*He stiffens when she pulls him into her arms, but only for a second; his own arms go around her again, his long, bony hand stroking her hair. In a soft, halting voice, he begins to speak to her as if he is telling her a story.*

The first time I came here, I resented being taken away from my work. I wish that they would not have sent me back in such a way that it became difficult to focus on it, but at the same time -- it is a relief -- something of a relief -- to have ended the Kira case as much as I'll be able to.

I still have work -- there is always more to do, and I have been trying to stay occupied -- but it is not as pressing as it was before. It has mostly been money at stake, rather than lives. I had just finished my case, I had not selected the next yet --

I suppose what I mean is that, at the moment, it doesn't seem to matter much whether I am here or there. I am not as concerned as I was about the possibility that my time here could leave me open to disaster back there.

*This moment of hesitation is longer than the others; he feels like he is stumbling through a verbal minefield.*

It's only -- I had just started to resign myself to not being able to see you. I was beginning to set aside the plans we had made, because as far as I could tell, they weren't realistic possibilities anymore.

I think I had let you go, a little, Misa.

I had lost you, and now it is as if you've come back to life. It's hard to trust it.