"Five minutes until your performance," Mrs. Henderson whispered as she approached.
Over the past three weeks, the relationship between Sarah and her teacher had completely transformed. Mrs. Henderson had arranged for Sarah to have private lessons with a professor from the nearby university. She had also helped Sarah apply for summer music programs and even mentioned the possibility of scholarship auditions for music conservatories.
"How do you feel?" Mrs. Henderson asked.
"Ready," Sarah said simply.
Mrs. Henderson smiled. "You know, I've been thinking about that day in my office when you asked for more challenging music. I told you to focus on the basics because I thought I was protecting you from disappointment, but I realize now that I was really protecting myself."
"What do you mean?"
"I was protecting myself from having to admit that I had failed to see your talent. It was easier to keep you in a small box than to acknowledge that I had been wrong about you from the beginning."
Sarah looked at her teacher with understanding. "We all do that sometimes. We see what we expect to see instead of what's really there."
"You're very wise for someone so young," Mrs. Henderson said. "Sarah, I want you to know that what happened in that audition changed me as a teacher. I've started looking at all my students differently now, wondering what hidden talents I might be missing."
From the auditorium came the sound of applause as Marcus finished his Bach invention. His performance had been excellent: polished and technically perfect. Jessica had played her Chopin piece beautifully earlier in the evening, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.