### Chapter 3
Summer passed quickly in a blur of work and preparation. Anna took a job at the local grocery store, saving every penny while her mother insisted on buying her "city clothes" for college. Their shopping trips to the discount store became precious memories—her mother holding up blouses and declaring, "This one says 'professional woman' all over it."
The hardest part was watching her mother pretend she wasn't worried. Anna caught her staring at bills sometimes, calculating how much tighter things would be without Anna's income. They never talked about it directly, but the stress lines around her mother's eyes grew deeper.
Three weeks before departure, they sat on their small porch sharing a bowl of ice cream. "You know I'm proud of you," her mother said quietly. "But more than that, I believe in you. You're going to change the world, sweetheart."
Anna squeezed her mother's hand, tasting both ice cream and tears.