Olivia, she would say, when you’re scared, it means you’re thinking of the future. You’re thinking of what might happen. If you’re doing something risky, you can’t think of the future. You must only think of now. And if you only think of now, then you won’t be scared.
But, little Ollie had said, I don’t know how to only think of now.
Breathe, her mother had said. Breathing is what you’re doing right now. So breathe. Think of that and nothing else.