He smiled back at her wryly. "Ah yes, 'tolerable.' I'd be pretty happy if we could achieve that," he murmured. "I've been alright," he said, turning slightly to look more directly at her. "Tryin' t'collect my thoughts, I suppose. I was tryin' t'do homework, but my mind kept wanderin'."
He squeezed their linked fingers. "I'm really glad you came along," He smiled more genuinely at her. "How've you been?"