Leo looked. The flames were uneven. Some were drowning in their own melted wax. The fifth candle was barely lit at all. It was chaos—beautiful, frantic, useless chaos.
Leo grinned. This was his kind of challenge. His fast hands struck the match, and he touched the flame to the first wick. Fssst. He moved to the second, but the match went out. He grabbed another. Struck it too hard—it snapped. Third match. Lit the second candle. Rushed to the third. The flame wobbled. He knocked over candle number four. By the time he lit the seventh, the first candle had already burned a puddle of wax onto the wood. discipline4 boys
“One minute, twelve seconds,” Grandpa Joe said. “Fast. But look.” Leo looked
Then he pointed to the second row—seven flames, quiet and strong. “That’s a young man choosing.” The fifth candle was barely lit at all