‘That’s better!’ he says triumphantly as he turns the stool upwards and sits on it.

Otto’s wide smile makes Mutti laugh softly. ‘You’re a good boy,’ she says. Reaching out to stroke my arm, she says, ‘What would I do without the pair of you?’

Otto puffs his chest out. ‘You’ll never be without us, Mutti,’ he says.

He says it so sombrely, it hurts my heart. My big brother trying so hard to be the man around the house and look after me and Mutti.

As we sew, I tell Mutti about my day. I’m fitting in well at school now. I’ve made a friend called Greta. Greta has always lived here in Prague and she was assigned to help me out when I started school. She has dark, curly hair and green eyes that sparkle mischievously when she smiles. She smiles a lot, and laughs and dances and talks. I’ve never met anyone like her before; being around her is like having a balloon that is always filled with air.

Last week she called me her best friend. I couldn’t believe it. I thought she would have loads of best friends, but she said she’s never liked anyone as much as she likes me.

I wanted to say the same back to her, but I stopped myself. I was worried it might be disloyal to Leo and Max. But secretly I liked it when she said it, and I think I’ll tell her soon that she’s my best friend, too.

I’ll write and tell the boys. I have sent a few letters but we are so busy that it’s hard to remember to send them every week. They’d understand. I know they would.

My friendship with Greta is completely different from my friendship with them. With Leo and Max, it was all about playing, being outside, having fun, going on adventures. Greta and I mostly spend our time talking.

We talk about all the important things, like:

Do we prefer cats or dogs? Dogs for me, cats for Greta.

What is our favourite colour? Pink for Greta, yellow for me.

What will we be when we grow up? Greta will be a writer, I will be an inventor. Greta says that she doesn’t know any girls who have become inventors. I nearly change my mind and tell her I’ll be a teacher instead. I don’t want to fall out with her as she’s my only friend here in Prague. But she tells me it’s fine. I can be an inventor if I want to be an inventor.

‘You can be anything you want to be!’ she declares, flashing me one of her infectious smiles.