“Wait, where’s he going with your award?”
Nik answered. “That’s just the prop for the show. Ethan gets his real one afterwards with his name engraved in the plate.”
“That’s so cool!” Finn was back on track to being overjoyed, and clasped his hands to his face. “Ooooh! I’m so proud of you, ba—” He stopped himself, and the two of them went stiff. His delight died slightly and he glanced around him. Smile diminished, he rephrased and said: “I’m happy for you, Ethan.” Ethan smiled, but his eyes shared Finn’s disappointment.
It would have been nice to thank Finn, too.
* * * *
“Oh my God, honey! We saw, we saw the whole thing! We didn’t want to call you while you were in the theater.”
Ethan, on the phone with his mother, chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Thanks. That would have been bad timing.
