[As far as Marianne is concerned, the difference in time between them changes little, if anything at all. It's thrown her off, certainly, and she has no shortage of concerns and questions about how that's even possible. But that's hardly Hilda's fault, nor is it her place to provide answers that she can't possibly know. She's still Hilda, and they're still friends, and that's what matters.

The slightly more than four months that have passed since Gronder Field have had tremendous ups and downs for Marianne. And they will for Hilda, when she has the opportunity to live them. In the meantime, she just won't bring any of those events up for conversation unless Hilda herself insists on it.

Hilda's question has Marianne's eyes go wide, and she leans forward as if this were some kind of conspiratorial gossip instead of a statement of fact that should, for all intents and purposes, be impossible.]

A woman?!

[She pauses thoughtfully, considering the idea. Eventually she shakes her head as she turns away from Hilda and settles back into the tub for the hair washing to continue.]

I can't imagine it. If it were just Sylvain, I'd wonder if he was making it up. But Petra always seemed to be really honest.