“It’s all about effort, sacrifice, and reward,” Cat said, straightening her legs out in front of her and brushing at some of the dirt streaks. “You have to decide how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how much effort you’re willing to put into something. And those two things usually add up to the reward you get.”

“Give me an example,” Sara demanded skeptically.

“Okay, sometimes it means enduring some pain now so you can enjoy yourself later.” Cat wiggled her smoothie. “Now, I don’t particularly like smoothies. I’d much rather eat three slices of greasy sausage and green pepper pizza. But part of my job involves me staying in shape—not just for looks mind you. Beyond making good-for-you nutritional choices, you shouldn’t be worried about food, weight, or diet. Got it?”

Sara nodded earnestly.

“In my case, I’m older than you, and my metabolism doesn’t want me to eat pizza for lunch and fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner. Because I’ll fall asleep in four seconds. So, I’m choking down my carrots and hummus and this disgusting smoothie because I know that it will fuel me for the rest of the afternoon, and then I’m going to have a couple of glasses of adult beverage with my leftover fettuccini tonight. So, I’m enduring a little pain now for a bigger payoff later.”

Sara laughed.

“Ah, you laugh, but it applies to much bigger lessons. It’s all about keeping your eyes on the prize.”

“You grown-ups really like to deliver the life lessons, don’t you?”

“Kid, if I had someone giving me this life lesson at your age, I’d be a lot further ahead. You should probably be taking notes.”

Sara mimed scrawling frantic notes, looking enthralled, and Cat laughed.

Paige wandered over, her long legs wrapped in festive reindeer leggings to ward off the chill in the air. “Mind if I join you, ladies?” she asked, holding up a hoagie.

“Just the perfect woman to join the conversation,” Cat announced. “Sara and I were just discussing hard work and dreams.”

“Oh, my fave! What do you want to do with your life, Sara?” Paige asked.

“Mmm, well. I’m really into fashion,” Sara shrugged. “But I think my dad wants me to find something serious to get excited about.”

“Fashion can be serious,” Cat argued.

“Dad doesn’t think so. He’s all like ‘Why don’t you try accounting or neuroscience or physical therapy?’” Sara mimicked.

Cat snorted and Paige elbowed her in the side.

“Ouch! Fashion can be very serious. What parts of the industry do you like the most?” Cat asked, rubbing her ribs where Paige’s bony elbow connected.

Sara furrowed her brow. “You know, it’s not so much the modeling that I like. It’s like the stuff that goes into magazines and commercials and when you see someone wearing it on Instagram or TV.”