‘Not at all, Papa,’ Leo replied.

‘How about you kids – any objections?’ Mr Grunberg addressed Elsa and Max.

Max wanted to ask how much cake there was going to be. He’d had tea at Leo’s house a few times but he’d never had Mrs Grunberg’s Sachertorte. Leo had told them how wonderful it was, though, and he was nervous that there might not be enough to go around now that there were two more to feed – and he was terrified he might be the one to lose out.

But then Elsa spoke for both of them. ‘We don’t mind at all, Mr Grunberg,’ she said, and Leo’s father was ruffling Max’s hair in a way his own father never did, and saying, ‘Good kids. Maybe we can go for a ride on the Steamer as a treat before we go home,’ and the warm feeling Max felt suddenly meant it didn’t even matter if there was a bit less cake to go around.

The only thing that really mattered was that, later, as he and his friends jumped on the boat and sat together watching the city go by, the bonds of their friendship felt as deep and as wide as the Danube itself.

LEO

It was Saturday morning a few weeks later and I was awake and dressed before my parents. That never happened! Except it did today because I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited. Max’s father was taking Max, Elsa and me swimming at the Amalienbad.

In his car!

No one we knew had a car! I couldn’t decide which I was more excited about: riding through Vienna in a car, spending the morning with my best friends or the diving boards at the Amalienbad. It was a close call.

I had my bag ready, with swimming trunks rolled inside my towel, and I sat waiting near the window so I could look out for them. Mama was in the kitchen, baking. Papa was upstairs in his studio.

Finally, on the dot of ten o’clock, the car came around the corner and on to our street.

I bounced out of my chair so fast it made Mama jump. ‘They’re here!’ I yelled as I grabbed my bag.

‘Wait. Let me give you these,’ she said as I ran into the kitchen to say goodbye. She handed me something in a small paper bag. It was warm.

‘What’s this?’ I asked.

‘Kipferl. Cookies for after swimming.’

I threw my arms around her waist. ‘Thanks, Mama.’

She kissed the top of my head. ‘Have fun with your friends,’ she said.

Papa came to the door with me. Max had thrown the back door of the car open and was grinning like an idiot. Elsa was on the other side and waved me over. ‘Come on!’ Max called. ‘Let’s go!’