Our imaginations are working overtime and finally Otto and I decide that the truth can’t be as bad as the images we are conjuring in our minds. So we go to confront our parents, together.

‘Hey, kids, you should be in bed,’ Vati says, jumping up from the table as we step into the kitchen, both in nightgowns, both silent as we haven’t worked out quite what it is that we want to say.

The truth is, we don’t want to say it at all. We just know that whatever ‘it’ is, we can’t keep pretending it isn’t there.

‘It’s way past your bedtime,’ Mutti says. ‘What are you doing down here?’

‘We can’t sleep,’ Otto says.

Mutti smiles across at us. ‘Want me to read you a bedtime story like I used to?’ she asks.

I shake my head. ‘No thanks, Mutti.’

‘Hot chocolate?’ Vati asks.

‘We want some answers,’ Otto says firmly.

Before either of our parents can respond, I find myself blurting out my fears, hot tears springing into my eyes as I do. ‘Are you leaving us?’ I ask.

Mutti stares at me. Vati opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

‘You are!’ Otto bursts out. ‘You’re leaving us! You’re abandoning us!’

Mutti gets up from the table and reaches an arm out towards me and another to Otto. I run to her and let her comfort me with one of her warm hugs. I breathe her in and hold my breath. If I can keep my breath in until she replies then she will tell me no, they will never leave us. Otto stands firm, waiting for answers.

‘Of course we aren’t abandoning you,’ Vati says. I let my breath out with relief. But there’s something about his voice that doesn’t assure me quite as much as I’d hoped.

‘We’ve heard you talking,’ Otto says. ‘We think you are planning something.’

‘Something you don’t want us to know about,’ I add, leaning away from Mutti so I can watch her face.

Mutti glances across at Vati and I see them exchange something: a quick nod of agreement.

‘You’re right, we have been talking about something,’ Vati says. His voice is so serious and for a moment I want to take it back. I want to go back upstairs, get into bed, pretend I never heard the whispers. Whatever it is, I don’t want to know.

‘Come. Both of you. Sit with us at the table. I’ll make you that hot chocolate and then we will talk. It’s time we told you about our plans.’

Even the heat from my hot chocolate can’t stop my hands from shaking as we wait for them to tell us what’s going on.

LEO

I stared at the letter. I couldn’t speak.