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“Mummy… Daddy, I want to go to Germany. Imagine the type of candies they have there! I’ll bring bags of them, I promise! I know Tommy would throw a fit over them though…”
Jack paused for a moment, finger on his chin, then smiled that big toothy grin of his. “Oh… oh! Do you think Mrs. Stuart likes candies… Mrs. Wilfren, maybe Mrs. Agnious, too?”
Little Jack squeezed his teddy in his arms—the one his father made him not long before the Germans arrived—and waddled over, leaning his whole body against his mum’s leg. He looked up at her and his father like they were his entire world, his bright eyes full of innocence.
Unknowing to him, this would be the last time he could feel so safe—not knowing the true dangers hovering over him and the other children his age.
His parents exchanged a glance before looking back down at Jack, holding back tears. Mrs. Sterling scooped him into her arms, holding him close as if it might be the last time she ever could. She was painfully aware of the risks they faced, but they… had connections. They couldn’t just stand by while the Germans treated the children like cattle.
“Oh… mi cariño…” Mrs. Sterling began, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I-I’m sure they would like it, but we can’t say for certain what would happen if you go to Germany. We won’t allow it, no matter what those bastardos say. We won’t let them do this, not to the other children—”
“Darling, language!” Mr. Sterling said gently, taking her hand in his to anchor her. “He’s not old enough—”
“Well, he’ll bloody have to act like it if we want this to work—” she countered.
“But… but that would be lying, Mummy,” Jack murmured, looking up at her. “You always told me not to…”
Mrs. Sterling chuckled dryly—not softly, not happily, but with sorrow. She moved her hand to his wild hair, forcing a smile. “I know, dear. But now you can. Not just for you, but for others too, mi querido dulce niño… Never change, understand me, sì? No matter what happens, we’ll always find you. We’ll bring you home.”
Mr. Sterling’s heart clenched. He ruffled Jack’s hair with care and love, relishing the moment as if it were the last. “Yer mother’s right, son. Yer a smart boy, Jack. Never let anyone make fun of you for that, my clever lad. Ya hear me?”
Jack giggled, his smile returning. “Si, Papá!”
“Haha, that’s my lad!” Mr. Sterling leaned down to his wife, kissing the crown of her head. “See, dear? He’ll be just fine.”
Mrs. Sterling’s tension didn’t waver, but she reluctantly nodded, kissing the top of Jack’s head. “Now… enough about Germany. Go play with your friends for a while. Me and your father are… busy with some papers. Stay out of trouble and away from the Germans.”
She set him down, but Jack wiggled free from her hold. He ran to the front door, sitting to put on his shoes, sticking his tongue out as he struggled to tie the laces. He managed it on his own, beaming with pride. Before rushing out, he adjusted his little collar and turned to his parents, tooth gap gleaming. “Okie! Te amo, Mamá! Te amo, Papá! I’ll be back by sunset, promesa!”
The slam of the door marked his departure, obvious and innocent. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling watched him leave, hearts heavy with the burdens they carried.
Mrs. Sterling grabbed her glasses, folding them onto the stack of papers detailing the other children marked for the trains. She sniffled, turning away from her husband to wipe her tears.
Mr. Sterling bent to his knees, drawing her into his embrace, rocking her gently. “He’ll be okay, darling… they’ll all be okay. We just… we just have to do this right, or we’ll be fucked…”