Just for a second. Just one second of allowing himself to feel the full weight of what those two words meant, the surgery, the years, the foundation, the finding, all of it arriving at this moment and being told it worked, he is okay, your son is okay.
Ruby made a sound.
Small and involuntary, pressed quickly against her hand. Her eyes were closed too, her other hand flat against her chest, and the tears moved down her face in the quiet, unceremonious way of tears that have been waiting a very long time for the right moment.
And Ethan..
Ethan turned to Max.
He reached up both arms.
Max looked down at him. Then he bent and lifted his son and held him against his shoulder and Ethan wrapped both arms around his father's neck and held on with everything he had.
"Nathan's okay?" Ethan said into Max's neck.
"Nathan's okay," Max said.
His voice was not entirely steady.
He didn't try to make it steady.
