Free Always and Forever by Cynthia Freeman

arms about him. “Did you tell her yet?”
    “She knows.” David nodded while Kathy self-consciously took a step back.
    “Phil, this is such great news.” She turned to him, surprised by his lack of enthusiasm. “Heidi has nobody else in the world but her cousins in the Bronx.”
    “Some luck.” Now Phil acknowledged his approval.
    “I’m glad it happened while we’re here. I wanted so much to see Heidi with family. It was a fine thing for you to have accomplished, David.” Why wasn’t David going back to New York with them, Kathy asked herself for the dozenth time. Why must he sentence himself to stay in Germany? New York was his home now, he hadn’t lived in Berlin since he was a teenager.
    “I’m happy for Heidi.” All at once David was unfamiliarly formal. “It’s what she wanted.”
    At dinner David announced he was leaving for Berlin late that evening. Kathy was startled. She’d thought he’d stay until the group sailed tomorrow night.
    “Our work is done here,” he said quietly. “I’m anxious to find out how I begin to operate in Berlin.”
    “It may take a while,” Phil told him, “but you’ll collect a fortune in reparations from the German government. Keep your eyes open, old boy.”
    “The German government can never repay for the lives they took.” David’s face was etched with rekindled rage. “The world must never forget.”
    “There’s probably a frightful shortage of doctors in Berlin,” Rhoda said softly. “They’ll be fighting for your services.”
    After dinner David shook hands with the men, kissed each of the girls on the cheek—Kathy last of all—and with valise in hand walked down the hall and out the door. Kathy was conscious of a painful sense of loss. David was Phil’s cousin and her close friend. She had expected to see him when they were back in New York. She had thought that of all those in the group David and Rhoda would remain part of her life after Hamburg.
    “David couldn’t bear to stand at the harbor and see you leave,” Rhoda said sentimentally when they were alone in the kitchen on dishwashing duty.
    “You’re way off base,” Kathy said defensively. “David and I were close friends. There was nothing romantic between us.”
    “David was mad about you. We all knew that.”
    “He never said a word to me.” He’d never even tried to kiss her. He’d asked her to wear the brooch because—she sought for his words and then remembered—" ”Seeing you wear it will be like seeing a bit of home. ”
    “Hey, Kathy—” Phil hovered in the doorway. “What about a refill on that Turkish coffee? Is there enough left for one more pot?”
    Again, the group crossed the Atlantic in primitive quarters. The days seemed to drag for all of them, though Phil labored to create a sense of conviviality. On their last evening before arriving at their port, Kathy stood at the railing with Phil and gazed at the spill of moonlight on the water. She was eager to see her family, yet apprehensive about telling them about Phil. She should have given them some warning.
    “Why don’t we both stay over tomorrow night at my place in town?” Phil said, an arm about her waist. “I feel so deprived.”
    “You’ll make up.” She lifted her face to his.
    “This is such a teaser,” he reproached but kissed her with passionate promise. “What about staying over?” he tried again.
    “I’d feel so guilty at not going right home,” she confessed.
    “Okay.” He sighed and slid a hand around to the curve of her breast. He laughed as she glanced around in instant alarm. “Nobody can see us.” He pulled her around to face him, moved with her in arousal. “So when’s the wedding?”
    “As soon as my parents can make the arrangements.” Her voice was unsteady. “They don’t even know you exist—”
    “We go home tomorrow night, but the next night,” he said firmly, “I show you my place.” He chuckled with pleasurable anticipation. “Among other