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"Don’t need to go Everything I need is here" She took a sip of Peter’s drink and screwed up her face "Dear God, what is that?"

"Water"

The friends drifted over to the fireplace to chat to Roar and Hanna Parra while Gabri took a handful of licorice allsorts froht a movement outside the frostedA familiar car, a Volvo, drove slowly down du Moulin into the village The sun gleamed off the fresh snow banks and kids skated on the frozen pond on the village green

The car stopped halfway through the village and two ot out

Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Armand Gamache They paused beside the car then the back door opened

Clara turned at the sound of soft thudding at the bar Allsorts were spilling from Gabri’s hand The conversation in the bistro dropped then disappeared as patrons first looked at Gabri, then out the

Gabri continued to stare

Surely not He’d iined, fantasized, pretended so many times Had seen it clearly only to have to co his eyes off the sight, he walked froe man

The door opened, and Olivier stood there

Gabri, unable to speak, opened his ared and rocked and wept Around theed each other

After a ti tears fro at each other, Gabri afraid to look away in case it was taken away, again And Olivier overwhelmed by all that was so familiar and beloved The faces, the voices, the sounds he kneell and hadn’t heard in what sees in the fire, and buttery croissants, and roasted coffee beans

All the things he remembered, and ached for

And Gabri’s scent, of Ivory soap And his strong, certain ar in hied his eyes from Olivier and looked behind his partner to the two Sûreté officers

"Thank you," he said

"Inspector Beauvoir deserves the thanks," said the Chief Inspector The place was quiet again Gamache turned to Olivier He needed to say this for everyone to hear In case there were any lingering doubts

"I rong," Gaive you," Olivier rasped, struggling to keep his emotions in check "You have no idea what it was like" He stopped, regained his composure then continued "Maybe, with time"

"Oui," said Gamache

As everyone celebrated, Armand Gamache walked out into the sunshine, into the sound of children playing hockey, and snowball fights, and tobogganing down the hill He paused to watch but saw only the young h his back<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>