Well, Road to Berlin is finally over. I'm going to miss it, but what an amazing experience it was! Here's to you, my girls.

4th – Our girls

By the time Gertrud returned from her talk with Lucchini, most of the others had already left the mess hall and the table was free of dishes.

Only Minna was still present. She eyed Gertrud over the rim of her steaming teacup. "How did it go?"

Gertrud took a seat and picked up her cup. The tea was hot; Minna must've refilled it for her. "It went well, I think. She seemed to understand." Lucchini was many things, some of them incomprehensible, but she was also easy to read. Gertrud could work with that. "She went to see Shirley. I thought it best not to follow."

"You've done well." Minna smiled into her cup. "Though I must confess, I never expected you to volunteer. What brought that on?"

Her gaze strayed to the new insignia on the lapel of her uniform. "I had to help. It's my responsibility to watch over them now."

There was a titter from Minna, but when Gertrud looked her way, Minna had already refocused on the newspaper in front of her. Gertrud decided to follow her example, sipping at her tea and enjoying the last of her break.

It couldn't have been more than ten minutes when voices materialized in the adjacent hallway, followed by a flurry of footsteps. Shirley and Lucchini rushed into the room, immersed in rambunctious conversation. Gertrud turned in her seat and pointedly cleared her throat; the two troublemakers stopped in their tracks.

"Oh, hey!" Shirley grinned at them. "Didn't expect you guys to still be here."

"I see you're running and making noise in the halls again," Gertrud said, though she couldn't bring herself to put much bite into those words. They both seemed okay. Good.

Shirley laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, sorry! We were talking about Rapid and got carried away. Anyway, Lucchini said there was apple pie?"

Lucchini nodded vigorously. "Yeah! And it was super yummy." She zipped to the table, but let out a whine when she came to her seat. "It was right here! Where'd it go?" Her eyes narrowed at them. "Did Yoshika eat it all?"

Minna burst out laughing. "Oh, my! No, I believe she's had quite enough for one day." She wiped away a few mirthful tears. "I left your pieces in the refrigerator. Oh, and there's still tea left, if you'd like some."

Lucchini made a face. "Blech, tea?"

"There's a batch of hot cocoa for you, of course," Minna said with a reassuring nod.

"Yay! Me first!" Lucchini ran off to the kitchen, but stopped and pivoted when she reached the doorway. Her hand shot up in an energetic wave. "See ya later, Barkhorn!"

"Huh?" But Lucchini had already disappeared through the doorway.

Shirley chuckled. "And there she goes."

Gertrud shook her head. In one ear and out the other, it seemed. When would that girl ever learn to slow down? She heard Shirley's footfalls and assumed she was leaving, but Shirley came over to her instead, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at the unusual gesture. "What is it?"

"Thanks." The expression Shirley wore was more mellow than Gertrud could ever remember seeing. Shirley gave her a nod and lightly clapped her shoulder, then strolled after Lucchini.

Gertrud watched her go with a bemused look. She hadn't expected such a thing from Shirley. And since when did Lucchini even like her to begin with?

There was a scuff of wood on carpet and then Minna was there, leaning against the table next to her, with her arms wrapped around her middle and her legs elegantly crossed. "It seems everything turned out all right, didn't it?"

"Looks like it." Gertrud let out a breath. "I'm glad. Lucchini's a good girl."

Minna tilted her head. "She is, isn't she? In fact, I like to think all of our girls are."

She nodded, then did a double-take. "Wait, our girls?"

"Yes, our girls." Minna's tone was gentle, as it often was, but there was something more to it this time, something new, soft, affectionate.

Gertrud's heart skipped a beat at the sight. "O-oh. Our…" She considered the concept for a moment, and her lips curved into a smile. Their girls. She liked the sound of that. "Yeah, they are."