"So, fourth place is Rocky."
For half a second, Rocky did not react at all.
Then his eyes widened so much they looked like small boulders themselves.
"Me?" he whispered, his small voice trembling slightly with disbelief. His little stone hands started shaking, the paper on the table crinkling under his fingers. His eyes grew watery, tears gathering at the corners like morning dew on stone, because he could not process whether this was good or bad or something in between.
"I am fourth?" he repeated, almost in disbelief, as if he had never expected to be anything at all.
Queen Granite immediately pulled him into her arms, kissing his forehead firmly with a series of loud and loving smooches. "Yes, my pebble. Fourth place. My wonderful little rock."
King Boulder's chest expanded proudly, his massive frame seeming to grow even larger with fatherly pride. "Strong foundation," he said deeply, his voice rumbling like an earthquake of approval. "Good start. Many layers to build upon."
