"The Shevchenkos have always been such good friends to us," Mrs. Wedemeyer told Laura. Laura sat on the sofa with Rachel and Rhonda, while Mr. and Mrs. Wedemeyer sat in recliners across from them. Jeremy and Jennifer were napping on a quilt on the living room floor.

"When we first moved into these apartments, we were young and newly married. Erika came over with a big pot of chicken soup to share. She stayed, and we talked for hours. Before the day was over, I knew we were going to be great friends."

"I was deeply moved by her story," Mr. Wedemeyer interjected. "Of course I knew all about the Holocaust, but that was the first time I'd ever met one of its victims. I couldn't even imagine her pain! I was surprised she was able to keep her sanity after all she'd been through.

My own grandparents came to the United States from Russia in the late eighteen hundreds, to get away from the pogroms. My parents were both born here in Brooklyn. I remember hearing them talk about how fortunate they were to have gotten out when they did."

"Were they ever!" Laura agreed. "Rachel mentioned that Mrs. Shevchenko was their preschool teacher at the synagogue."

Rhonda giggled. "I was the one who told you that. It was so much fun - we'd start with breakfast at the table in a circle, then there would be music, Bible stories on a flannel board, coloring and painting, dancing, and even a garden we watered and took care of ourselves."

"We never went to preschool," said Laura. "We just started school in the first grade."

"It was important to my mother-in-law," Mrs. Wedemeyer explained. "She wanted to be sure the girls had a solid Jewish foundation." The Wedemeyers exchanged glances, and Mr. Wedemeyer reached for his wife's hand.

"So did you attend a private Jewish school or a public school?" Laura asked her new friends.

"We went to public school but had Hebrew school in the evenings," said Rachel.

"How did you have time for your homework?" asked Laura.

"We did it after Hebrew school," said Rachel.

"So when did you have time to be with your friends?"

"Most of our friends were in Hebrew school with us," Rhonda told her. "We did things on the weekend with our Christian friends."

"Sounds like fun," said Laura, remembering afternoons spent playing with Annie White and, later, Jo and Jeannie English.

"We enjoyed it," said Rachel.

"So do you just stay home and take care of the twins?" asked Rhonda.

Laura nodded. "I was planning on going back to school to be a secretary when they're old enough for kindergarten."

"That's still a couple of years away." Rachel watched the sleeping twins. Jennifer was balled up with her thumb in her mouth. Jeremy lay cuddled against her. "Isn't there a preschool where you live?"

"I can't afford it," said Laura.

"Head Start is free, and your children might qualify," said Rachel. "If I were you, I'd check into it as soon as I got home."

"I think I've heard of that before," said Laura. "I don't know anything about it."

"It's great, the kids get free lunches and everything," said Rhonda. "A friend of ours from the synagogue enrolled her son in it. She's really happy with it."

"Thanks, I'll do that," said Laura. Noticing the time, she was shocked to see how late it was. She roused Jennifer and Jeremy and said goodbye to the Wedemeyers, who promised to keep in touch.

"Please take this casserole with you," said Mrs. Wedemeyer.

Laura returned to find Toni giving Erika a bottle while Amon and Jakob watched television and the adults talked. Everyone was happy to see the casserole. Laura told her mother about the conversation she'd had with the Wedemeyers.

"I've heard of that Head Start program as well," said Elizabeth. "I was planning to suggest you enroll the twins when they're old enough."

The casserole turned out to be enough to feed everyone for dinner, and later, they took turns taking showers in the small bathroom. Luckily, the sofa unfolded into a double bed for Paul and Elizabeth. The boys had brought along sleeping bags, and Laura slept with the twins on an inflatable mattress on the floor.

After breakfast the next morning, the family set out on the long journey home.