A wild update appeared!

"Go away. I have nothing for you today."

The pigeon hopped a bit closer and Josef inched towards the end of the bench. "Go." The young man snarled, clutching his meager lunch to his chest. The pigeon cooed pathetically and Josef grimaced. "Very well." He tore a tiny piece of bread off his small loaf and tossed it to the ground. "Go on, shoo."

The pigeon cooed in what might have been thanks before fluttering off the bench and onto the ground. Josef rolled his eyes and pulled off a chunk of bread for himself, popping it into his mouth before reaching into his book-bag. He pulled out a thick, leather-bound volume with small print and no pictures, and settled back to enjoy his afternoon.

The wind whipped past, sudden and furious, and Josef snarled as the pages fluttered, making him lose his place. He shrugged his coat higher across his shoulders, cursing the wind.

A blast of cold air hit him again, and this time it literally smacked him in the face.

No, wait. That was just a piece of paper.

He peeled the loose piece of paper off of his face and sighed, gripping his grip as the wind threatened to tear it out of his hands. He studied the drawing on the page, and after a moment of consideration realized that the stern young man sitting on the bench rendered in pencil was him.

Slowly, Josef looked up and cast a glance around. Who on earth—?

"Help! Help, oh, somebody, help!"

A woman sprinted by, clutching onto her hat with one hand and holding a bunch of loose papers in the other. She was darting after yet another loose piece of paper as the wind carried it away playfully, keeping it just out of her reach.

The wind blasted her forward and she tripped and fell on the rough payment, losing her grip on the rest of her papers. She cursed vehemently, climbing to her knees and collecting the papers lying around her.

Josef gave another glance around, brow furrowed, and slowly stood, making his way towards the young woman. He stooped to pick up another stray drawing. "Excuse me," he cleared his throat, "I believe this belongs to you." He held out the drawing.

The young woman turned to him with a flushed face. "Oh…thank you." Breathlessly, she climbed to her feet and took the drawing, stuffing it in with those she'd managed to recollect.

Josef gave her a curt nod. "It was no problem." He stooped down and picked up another paper threatening to flutter away. He handed it off to her with pursed lips. "Are you…all right?"

"I'll be fine," she dusted off her petticoat in an attempt to regain her dignity, "thank you for your help." She smiled up at him and he felt blood warming his face.

"It was no trouble."

For a moment they stood, she shuffling her drawings, he fiddling with the buttons on his frayed coat. Finally he cleared his throat again. "Those drawings were…quite lovely."

"Oh," she flushed, "these are just little sketches, nothing important…"

"They're certainly much more impressive than anything I could ever draw."

She perked up instantly. "Do you draw?"
"Mostly anatomy," Josef replied, "I'm studying to become a doctor, so—"

"Oh! A doctor! What sort?"

"The sort that heals people."

She gave him a level look and he chortled. She grinned at his laugh and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know what I meant."

"I'm not sure yet," he said with an honest tone, "I've only just started my studies."

The wind blasted past again and she gasped. "I hate autumn."

For an instant he was tempted to take off his coat and wrap it around her shoulders—but that was impractical, because then he would be cold. Besides, she'd probably refuse him.

Right?

Josef shook his head to clear these new and unwelcomed thoughts. "You hate autumn? Why's that?"

"Everything is just so…dead." She cast a look around the mostly-deserted park, the brittle leaves struggling valiantly to hang on, the withered grass, the fountain that gurgled on and filled the disquieting silence.

Josef listened to the fountain for a moment, and he soon shared her unease. "I see."

Meanwhile, Joelle's gaze had traveled to his hand, eyes alighting on the drawing he still held. "Oh, thank you—" She made to reach for it, but at the last minute Josef pulled the drawing closer to him, just out of her reach.

"No, I think I'll keep this one, thank you." He arched his eyebrows in amusement when she frowned. "I rather like the subject."

Instantly her eyes widened in understanding and she took a step forward. "No, give it back!"
"Why should I?" Josef's voice took on a coy tone. He held the drawing up into the air, making the small Joelle frown. "Finder's keepers. And really, you should be asking permission before you go around drawing unsuspecting people."

Joelle pressed her tongue to her cheek, standing up on tiptoes to grab for the drawing. Josef danced backwards a little, a genuine smile stretching across his features. "Oh, no, no—this belongs to me no—OH!"

The wind had picked up again, snatching the drawing away from him and sending it spiraling into the air. Both Josef and Joelle yelped, darting after the drawing. Josef was the faster and the taller of the two, and with a hearty laugh of triumph he felt his hand close around the paper once more—just as his foot hit marble.

Josef had about a half a second to look surprised before he went toppling forward into the gurgling fountain. He landed with an almighty splash, arms stuck up out of the water and holding the drawing safely out of the cold dip.

He resurfaced with a gasp, glasses off of his face by one ear. He blinked water out of his eyes, the lack of glasses making the world a hazy blur. Not too far off he could hear Joelle laughing harder than he thought possible. Still holding the unharmed drawing, Josef repositioned his glasses and glared at Joelle. She chuckled, pranced forward, and swiped the drawing away from him. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Josef shook droplets of water from his sleeves and stood, mourning his sopping wet clothes. He shook his damp shirt away from his skin, only to be interrupted by a gloved hand sticking out towards him. His icy blue eyes traveled upwards to stare at the faintly smiling Joelle. "C'mon. Let's get you out of those clothes."

He blinked, slowly, and smiled back at her.

…

The streets of Stuttgart were dark and quiet as the young couple slid through the shadows towards a faintly purring car. Everything was silent. Everything was still. It was the perfect sort of night to make an escape.

Joelle sniffled slightly and straightened out her husband's jacket, smoothing her long pianist fingers over the pin indicating that he was a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. There was a faint trembling in those artist's fingers, but it ceased when Josef caught up her hands.

"Everything is going to be all right." He whispered, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles.

"When am I going to see you again?"

It was a frightened murmur, a failed attempt at bravery, and one last desperate plea not to be separated from the man she loved. Josef took her in bright green eyes for a moment before pulling her into a hug. "I don't know." He admitted in all choked honesty. "But I will come for you as soon as I am able. Heinrich and his family will keep you safe."

"What about—"

"The Allies?" Josef took to stroking her hair. "They won't come after Dresden. It's not a priority. I promise."

Joelle half-smiled and pressed her ear to his chest, listening to the reassuring thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go."

She stood away, took one more long look at him, and disappeared into the long black car. The driver, his cousin, gave Josef one curt nod before pulling away.

Josef remained where he was for a long, long time, despite the cold and the chill and the lightening sky and his own dark thoughts. Maybe his family had been right. Maybe he had made a mistake in marrying a Jew…

Instantly he shook the thought away, and when he finally started off towards home he was already preparing his reunion with his sweet Joelle.