The low, familiar voice made her entire body go rigid.
She lifted her head sharply, and her eyes met Stellan Blackwood's. They were red and glistening with unshed tears.
He looked much thinner than the last time she had seen him. His suit hung loosely from his shoulders, his tie pulled out of place, and exhaustion seemed to weigh heavily on every line of his face.
"I have missed you so much."
Amaris stood frozen in shock, her fingers unconsciously digging into her palms.
The little girl seized the moment, slipped between them, and ran toward her worried mother waiting a short distance away.
The crowd continued to surge around them, yet Stellan remained still, like an island isolated from the rest of the world.
He reached out, as if to touch her face, but froze when she took a small
