To say Damon felt nervous would be an understatement. His palms alive with sweat as the crows of apprehension dove down to peck at his rigid shoulders. It was a stumbling block in his usually cold composure, his throat tight while his pale fingers plucked off the stupid bow tie around his collar. The caretaker had thrown it on him in his vibrating excitement, the bespectacled man alive with overwhelming joy. Damon hadn’t understood any of it. But while he waited for the door, he did recognize the anomaly of today. The children around him buzzing with heavy whispers as he stared straight ahead with a furrowed brow. It wasn’t often any of the orphans were permitted to leave the premises. When they were, it was usually for a rather small trip to the town or for a walk a little further in the forest than they were used to. So when the rumor got out (no doubt thanks to Amelia) that Damon was allowed to leave for most of the day, the children in the orphanage lost their minds. The halls