it could make anyone feel extremely special for being the one
to have produced such an expression. Or maybe I just think
that because she’s sitting here and basically telling me that she
was maybe interested in me way before she said anything. No,
I know she was. She did say that. Kind of. “I don’t know!
There are too many good ones. Having a favorite would feel
like I was being unfaithful to the others.”
“You know that I like science fiction. I also like
fantasy and adventure. Sometimes I read true crime.
Sometimes a good murder mystery.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“How is your class going? It’s going to be done in a
few weeks, I’d imagine.”
She nods, coming back to life. Her eyes aren’t
sparkling because of the overhead light. God, I wonder if she
has any idea how freaking inspirational she is? I don’t know a
single person who loves their job like she does. I think she has
this natural flare for making people feel more alive when
they’re with her. If I told her that, she’d probably laugh at me
and ask me what the heck I was talking about. I don’t think
people who are the most alive, a burning bright light for the
rest of us stumbling around in the murky dark or that gray
sludge of evening, really know that they’re shining any
brighter than anyone else. I think they’re usually searching for
that light themselves. Like they can’t see or understand their
own.
“It’s almost over, then regular classes start up. I love
summer classes because they might be intense, but they’re also
toned down, if that makes sense. It’s a more casual