"Nick! It's time for school!"Dad walked in. He saw the rumpled sheets on the empty bed.

Carefree, Dad mumbled, "That kid! Never tells me he's going to school early. Ah well, I finished my machine yesterday right after he went to bed!"

Dad comfortably sunk into the only sofa in the house and relaxed. He had been working for months continuously with no end and it was nice to finally kick back and enjoy himself. He promised that as soon as Nick came back, they would experiment on the machine together. He clung to that thought and embraced it.

True happiness. He hadn't felt that in such a long time it was almost surprising. The surge spread and warmed his body. He was actually happy. And he's finally found a way to preserve the feeling forever.