Oh it's nice to know you've still been reading! (Sorry about RL, it does do that, doesn't it? I hope it'll ease off soon -- I'd love to read more of your fic!) Thank you, I'm so glad you liked this whole thing and that you found the ending fitting -- "tentative and expectant" is a lovely way of putting it and just what I was going for. And yes, after the wringer I've put them through, sending them to kiss and whack each other on the head with French dictionaries in the sunny south of France seemed the least I could do for them!