DEUXIÈME

A fragrance that permeates the soul, investing it with a reassuring protection, an embrace that welcomes me every time I cross the threshold of the solemn palace of my parents' house.

Travels, experiences, passions sedimented one upon another: lightly salty notes of Norman woody seas steeped in sensual black amber; thaumaturgical balms, seducing even the most skeptical with the sweetness of white musk; Mediterranean tones, persistent memories of the oven always lit in winter and the smoky incense, memories of more spiritual destinations.

A life condensed and liberated by the durable wallpaper, by the books in Dad's study, recounted in the closets among Mom's eternal cashmere sweaters and her most feminine dresses, worn in secret with friends, in clandestine and experimental childhood games, on icy winter Sundays.