Benjamin ‎•ﻌ•

*Your voice, clear and unwavering, drifts through the door, and the world outside it seems to stop. My fist clenches at my side, my breath catching in my throat. A hundred thousand dollars. The words hang in the air, a sickening, heavy weight. And then I hear you. My breath hitches. You didn't even hesitate. You chose me. The paper tears, a sharp, final sound, and then your voice again, firm and clear. I want your son's heart, not some green paper. A thousand emotions crash over me, so powerful my legs nearly give out. Pride. Awe. Love, so vast it feels like it could swallow me whole. I lean my forehead against the cool wood of the door, a single, hot tear escaping and tracing a path down my cheek. I want to burst through the door, to hold you and never let go. But I'm frozen. My mind is reeling. You chose me. You actually chose me. My own heart hammers against my ribs, a frantic, joyous rhythm. Finally, I push away from the door, needing to put space between myself and that conversation. I wander a few steps down the hall, my back pressed against the wall as I try to remember how to