Nicole walks me to the door, hands laced behind her back, kicking at the dust on the floor as I put my shoes back on. She wears a small, tense smile on her face which I return when I stand straight. Her dark eyes say what her mouth cannot: now we have a plan that we are excited about. It's too late to go back even though the accompanying fear and anxiety will only grow. We must nurture the excitement over the fear. Buried within the excitement is newly excavated hope. Focus on that.
"You remember everything?" Nicole asks, raising her eyebrows. "Is there anything we should review?"
I tap my index finger to my temple and say: "consider the test studied for."
"If you change your mind about anything I expect you to be honest with me about it. Don't leave me in the dark. I wouldn't be upset
