"I bet you could still help them in smaller-scale ways. Hey, if you can figure out an efficient way for me to make larger quantities of powdered sugar without having to grind it every day forever, I'd pay you for that." He's not even joking.

"You look like you're doing all right to me. You might not be the star of the party, but you showed up and you made a new friend, didn't you?" Max nudges him lightly on the shoulder. "That's me, by the way."