[ the smile he gives her is small and fragile, but full of the hope she instills in him. ]

...Thanks, Mipha. I hope I get to meet your family one day. They sound really cool.

[ he sniffles again, reaching up to brush his nose with the back of his hand.

anyway... enough of that. ]

So... a little birdie told me the winner of our race gets a popsicle. How about it?