“You don’t have to scrub anyone else’s floors anymore,” he told her.
Years later, he returned to East Hollow and opened a free math academy for kids who saw patterns in the rain.
One afternoon, while teaching, he noticed an older man standing quietly at the doorway.
Richard Caldwell.
Gray.
Bent.
Watching.
Sebastian explained infinity to a child with torn shoes and bright eyes — patiently, kindly.
Caldwell gave a small nod before walking away.
Sebastian turned back to the board.
He picked up a full, unbroken piece of chalk.
And began to write.
Because in the end, numbers don’t care where you come from.
Truth doesn’t belong to the rich.
And talent — no matter how buried — will always find its way into the light.
