Alicia looked at Cass. For the first time he had truly revealed something personal about himself, she realized. With a warm smile, she reached out and gave his hand a small squeeze. She was sorry that he didn’t have anybody to spend Christmas with, but she didn’t pity him. Nothing about Cass invited pity, of that she was certain.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to spend it completely alone,” she said and sent him a small smile. “But even more so, that your friend took the time to at least get you something decent to eat, and yes, that was the Mother Hen in me talking. It won’t happen again.” With a small smile to show that she accepted his reasons, she sat back in her chair. “You can tell me if I’m being too nosy, alright?” she assured him. “But you do know that I’m curious about why you would be alone on Christmas. However, it’s entirely up to you if you want to let me know, I’m just trying to get to know you better, so I won’t stick my foot in it later.”