Lucius stared at the messenger, then looked at me.
For a moment, nobody spoke. The stranger waited patiently, but I could see the tension in Lucius’s jaw.
“You should have sent word,” I said quietly.
Lucius rubbed a hand over his face. “I know.”
“How long have you been away from your family?”
“Nearly two years. I think.”
I stared at him. “Two years?”
“I left without telling them where I was going. At first, I thought I would be gone for a few weeks. Then things changed, and I kept putting off the journey home.”
“You never thought they might be worried?”
“Of course I did.” His voice softened. “But every time I thought about leaving, I found another reason to stay.”
His eyes met mine, and I understood what he had left unsaid.
Me.
The realization made my chest tighten. I had spent
