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He s Conversation seea bit quicker,up with joy We vacillate between deep, inti like I always dreamed I one day would be, when I met the man of my dreams It feels pure I feel happy in a way I haven’t ever before I think heat me

Sides of Michael I would have never suspected begin to unfold before my eyes On the outside, he has a very direct and corporate demeanor But inside, he’s a deep thinker, and a very intimate man He cares so much: about the world, about his community, and about the people in his life Passion overflows from this man’s heart, and it makes me swoon

He tells me about the non-profit he wants to found with the revenue brought in fro the recent coronavirus pandemic, which is fortunate for him, if not his customers But he says he’s not one toHe wants to use that profit to give back to the greater community

“I want to use the money to support first responders,” he explains “We can provide support in the forroups for those who have experienced loss or suffered trau the pandemic”

My heart melts

“You’re a really greatthat you want to use your success to help others”

He lights up and reaches over toacross his face Then, he exhales and relaxes back into his chair, shaking his head ruefully

“I’ve been going on and on about et to know more about you, Tilly What are your plans, your dreams, and your passions?”

I tell hi and how it’s therapeutic to be able to escape into these other worlds, to get caught up in the life of the character in the words on the page I spend so over so a video ofabout it

“And I of course plan to go away to college next year I think I’d like to double lish Literature and Visual Arts It will be a lot of work, but I think these two subjects will go really well together”

One black eyebrow quirks

“Really? I wouldn’t have thought those tere related”

I smile

“I’ to see how my courses overlap and relate Ultimately, I want to play with inspiration: how literature inspires works of art and of course, the artists themselves Maybe even how a piece of art, or an entire movement, can then flow back and create a ripple effect in the world of literature To ”