Tentatively, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, heart pounding at the audacity of such a move. He grasped the edge of the mattress, breath held tight. The world seemed to narrow down to this singular moment. Could he truly trust the promise of a child’s game? Could he believe in magic where science had failed him?
Determination coursed through him. He pushed himself to stand, faltering, then steadying. It was an awkward, shaky rise but a rise nonetheless. Laughter bubbled out of him, a sound foreign and joyous. For the first time in years, Alexander was upright, standing on his own two feet.
