Fia and Lea had stopped crying and shown smiles. Now they sat in a row on the sofa, Hiero, Fia, then Lea, all hugged together by Hiero. I sat on the sofa across from them, drank the tea Croana had poured, and watched the three of them with a smile. Croana could not leave her desk, probably because of paperwork, but she looked relieved watching Fia and Lea smile in a troubled way while being hugged by Hiero.
The reason Fia and Lea stopped crying was that Hiero told them their friend Rose's existence had not completely vanished. The story Hiero explained, if I gave an honest impression, was flying off in all kinds of directions.
