His hand over hers is an old comfort, but it hasn't lost its effect after all this time. She doesn't miss that hint of guilt in his tone, his expression—she's as sharp as she ever was, even if her face has softened with age.

"No, I don't imagine it would be. I'm sure it makes things difficult where public record is concerned." She knows all about these difficulties—she'd had to re-establish her true identity after the war, bid Emmanuelle Mimieux goodbye. Though it hadn't been an uncommon problem, the bureaucracy and the post-war mayhem had still been a bitch where paperwork was concerned. "But it is refreshing, to see you looking the same as you did when I left."