Lee smiles at Eric, shaking his head. He's met a lot of people like Eric in his life, so beaten down by what people have told them over the years, parents or teaches who didn't give them the support they needed, bullies that convinced them that they were worthless and not good at anything. Lee's gay, and he was lanky and awkward as a kid, so he's had his taste of that too, he understands how it works its way into your mind and won't let go. It's taken him a lot of years to get to a point where he can say he's proud of himself, where he knows how talented and capable he is, and doesn't let his doubts get the best of him.

"You don't have to be Gordon Ramsay to be considered a good cook," Lee tells Eric, taking another bite of his soup. It really is very well flavored, pleasant and warm and comforting. "Life's too short to spend time talking people out of the compliments they give you. It's a lot easier to say thank you," he adds with a warm smile. "Trust me, I'm old enough to know how these things work."