Emberwood again I will say: Rejoice!

His smile grows wider at the mention of sunshine, before it wans again, as if saying, yeah, me too. God had made light on the first day of creation. For twenty four hours, all there had been was a clear blue brightness. It's almost comforting to think about.

"From what?" he asks half-heartedly, before chuckling at the stranger's appraisal of him. "This is how I usually look," he jokes, though he self-consciously rubs his cheek, wishing for a mirror. He'd never looked radiant or completely healthy even when he was living through his best days. Ruth liked that about him-- made him look older, more serious, she said. He touches his temple where the hair had already started to gray.

"I think once you reach a certain age, everyone starts to look tired." He wasn't that old-- still in the prime of his life, but Colin had never cared too much about appearance. A reverend only had to look put-together and sane. It wasn't difficult to pull off.