There is a villa in the south of France, between gently rolling hills, near an unremarkable village, to which Cross Marian brought Allen Walker when for the third time in Allen's life there was nowhere else in the world he should be. The tree-lined drive drips with lilacs of a defiant purplish-pink; mostly, Allen has thought wryly, because even the flowers once felt some sort of obligation to warn visitors of what might lie in wait for them in the house beyond. Le Remède sits at the end of this drive, encircled by pine trees that subdue the effects of the sun, rain, and wind.

In the parlor an ostentatious chair still smells of Cross's favorite cigars. It is big enough for at least two people to sit in comfortably, and Allen sits here as often as he likes now because he can. Lisette left a half hour ago. He may not have been at his most attentive today, since the letter arrived at the same time that Madame Bucher and her granddaughter did.

The London postmark and Lavi's easy, strong handwriting were obvious at first glance. Lisette's head toss as they left was clear too, and Allen immediately regretted the fact that he did not urge them to stay. He is a little tired, and perhaps that's why he was unable to muster the enthusiasm to convince Lisette to stay for tea. Two nights ago, after he proposed to her, Allen was stricken with a rare, sudden and rather violent stomach ailment, and he still doesn't feel he's quite recovered.

Lisette is a lovely girl, he reminds himself.

He had waited for them to go before he opened the letter, and now Allen sits in his chair tracing the lines of the stone floor with his eyes, his stomach twisting anew. His concern over whether or not he has affronted his fiancée dwindles to an idle nagging in the back of his mind.

The letter is still sitting in a silver tray on the side table. Allen peers at it from time to time, when he isn't staring at the floor, but he's already memorized every word, and touching it seems to make him tremble.

Lavi is bringing Kanda with him to France and all Allen has to offer are books and tea; all he has to show for himself is the life that Cross has left him. Somehow, it doesn't seem enough.