Growing Sophie

Sophie stared at her mentor, arms crossed over her chest. "You know, for an old guy, you sure don't know anything," she scoffed.

Her mentor, Mr. Johnson, rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes, because seventeen-year-olds are always the epitome of wisdom," he shot back, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Sophie couldn't help but smile a bit at his tone, even though she was still annoyed. She had been working with Mr. Johnson for a few years now, and while she loved learning from him, they definitely had a love/hate relationship.

"You know, Mr. Johnson, you're not exactly a spring chicken yourself," she retorted, grinning.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know that my age is a sign of my experience. You, on the other hand, are just a child who thinks she knows everything."

Sophie rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the laugh that bubbled

up from her chest. "Okay, maybe I don't know everything," she admitted. "But sometimes I feel like you're holding me back."

Mr. Johnson's expression softened. "Sophie, you have to understand that I'm not trying to hold you back. I just want you to be safe."

Sophie sighed. She knew that Mr. Johnson cared about her, but sometimes he could be overprotective. "I know, I know. But sometimes I feel like I'm ready for more. I want to take risks and push myself."

Mr. Johnson nodded. "I understand that, and I appreciate your eagerness. But you have to remember that there are consequences for every action. And sometimes, those consequences can be dire."

Sophie knew that he was right, but it didn't make the frustration go away. "I just wish I could prove to you that I can handle it," she murmured.

Mr. Johnson placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Sophie. You're already a talented young woman with a bright future ahead of you. But I will always be here to guide you and keep you safe, no matter what."

Sophie felt a warmth fill her chest at his words. Despite their disagreements, she knew that Mr. Johnson truly cared about her. And even though their relationship wasn't always easy, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Fine, old man, you win this round," she said, still smiling.

Mr. Johnson chuckled and shook his head before turning his attention back to their work.

As they continued their session, Sophie couldn't help but think about their relationship. Mr. Johnson had been her mentor for so long, and she appreciated all he had taught her, but sometimes he just got on her nerves. His stubbornness and old-fashioned ways clashed with her rebellious spirit, and it seemed like they were always at odds with each other.

But at the same time, she couldn't deny the respect and admiration she felt for him. He had dedicated his life to the craft and had become a master of it. She was lucky to have him as a mentor and to learn from him.

As they wrapped up their session, Mr. Johnson turned to her with a serious expression. "Sophie, I want you to know that I'm proud of you," he said, his voice softening. for a few seconds, she could see something that looked like sadness in his eyes.

Sophie felt a rush of warmth and gratitude fill her chest. "Thanks, Mr. Johnson," she said, feeling a lump form in her throat.

The next day.

Sophie stood in front of her mentor's workshop, her heart pounding with excitement and nerves. She had heard about the upcoming craft contest, and she longed to participate. But before she entered the workshop, a wave of doubt washed over her. Was she really ready to compete?

Sophie stepped inside and looked around, taking in the familiar sights and smells of the workshop. Her mentor was busy at his workbench, tinkering with a small clock.

"Hello, Sophie," he said without looking up. "What brings you here?"

"I heard about the craft contest," Sophie said, her voice trembling slightly. "I was wondering if you could help me prepare for it."

Her mentor paused, then looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. "You're not ready, Sophie. You still have so much to learn."

Sophie felt a flicker of anger rise up in her chest. She had been studying under her mentor for years, and she had become quite skilled in her craft. Why didn't he think she was ready?

"I've been practicing every day," she said, her voice growing stronger. "I know I can do this."

Her mentor sighed and put down his tools. "Sophie, you have a lot of talent, but that's not enough. You need to have patience and perseverance. You need to be willing to learn from your mistakes."

Sophie bit her lip, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She knew her mentor was right, but she couldn't help feeling frustrated. Why did he always have to be so hard on her?

"I understand," she said finally, her voice softening. "But

I still want to participate in the contest. Can't you at least give me some advice?"

Her mentor considered her request before finally nodding. "Alright. But you have to promise me one thing. Listen to my advice, and don't get ahead of yourself."

