After she’d ended the engagement, Bruno never returned to the house. Within a few days, when it became clear to Anna that he wouldn’t be coming back, she’d placed his leather case, which contained extra clothing and a shaving kit, in a storage closet with plans to dispose of the items later. She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t want to show his face, considering his confession of perpetrating and aiding chemical warfare, but she was hurt that he didn’t make the effort to leave her a note or send her a telegram.He’s horrified and ashamed by his conduct and lies,she’d thought while darning Norbie’s socks.And so am I.
Anna turned to the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.
“I made us coffee,” Norbie said, entering the workshop.
“Danke,” she said.
Norbie placed two steaming cups on the workbench and sat on a stool beside her.
She took a sip. “It’s good,” she said, despite that she’d lost her taste for food.
“It’s a new blend that contains leached acorns.”
She nodded.
He took a gulp. “How are you feeling?”
She ran a finger over the rim of her cup. “I feel hurt and betrayed, and I’m disappointed in myself for not knowing more about Bruno and his family’s business.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But there was no way you could have known. Bruno didn’t fully let you into his life, nor did he foster building a relationship between you and his family. If you hadn’t confronted him with the knowledge you gained from Max, he might never have been honest with you. You’re a smart woman, and I have no doubt that someday you would have discovered what his family’s ink and dye business did during the war, but it might have been after you were married and living in Frankfurt.”
Anna’s chest ached. She wondered, although briefly, if there were other lies or secrets that Bruno was hiding.It doesn’t matter. It’s over between us.
He squeezed her hand. “I know that you’re hurting. But your pain might have been much worse if you learned of this later.” He took a sip of coffee. “I’m glad that Max was here to shed light on the truth.”
“So am I,” she said.
Norbie patted her hand and looked at her. “How does your heart feel?”
“Broken.”
“Broken for Bruno or broken for what you both created together?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, feeling confused.
He swirled his coffee. “Are you hurt from the terrible things that Bruno has done? Or are you sad about ending your relationship with him? Or maybe it’s both.”
Anna contemplated his questions. An image of injured soldiers, their eyes bandaged and gasping for air, filled her head. Tears formed in her eyes. “My heart aches for the thousands of men who will be maimed, blinded, or killed by poison gas.”
He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her. “Me too.”
She dabbed her eyes.
“I’m not surprised that you feel that way,” he said.
She sniffed back tears. “Why do you say that?”
“I noticed a difference in your behavior with Bruno,” he said. “Compared to his last visit, you didn’t sit as close to him on the sofa. There were few hugs or hand holding, and you seldom, if ever, left the house to spend time alone with him. Instead, you made excuses to stay here with me and Max.”
She slumped her shoulders.
“I’m telling you this, of course, to make you feel better because I’m yourvater. However, what I witnessed between you and Bruno leads me to believe that the pain from your broken engagement will not be permanent.”
Anna clasped her cup. “You think so?”
He nodded.
“I know my grief is quite different,” she said, “but what was it like for you when you lost Mutter?”
