"No, no," she assures him quickly. She shoulders open the door and enters with a tray in hand, kicking it closed behind her once she's through. "You stay as long as you wish. This space is yours tonight!"

She eyes Koumyou and Devero, little eyes crinkling in a round face as she observes how closely together they're huddled. Looking directly as Devero, she asks, "Were you brave?"

"I was brave," he says. Under the blankets, he hugs Koumyou with the arm around him. Looking down at the priest, he says, "And he was even braver. He said yes."