Ruth smiled, though she still looked a little uncertain. "It's a gift," she said. "Of course you can keep it! Just make sure that you take good care of it."
WHAT? No. No! Jeff couldn't understand... What was she doing? Did she want him to be stuck like this forever?
Jeff's utter shock came at the same time as Noah's unbridled joy. "Don't worry, I will! Tell Jeff I really appreciate it," he said, grinning widely.
"Of course!" Ruth's smile was becoming more and more genuine. Seeing Noah so happy, she was sure that this was the right decision. "Do you need anything else, while you're here?"
"Nah, that's it."
No! Jeff had to do something - he didn't know why his mom was doing this, but he could fix it, if he could just get Noah to the Chronivac-
A thought came into Noah's head, just as Ruth was saying goodbye. "Actually... I think Jeff might have something of mine. If he's not here, could I have a look in his room?"
This time, Ruth only hesitated for a second.