As eight o'clock approached, the air inside the entrance hall was filled with quiet, restless energy. I stepped out onto the wide wooden porch with Demetrius, looking out across the grounds just as the sun broke fully over the treetops, flooding the path in bright golden light.
Right on time, the distant sound of bright laughter, eager voices, and dozens of marching footsteps echoed up from the green.
I couldn't help the huge grin that spread across my face as the crowd came into view. Dorothy and Clara walked near the front of the procession, while Ezra and Martha trailed just behind, helping keep the younger ones grouped together. The children were practically bouncing with excitement—some holding hands, others pointing eagerly at the new timber-and-stone building ahead, their cheerful
