Ch. 19

Julia’s POV

“So you come out here everyday to collect samples?” I asked Trista as we tramped through the forest together.

She was explaining her research on forest sustainability and showing me how she collected test samples to see how different trees and plants responded to different fertilization compounds. It was part of her postdoctoral work and way over my head but still fascinating.

Although I had to admit, listening to her enthusiasm for the subject left me feeling a little left behind. Zoe had left for college right after high school and Kat had midwife training. Trista was well on her way to saving our habitat and I was still deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up.

That thought led me to wonder what Amber’s aspirations were. Was she going to college? Did she have plans to do something important with her life, medical research like Zoe or maybe become a doctor? Was she smarter than me?

From there I found myself diving head first down the rabbit hole of all the