Kayden used the whole day just as Thaddeus instructed. He stayed indoors, the books spread neatly across the table, his pen moving as he scribbled notes. By afternoon, his phone buzzed, and Darren and Ariz joined him to read.
The three connected on video. Ariz, ever patient, guided them through the lessons. "Kayden, check page fifty-two… Darren, explain this formula back to me," he instructed, his tone calm but firm.
They read together, corrected each other, and even shared light jokes when the tension grew too heavy. Kayden laughed softly when Darren made a silly mistake, and Ariz rolled his eyes, pretending to be strict.
When it was time to eat, each of them grabbed something simple, but they left the camera on, still talking as if they were in the same room. After a while, Darren leaned back and sighed. "I think my brain is cooked for today."
Kayden chuckled, "Same here. But at least we survived Ariz's lecture."
