The car keys felt impossibly heavy in Ethan's hand, a solid, tangible piece of a dream he hadn't even dared to have.
He looked from the gleaming blue hatchback to the proud, tearful faces of his family, and the feeling was so overwhelming, so purely, perfectly happy, that it almost hurt.
"Well?" his dad said, his voice booming with a joyous pride. "Are you just going to stand there? A car isn't a toy, son. It's meant to be driven!"
"Can I... can I really?" Ethan asked, his voice a little shaky.
"You've got your learner's permit, don't you?" his dad said with a grin. "There's never been a better time for your first official lesson. The Couch Family Inaugural Road Trip!"
"As long as the road trip is just to the end of the street and back," his mom chimed in, a nervous but happy smile on her face. "Slowly."
What followed was a scene of beautiful, chaotic joy.
They all piled into the car. His dad took the passenger seat, his 'Driving Instructor' face on.
