At noon, Sophie finished class and walked out of the LSE gate with her backpack slung over one shoulder. She spotted someone waving enthusiastically from across the street. It was her uncle, Matthew Wilson. Since he didn't know which classroom she was in, he had simply waited at the school entrance the whole time.
"Uncle Matthew!" A rare smile lit up Sophie's face; she hadn't smiled like this in days. "Why didn't you call me? What if I had classes all day? You'd just wait here forever?"
"How are you holding up?" Matthew grinned warmly. "Ever since your mom was hospitalized, I hardly see you anymore. You look like you've lost weight, and you seem exhausted!"
"I'm fine. Classes have been really intense lately, and finals are in three days. I've been cramming," Sophie said with a small laugh.
She was, in fact, utterly drained. She hadn't had a single good night's sleep in days, and working overtime on top of everything had pushed her body to its limit.
