I imagined I was probably a poor travel companion, but it felt necessary to accompany North on this trip. He was testing after all and I was coach. “You didn’t have to come.” North said glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “I’m fine,” I said quickly, too quickly. I sighed and started again. “It would look poorly if I didn’t come along. And keep your eyes on the road.” I had spent a great deal of time over the last week chewing on it. It was entirely possible I’d be ridiculed or scoffed at in the center. It was entirely possible I’d be laughed at outright. But the test wasn’t about me, or at least not directly. It was about what North had learned in four weeks. I kept that in the front of my mind, as we grew closer to Fergus Falls. “Remember to take the jump even if you don’t land it properly,” I reminded when he pulled into the parking lot. “The point is…”
