Begin Again

Chapter 5: No Regrets

In life, there were just too many things that we regretted not saying or doing. It could be not living up to our full potential. It could be not spending more time with our loved ones. It could be not telling them that we loved them more. However, during this meeting, there was no room for regrets. It could make or break my college experience.

Now, where the heck is the dean's office?

I facepalmed. I should've asked Matteo where it was before leaving. I couldn't even find my way to school on my own. What made me think that I would be able to find the dean's office on my own?

Looking at the signs, I loitered around the school. It couldn't possibly be in some hidden corner of the school building, could it? The dean's office was supposed to be accessible to all. I guess I just have a terrible sense of direction. "You can do it, Alexia," I muttered under my breath. Fortunately, I still had some time left.

Aunt Adeline hadn't provided me with any directions. Perhaps she had expected me to seek assistance. I wanted to ask nearby students for help, but... wouldn't they wonder why I didn't know where it was even though I supposedly had been here for the past two and a half years? I gulped and decided to continue wandering around.

By sheer luck, I found it. I checked the time and saw that I was still early. Sighing in relief, I knocked on the door.

"Come in," I heard from the other side.

With that, I cautiously opened the door to the dean's office. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. "Good morning, Dr Holt," I greeted him. Don't I just feel relieved that I did my research? I glanced at the nameplate on the table. Well, not that I needed to. "I'm Alexia Grey." I mentally patted myself for remembering to say my name.

My mind suddenly wandered to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, where one of the characters was Captain Raymond Holt. But, of course, Dr Holt here was certainly not similar to Captain Holt the way I was similar to Lexie Grey from Grey's Anatomy. His name was Michael Holt, as clearly etched onto his nameplate. Dr Michael Holt.

Just then, I realised there were not one but two people in the office. Am I interrupting something?

"Good morning, Alexia. Take a seat," the dean replied with a smile. "This is Dr Knight." He gestured towards the man standing beside him, who also smiled.

"Good morning, Dr Knight," I greeted him before taking a seat across the two. Knight, I let it sink in. This guy was probably somewhat related to Matteo, though he seemed a little too old to be his brother and a little too young to be his father. Perhaps he's his uncle or something. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. Is Knight a common last name?

Dr Holt nodded and continued, "In case you don't know who he is, Dr Knight is a renowned trauma surgeon at Devon Grey Hospital."

My eyes lit up upon hearing that. Devon Grey Hospital was Uncle James' hospital, where I would be working part-time! If Dr Knight was in the dean's office, he must be the close friend Aunt Adeline was referring to.

They must've noticed my reaction of recognition, as Dr Holt said, "As you already know, your aunt, Dr Grey, made a tiny donation to the school to let you have a place here. Lucky for you, the Devons are close friends of ours, so that also helped with your entry into Columbia."

"I understand," I replied, even though I didn't know about the donation. I thought Aunt Adeline had just talked with her friend, who then spoke with him. "Thank you for taking me in even though the school year is ending, and I only have to spend less than one and a half years here."

Dr Holt nodded. "It is my pleasure to have you here. I have seen your achievements. You are remarkably talented. Normally, people pay to come in because they didn't get good grades. You, on the other hand, consistently achieved extremely high scores. Please don't doubt that you deserve a spot in this school. You're just a special case."