Christmas wasn't the same. For many reasons, beyond the obvious. Evan toyed with the idea of mentioning that nothing was the same, but he didn't. It was depressing, and he didn't want to push anyone else into a bad mood, especially when he himself was feeling better than he had in ages. Evan himself wondered about what things were like in France. Would everyone still be alive if he hadn't been so determined to move to New York and dragging everyone else with him? Would Danny and George be safer there? Sure, he'd be alone here, but if they were safer, he'd have changed it in a heartbeat if he could. "Perhaps things can return to normal someday," was all he said.
It was an oddly optimistic attitude for him, but he wasn't deluding himself into thinking it was real.
When she introduced herself Evan smiled. "Eloise is a lovely name. I went to art camp with an Eloise when I was growing up in Marseille," he offered with a smile. "Your name is more French than mine, even…" he mused.