Elsa had barely entered the kitchen, and already Bruno was tugging at the hem of her dress. Her son looked up with lamp-like eyes. "What is it, Precious?" she asked, using the special pet name she reserved only for Bruno. "I thought you were going to play outside? It's such a lovely day."
Elsa glanced out the window, at the cheerful sunlight streaming down onto the courtyard. She almost smiled. It was a rarity these days, ever since the move. But then she saw the soldiers patrolling their yard, and her mouth tightened. They simply couldn't be avoided.
It seemed like her thoughts had been heard. Just then, a young soldier walked through the kitchen, glanced backward at them, then exited. Elsa frowned darkly. "I keep telling them to use the back door!" she muttered, turning away. When she noticed Bruno still standing there, she took his face in her hands.
"I'm so sorry, Bruno. Mummy's so absent-minded these days. What were you saying?" But her son only shook his head and darted away. She could hear him pounding up the stairs to his room. Elsa sighed loudly and shook her head, alone in the cavernous kitchen. "Everything's different," she said quietly. ''Everything's different, and nothing's the same."