The question makes him hum thoughtfully. "Good question..." His furrowed brow eases when he starts to rub his beard. "When I can make myself presentable again. A week, maybe two, then we can start."

He picks at his cake slowly as he considers this new thought, sparing a moment to feel grateful he doesn't have to explain uncomfortable notions to his friend. "Like children? Or 'teenagers' as they say. As though they gained their independence and rebelled against their parents without stopping to discover who they are or who their parents are."