“Remember doing these when we were kids?” Sophia asked, her eyes twinkling. “I always insisted on being the…”

Her words cut off abruptly, her expression shifting. Before Juniper could ask what was wrong, she followed Sophia’s gaze across the plaza. The transition in Juniper’s demeanor was immediate and stark - her shoulders tensed, her teeth finding her bottom lip in that nervous habit she’d never quite broken. Her eyes, just moments ago soft with nostalgia, now narrowed with concern as she took in the new side show before them.

Roma was there by the Govner statue, his presence as commanding as ever. In a sea of casual festival attire and winter coats, his immaculate pinstripes and Italian leather oxfords stood out like a shark among minnows. Even his pocket square, a precise slash of burgundy silk, seemed to mock the cheerful holiday scarves of those around him.