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