I easily followed. “Lack of interest.”
His eyebrow arched skeptically.
“Grief,” I said.
“How will this new status affect you?”
“I don’t know the details yet. However, I do know that I’ll miss out on a dorm this fall. If the house sells, I could be homeless.”
“Have you shared this information with your parents?”
I gave him a pained smile. “Non.”
“Your French is quite good,” he said, returning to English. “Completing the credit should create no difficulty.”
“I know this might sound weird, but maybe I’m not in a big hurry to do that.”
“Ah.” His brow creased pensively. “Are you reluctant to attend Piedmont? Or is it any college?”
“I’m not sure. Initially, the news horrified me. Now it feels like a reprieve. I can make this decision again. When I picked Piedmont in April, it was mainly to be near my parents. I felt like they needed me. But they’re the ones moving away. I don’t have to make a choice based on location anymore. So I want to reconsider the decision and do what’s right for me this time.”
“How may I assist?”
“Could you research the possibilities?”
“Certainly. I shall uncover ways to earn the French credit and investigate more options for your college education. Shall I also broaden the scope to include employment or a gap year?”
I relaxed. He was well-informed. “All of the above.”
“What are your interests?”
“Business. Fashion.”
“I didn’t ask what you were good at.” His smile was soft. Compassionate. “What interests you?”
Why did that question make me want to cry? I liked working in the consignment shop. I liked seeing people excited about finding things that made them look better and feel better.
But did it interest me? “I don’t know what to say.”
“What classes did you like best in high school?”
I frowned at the lawn as I thought through the classes on my transcript.
“Stop, Sara. The answer shouldn’t be so hard. I shall ask in a different way. Were there any courses that surprised you by how much you enjoyed them?”
“Graphic design. I liked the challenge of it. I enjoyed being artistic without having to draw, being able to see images, color, and form in my head and then represent them on a screen. I liked how art can be functional.” Wow, that just popped right out there.
“Excellent.” His smile held pride. “Anything else?”
“AP Environmental Science.”
“What did you like about it?”
“It was practical. It taught us things that could make our lives better on a daily basis.”
“Is there something about environmental science that stands out in your mind?”
“I did a project involving solar energy. It’s amazing how simple it is to illuminate a space with a solar lamp and a small amount of sunlight.”
