Mary knelt down and hugged him. Even George Sr. looked moved. Missy, for once, didn’t say anything sarcastic.
Sheldon explained what Dr. Sturgis had told him. He explained that his work was incomplete. That he was a boy with a hypothesis, not a man with a discovery. And then he did something extraordinary. He didn’t have a tantrum. He didn’t demand to go anyway. He simply said, “I’m not ready. And I won’t embarrass our family in front of the entire world.”
Finally, he looked up. His face was not one of joy, but of profound, almost terrifying, seriousness. “Mom,” he said, “I have been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics.”
“We have to go to Sweden,” Sheldon declared. “Immediately.”
Sheldon’s face fell. “Are you saying this isn’t real?”
Mary knelt down and hugged him. Even George Sr. looked moved. Missy, for once, didn’t say anything sarcastic.
Sheldon explained what Dr. Sturgis had told him. He explained that his work was incomplete. That he was a boy with a hypothesis, not a man with a discovery. And then he did something extraordinary. He didn’t have a tantrum. He didn’t demand to go anyway. He simply said, “I’m not ready. And I won’t embarrass our family in front of the entire world.”
Finally, he looked up. His face was not one of joy, but of profound, almost terrifying, seriousness. “Mom,” he said, “I have been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics.”
“We have to go to Sweden,” Sheldon declared. “Immediately.”
Sheldon’s face fell. “Are you saying this isn’t real?”