Her grandmother set down her teacup and looked at Sarah seriously. "Many times. The biggest choices in life are always between safe and brave."
"What did you choose?"
Her grandmother smiled and gestured around their small apartment above the restaurant. "I chose brave when I came to America with nothing but hope in my heart. I chose brave when I opened the restaurant even though I barely spoke English. I chose brave when I decided to raise you after your parents died."
Sarah felt tears prick her eyes. She had never thought about how many brave choices her grandmother had made.
"But sometimes," her grandmother continued, "I chose safe. And every time I chose safe instead of brave, I wondered what might have happened if I had taken the risk."
"Do you regret the safe choices?"
"Not regret, exactly, but I always wondered. The safe choices gave me security, but the brave choices gave me the life I truly wanted."
Sarah hugged her grandmother tightly. "I love you."
"I love you, too, little bird. Whatever choice you make today, I am proud of you."
Sarah arrived at school an hour early. The hallways were empty except for a few teachers preparing for the day. She went straight to the storage room where the grand piano waited for her like an old friend.