not to,” I replied, thinking of my father and wondering what he might be like as an old man if he had been given the time. I would never really know.

I started to follow Saul into the chamber, but my mother, who had been walking behind us, stopped me outside the entrance. “Promise me,” Mama said. There was strength in her voice that I had never heard. “That you will never go again.” I turned to her, surprised. She had not seemed angry when she found me at the sewer grate. But now she had drawn up her tiny frame to its full height. She loomed over me so close that the roundness of her belly pressed against mine. “Promise me you won’t go to see her again, that you won’t let yourself be seen or talk to her.” Her words were an echo of Saul’s. “I know that you are lonely here. But it’s too dangerous.”

I thought of Ella and the hopeful feeling she gave me. But Mama was right; it was irresponsible of me to compromise our safety. “Okay,” I said at last, chastised. Breaking my promise to Saul was one thing, my mother quite another. I saw the image of my new friend fade and disappear.

Pawel appeared in the tunnel then. “Hello,” I said, surprised to see him. It was Sunday, not one of his usual visiting days, and he had just been here the day before. But he had not brought much food yesterday, and seeing his satchel now, I was hopeful that he had found more.