Andy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His mouth fell open to issue a response, but it was as if he temporarily forgot how to speak. He managed to blurt out an “I” and let shocked silence fill its wake.
“It’s OK,” his mother told him, smiling now while she patted his back. He looked at her, at both of them, and wanted a “why,” only he didn’t, not if it cost him or complicated this most unexpected of victories. “We still love you.”
Andy relaxed slightly after that. The pressure was gone, but a lot of uncertainty remained. They said they would give him what he wanted, but for how long? Was there a catch? There had to be.
“What, exactly, am I getting?” he asked.