After the call, Daniel slipped his phone back into his pocket and took a steady breath before heading back into the hall.
The noise returned instantly—laughter, music, chatter—but his mind was still elsewhere.
On her.
His eyes searched instinctively, scanning through clusters of students and families until they finally landed on her.
Amelia.
She stood a little off to the side now, her family gone, but still smiling softly to herself like she was replaying moments in her head.
For a second, Daniel just watched her.
Then he walked over.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his voice calm, as if nothing had shifted.
Amelia turned, her face lighting up immediately when she saw him. “A little too much, yeah,” she said with a small laugh. “You didn’t get to meet my family. They’ve all
