“It’s pretty great.” Levi’s eyes lit up. “I know I’m here as a mentor, but I think I’m learning as much as the mentees. Back home, it was me painting by myself. Here, I’m part of a community. There’s always someone I can talk to, bounce ideas off of. Learn something from.” He cleared his throat. “That stuff makes a difference.”

I thought about the watercolor he’d been working on at the lighthouse. “What I saw of your work was pretty great. And I know Tom and Ralph were super impressed with your sketches.”

His smile was adorably shy. “Thanks.”

“Can I ask you something about RISD?”

“Shoot.”

“Did you apply anywhere else?”

He shook his head. I could tell that he didn’t see what I was getting at.

“Um, it’s just … you said you wanted to see if there was anything else you were passionate about, too. Can you do that at an art school? It doesn’t seem like you’re actually getting away from anything.”

“I…”

I wasn’t prepared for the look of panic on his face. “Ignore me,” I said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I didn’t even—” He broke off, swallowing hard. “I’m an idiot. You’re right, I’m—I’m not—I didn’t think this through. I just drove up here a day early, running away, and it turns out what I’m running to is the same thing that I thought I would be getting away from.”

“You’re not an idiot. You’re eighteen. Give yourself a break.”

“But you’re right, Babe. I didn’t think any of this through. I was rebelling against a decision that I somehow wound right back up at. I chose RISD. Not my parents, not my agent. Me.”

“That still doesn’t make you an idiot. You can apply somewhere else, if you want.”

He still looked a little shell-shocked. “Or I could just do what everyone wants me to do.”

“Everyone but you.”

“If I do what I want, I’ll spend years running around for a degree, and maybe I’ll never be as good at anything as I am at art right now.”

“Potential doesn’t go bad, remember?” But he didn’t seem to believe in those words anymore. I could see it in his face. “So what if you waste a year? Two years? Four? You have everything you need to succeed. You’re smart, talented, tenacious. Way more driven than I was when I was your age.”

“Which, for the record,” said Levi, “was just a year ago, Grandma.”

“Sorry.” I blushed. “I wasn’t pulling the I’m-older-than-you card, I swear. I’m just saying that you … you have it. Whatever the it-factor is, you do. You do, Levi.”