“I wanted to,” I admitted, my voice matching his in quiet vulnerability. “But I have to go to allow you to rest. These have been… a lot and I want you to have time to settle in. Breath it all in.”

He gave a slight nod, though I didn’t miss the flicker of his disappointment.

I stood, brushing imaginary wrinkles from my jeans, then turned to him. “But I’ll be back tomorrow. First thing tomorrow. And maybe I’ll bring croissants or something.”

He followed me ...