All their gazes shifted to James the moment he appeared at the edge of the walkway, strolling toward them with a soft, gentle smile stretched across his face.
He hadn't even made it halfway when Cassandra beat the rest to it. "Good morning, James!" she said, beaming.
"Good morning, Cassandra... and to everyone," James replied, his voice as calm as ever. His eyes briefly scanned the group, but when they landed on Maria, the smile slowly faded into concern.
Maria felt her heart leap. It had been days since she last saw him, and the rush of emotions nearly swept her off her feet.
She barely resisted the urge to run up to him and throw her arms around him.
James took a step closer and directed his attention solely to her. "How are you, Maria? You haven't been around for a while. Everything okay?"
