Any kind of attempt counts, if they don't try then they've given up and that's not acceptable. Not to Lavi. But it might be worth something to look into. Find out what they'd have to do over there in order to send Alma to school. It does but it might be the only way to do it so that Alma has an "adult" that he can lean on.

He won't go too silent, that's a promise. If he does then Lavi doesn't know if he'll get out of it again.

It sort of does, "Maybe a small fishing trip..."