He did not truly understand the purpose that served and it showed in his uncertain frown. But there were many things he could scarcely claim to understand, so he simply nodded. He fell silent as he stared at the slate and the book and then back to all those ledgers. It was nothing he could help with, not did he truly think he needed to. So instead he tilted the slate back to him and took a piece of chalk. In that space not covered in a thick 8, he wrote two simple but sloppy words.

THANK YOU

It was clear now that it was not just him sacrificing time for these lessons, but that she too was giving up duties to continue them. For that, he owed her a gratitude he was never so good at putting into words, but which were mercifully easier to put into writing.