Her words must’ve had an impact on him, because after Essie was finished speaking to Casimir, he got up and put some vegetables on his plate. To Essie’s thankfulness, as well as to mine, he finished almost all of the food on his plate. He looked more satisfied after he finished, and he opened up a bit more to his company. Essie and I exchanged a look of understanding, and I knew that she was proud of him for his small victory. Even so, there was still a long way to go.