The nursery still had some of Axel’s baby things in it, favorite blankets and some baby toys, which she carefully put into the boxes to take downstairs, and she left the rest, the contents of the linen closets, which were part of the sale, and she walked down a floor to the room she had been avoiding and dreaded most, Axel’s room. She opened the door, the shades were drawn, and she could almost sense him fly into her arms when she walked in. She stood there, frozen to the spot, and then went to lie on his bed, and looked up at the ceiling, at the stars that she had glued onto it herself one year as a Christmas present. She could sense him lying next to her, his young slim body pressed against her, his hand holding hers, his face next to hers.

“Oh God, I miss you, Axie,” she said out loud in the silent room. He had spoken English with her, and French with his father and everyone else. He had been perfectly bilingual. There were photographs of all his favorite soccer players on the walls, and a few Yankees stars. He loved baseball too. She had taken him to a Yankees game in New York and he loved it. They ate hot dogs and he jumped up and down and yelled every time they hit a home run.

She got up and walked over to his desk and saw a photograph of her and Matthieu there. He had been a good student, but most of all he had been a wonderful boy, the light of her life. She still couldn’t believe that that light had gone out, and she would never see him again.

After looking at and touching everything, she called her bodyguard again, told him where she was, and asked him to bring her boxes. He appeared respectfully in the doorway, with the boxes, not wanting to intrude.

“Would you like me to pack up the room for you, ma’am?” he asked gently, and she shook her head.

“Just leave the boxes, thank you, Franck. I’ll do it myself.” He was German but spoke perfect English.

“Call if you need anything. I’ll tape them up when you’re finished,” he said and went discreetly back down the stairs.

The movers had been instructed to bring all the boxes to the apartment in the city. She was going to dispose of Matthieu’s clothes, but she was planning to put all of Axel’s things in his room in Paris. Even if she never unpacked them, at least she would know they were there.