The love between Romulus and Raymond remains distant through much of their relationship. Their attachment is expressed more often through actions then words. Feelings tend to come together in expression only when guilt or sorrow is most deeply felt. While conditions for postwar migrants may have denied the luxury and wealth, the strength of largely unspoken feelings was able to over rule there way of life.

Even the young family struggles in Europe, Romulus displays a fatherly affection that extends beyond most people's idea of such love. Before finding work Romulus sometimes walks eighty kilometers to get milk, beans or potatoes, denying himself so that Raimond can have more. Left exhausted by such efforts to get food, Romulus `fainted from hunger' on more then one occasion. In Germany, Christina already shows signs of her mental illness, neglecting her baby and leaving it in the care of her family...