Sophie nodded eagerly, grateful for any help she could get. Her mentor began to guide her through the intricacies of the craft, showing her how to refine her technique and improve her designs. As they worked, Sophie could feel herself growing more confident and skilled.

But with each new skill she learned, she also felt a growing sense of frustration with her mentor. He was always pushing her to be better, never satisfied with her progress. She found herself longing for more independence, to be able to create her own designs and pursue her own path.

As the contest grew closer, Sophie found herself at a crossroads. She knew her mentor had invaluable wisdom to impart, but at the same time she felt stifled by his constant guidance. Did she really need his approval to succeed?

In the end, Sophie decided to trust her instincts and strike out on her own. She poured her heart and soul into her designs, putting everything she had learned from her mentor into practice. And when the contest finally came, she stepped forward with confidence, knowing that she was ready to compete on her own terms.

Sophie's heart raced as she waited in line to present her designs to the judges. She could feel the eyes of the other contestants on her, sizing up her chances of winning. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind of doubt and anxiety.

When it was her turn to present, she walked confidently up to the judges' table. She slid each design out of its protective sleeve and laid them out before the judges, one by one. As she presented, she could see their faces light up with appreciation and admiration.

Sophie felt proud of what she had accomplished. Her passion and dedication had paid off. She was certain that she would win the contest with her designs.

However, the judges did not seem as impressed as Sophie had expected. They asked her questions about why she chose certain fabrics and colors to use in her designs, and Sophie answered confidently, expecting to impress them with her knowledge.

But then something unexpected happened. One of the judges started criticizing her designs, claiming that they were uninspired and lacking in originality. Sophie felt a wave of hot anger wash over her but tried to stay calm and professional.

Her mentor, who had been watching from a distance, stormed forward when he heard the criticism. "How dare you speak like that? Do you even know how much work it takes to come up with original designs?"

The judge was taken aback by his sudden attack and tried to defend himself, but Sophie's mentor wouldn't have any of it. He kept arguing loudly with the judge until they were both screaming at each other in the middle of the competition.

Sophie felt embarrassed by the scene they were causing. She knew

that her mentor was just trying to defend her, but she wished he would have gone about it differently. She tried to intervene, but her mentor kept shouting until security came and escorted them both out of the competition.

Sophie felt devastated. All her hard work had been for nothing. She couldn't believe that her mentor had ruined her chances of winning.

Sophie stormed into her mentor’s workshop, her eyes flashing with anger.

“I can’t believe you did that,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You just had to ruin my chance of winning, didn’t you?”

Mr. Johnson looked up at her, his face calm and collected. “I did what I thought was best for you,” he replied. “You may not realize it now, but in the long run, this will be good for you.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, because humiliating me in front of everyone is such a great way to help me.”

Mr. Johnson sighed. “I’m sorry I got carried away. But you have to understand that I only want the best for you.”

Sophie crossed her arms. “Right, because sabotaging my competition really shows how much you care.”

Mr. Johnson shook his head. “I didn’t sabotage anything. I just got a little agitated.”

Sophie laughed bitterly. “A little agitated? You were yelling like a madman!”

Mr. Johnson leaned forward in his chair. “Listen, Sophie. I know I messed up. But you have to understand that I did it because I believe in you. You have so much potential, and I don’t want to see you waste it on some mediocre design.”

Sophie frowned. “I don’t need you to believe in me. I can believe in myself.”

Mr. Johnson smiled sadly. “Of course you can. But sometimes it helps to have someone else in your corner.”

Sophie sighed, feeling a little guilty for lashing out at her mentor. “I

know it’s just that I’ve worked so hard for this competition and felt like all of that was for nothing.”

Mr. Johnson nodded. “I understand that, Sophie. But I promise you, this experience will only make you stronger.”

Sophie looked at him, studying his face for a moment. “Okay,” she said finally. “I’ll try to see it that way.”

Mr. Johnson stood up and walked over to her. “Good. And I’m sorry again for my behavior. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

Sophie smiled. “It’s okay. And I appreciate it.” She turned to leave but then paused. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Mr. Johnson replied.

