Anna giggled.
She’s kidding.“All right.”
Minutes later, Max was leaning over the kitchen sink as Anna gently saturated his hair with warm water. Using lye soap, which omitted an ammonia-like smell, she lathered his hair. The touch of her fingers over his scalp sent tingles down his neck and spine. His heart rate quickened.
“Am I getting soap in your eyes?”
“Nein,” he said.
She rinsed his hair and gently dried it with a towel, then sat him in a chair with the towel draped over his back and shoulders. Using a pair of scissors and a comb, she began to trim his bangs.
Anna’s breath caressed his face. His skin prickled. “How long have you been cutting Norbie’s hair?” he asked, attempting to distract his thoughts.
Anna snipped strands of hair. “Since I was in grammar school. He made the mistake of mentioning that mymutterhad cut his hair. I offered to do it for him, and he accepted.”
“I’m not surprised.” Max shifted in his seat.
“Hold still.”
He felt the cool steel of the scissors against his forehead, then the sound of snips as she cut along his bangs and temples.
For twenty minutes, Anna combed and cut his hair, while Nia—sitting in the corner—batted her tail against the wall in response to their intermittent conversation. As Anna trimmed around his neck, the clack of Norbie’s footsteps grew in the stairway.
“Hallo,” Norbie said, entering the kitchen and placing a bag on the counter.
Max’s face flushed. “Hallo, Norbie.”
“I’d keep very still if I were you,” Norbie said. “I once sneezed during a haircut, and she nearly severed my earlobe.”
“That was a long time ago,” Anna said. “And it was only a tiny nick that barely bled.”
“I thought you were joking about Norbie’s ear,” Max said.
“Nein,” Anna chuckled. “I’ve never been very good with sharp objects, especially the hypodermic needles that I injected while working as a nurse.” She removed the towel and dusted hair from his neck.
Max smiled, running a hand through his clean, trimmed hair. “Feels good.Danke.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned to Norbie. “Would you like a trim while I have the scissors?”
“Not tonight,” Norbie said. “I have a few things that I want to show you. A small food shipment arrived in Oldenburg, and I waited in the ration line for three hours.” He removed a half-loaf of bread from the bag and placed it on the counter.
Anna gasped, covering her mouth.
“What is it?” Max asked.
“Black bread,” Anna said.
“And one egg,” Norbie said, carefully removing a brown egg from his coat pocket. “It’ll make your turnip latkes even more delectable, my boy.”
A wave of relief rolled through Max.Anna and Norbie will have food for a few more days.
“It turns out that bartering timepieces is a lot easier if you’re not seeking food.” Norbie rummaged in the bag and handed a stack of papers to Anna. “I traded an old watch to a music store owner in exchange for blank staff paper. I hope it’s the kind that you wanted.”
“It’s perfect,” Anna said, examining the paper.
A memory of Anna recording his piano composition on scratch paper flashed in Max’s head.
“I told him about your composition,” Anna said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
