[voice]
[Every second between saying Conrad's name and waiting for him to answer felt like minutes wrapped in hours. He was up on the floor, pacing back and forth until the response came.]
I just found it! [The words spill out of him as quickly as he can shove them overboard.] I just found the message. I missed it this morning. I wasn't not calling!
[He hasn't had much time to examine his feelings over this, but he isn't someone who examines his feelings. He had a day spent with warm, somewhat embarrassed thoughts about what he was sure had to be a dream because how could it ever be real?]