James took her hand and climbed up into the tree, He inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, and smiled at Shana. "It's quite peaceful up here" he noted, "I can see why you like it." He settled back into a comfortable position, and looked at her, dead serious. "I'm so sorry for what happened earlier at the pool." He apologized "Your revelations were a bit more than I was expecting, and I reacted in a way that wasn't helpful to you, or to me." he confessed. James felt his eyes welling up with tears, and he didn't try to hold them back. It would be better if Shana saw his emotions, although being so open made him feel more vulnerable than he liked.
"I am so sorry about your parents." he said, through the slight fall of tears, "Nobody should have to deal with that. No child should have to bury their parent at such a young age." James rummaged in his pockets for a tissue, and he used it to dab at his eyes. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you." he said, determined yet empathetic. "You might not have a birth family, but Radiants are like a family." With that remark he gave a weak smile, and added, "Though I may not be old enough to be a father figure, I can at the very least be a good elder brother."
James reached once again for her hand, and said "What say you that we go down to the party?" he smiled a bit stronger, "After all, Jace and Ax are family too." At that remark, a pair of bluebirds alighted on a branch near to them. The two chirped happily, and James looked over to them.
"The birds are lovely, aren't they."
@Sorana