It had been a few days since Aaron's crypto mishap, and though the sting of losing ten thousand dollars hadn't faded, something else had quietly begun to take its place—resolve.
Inside the warehouse, the morning buzz had started early. Forklifts beeped in the background, boxes shuffled, and fluorescent lights flickered slightly above. Aaron tightened his faded gray hoodie, adjusted his gloves, and nodded to Lucas, who was already stacking supplies by the loading bay.
"Yo, tiger," Lucas called with a grin, using the nickname he gave Aaron since their high school track days. "Ready to turn those regrets into gains?"
Aaron smirked. "More ready than ever."
The two worked side-by-side—unloading crates, organizing shipments, updating stock logs. The job was tiring and not particularly glamorous, but the rhythm of hard work brought something strangely satisfying. For the first time in a while, Aaron didn't feel like he was running from something.
During a quick break, they leaned against the side of a shelving unit, sipping from paper cups of lukewarm coffee.
"You know," Aaron said, "I started reading up on crypto for real this time. Like how to spot scams, and how real wallets and projects work."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You're diving back in?"
"Not to invest," He replied quickly. "Just to understand it. If I'm gonna recover from this, I can't afford to be afraid of it forever."
Lucas nodded slowly, impressed. "That's solid. Education beats panic every time."
They finished their break and got back to the floor. As they worked, Aaron felt different. The loss still echoed somewhere in his chest, but it no longer controlled his every thought. He had structure now. Purpose. A friend who believed in him. And slowly, he was learning to believe in himself again.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the warehouse windows in shades of gold and orange, Aaron looked around at the day's progress—rows of organized shelves, neat stock sheets, and a tired but contented team. He glanced at Lucas, who gave him a thumbs-up from across the aisle.
Small steps. Stronger strides.
Tomorrow would come. And this time, He would be ready for it.