Sophie hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Do you ever get scared?”

Mr. Johnson looked at her, surprised by the question. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you ever get scared of not being good enough? Of failing?” Sophie clarified.

Mr. Johnson smiled wryly. “All the time. But that’s part of being a designer, isn’t it? You have to take risks and put yourself out there, even when it’s scary.”

Sophie nodded, deep in thought. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Mr. Johnson glanced at the clock. “Well, it’s getting late. You should head home and get some rest.”

Sophie nodded again. “Thanks, Mr. Johnson. See you tomorrow.”

As she left the workshop, Sophie couldn’t help but feel a little bit better. Maybe her mentor had gone too far with his criticism earlier, but at least he was willing to admit his mistakes and make amends. Sophie knew that she had to keep pushing herself if she wanted to succeed in the competition, but it was comforting to know that even someone as accomplished as Mr. Johnson still faced doubts and fears.

The next day, Sophie arrived at the workshop determined to make progress on her design. As she worked on her sketches, she noticed that Mr. Johnson seemed preoccupied, constantly checking his phone and pacing back and forth across the room.

" you will do great things, big and beautiful things. I didn't want what that judge said to you, to get stuck in your head. you don't need those contests. You are already a talented woman Sophie" his eyes filled with water and the tears started falling.

Sophie nodded thoughtfully. “I hope you’re right.” she smiled

Mr. Johnson walked over to a nearby shelf and retrieved a brown paper bag. “Here,” he said, handing it to Sophie. “I got you a little something.”

Sophie took the bag and peeked inside. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside. “Is that…?”

Mr. Johnson nodded. “Yes. It’s a copy of Vogue’s latest issue.”

Sophie smiled widely. “Thank you so much! I’ve been dying to see this!” She flipped through the pages, admiring the stunning designs and articles.

"Some day, my work will be here in these pages" she said with a big smile

"I know it will Sophie"

Mr. Johnson watched her for a moment before speaking. “You know, Sophie, I have something else to tell you.”

Sophie looked up from the magazine. “What is it?”

Mr. Johnson hesitated before finally speaking. “I’m dying, Sophie.”

Sophie’s eyes widened. “What? What are you talking about?”

Mr. Johnson held up a hand to silence her. “I know I should have told you earlier. I just didn’t want to upset you.”

Sophie felt a lump form in her throat. “How long have you known?”

Mr. Johnson shrugged. “A few months. I have pancreatic cancer. I don’t have much time left.”

Sophie’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Mr. Johnson. I’m so sorry.”

Mr. Johnson smiled weakly. “It’s okay, Sophie. I’ve lived a good life. And I’m proud of you. I know you’ll do amazing things.”

knowing that her mentor and supporter would not be there to witness her success. She stood up from her chair and walked over to Mr. Johnson. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, feeling the frailness of his body against her.

Mr. Johnson hugged her back, his breaths coming out in short gasps. Sophie pulled away, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

Mr. Johnson shook his head. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, Sophie. Keep doing your work, writing, crafting. That’s all I could ever ask for.”

as she realized that she would soon lose one of the most important people in her life. She had grown close to Mr. Johnson over the years, and she couldn't bear the thought of him being gone. But she knew that she had to be strong for him.

Over the next few weeks, Sophie spent every spare moment with Mr. Johnson, listening to him talk about his life, his regrets, and his hopes for her future. She watched as he grew weaker and weaker, and she felt her heart break a little more each day.

On a warm summer day, Mr. Johnson passed away peacefully in his sleep. Sophie was by his side, holding his hand until his final breath. She felt a sense of emptiness inside of her as if a piece of her soul had been ripped away.

In the months that followed, Sophie threw herself into her writing, channeling her emotions into her work. She wrote stories that were raw and honest, stories that explored the depths of grief and loss. And as she shared her work with others, she saw that her writing had the power to comfort and heal.

Sophie knew that Mr. Johnson would be proud of her, and she felt grateful for the time they had together. She knew that he would always be with her, guiding her along the path of her craft career.