Curious! Garner felt a thrill of accomplishment. It was as though he were at the start of a great and important journey of discovery. It was what Alonzo had told him he needed to do. Garner wanted to leap to his feet and cry out—to tell Alonzo of his discovery
But Alonzo was gone, and, thinking on this, Garner felt again the yearning of his heart.
It must be love, he told himself. And yet, isn’t that silly? More or less love at first sight? Does that even happen?
Or was it just—infatuation? He was certainly attractedto Alonzo, but somehow, he was convinced it was more than that. Whatever it was, it was very, verystrong. It caused a strange feeling not just in his heart, but throughout his body, and it made him feel more alive than he ever had in his life. It was not comfortable, not even entirely good. But it wasalive. And that, most importantly, amid the discomfort and anxiety, had associated with it a potent sense of joy that made it precious.