Chapter 10: Words of Praise

Eliza sat at her desk, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened her laptop. The notification for a new email from Professor James had been sitting in her inbox since morning, but she hadn’t dared to read it until now. Her latest essay had been an attempt to pour her emotions into words—to channel her confusion, her fears, her hopes into something tangible. She hoped it would resonate with him, but there was also the fear of rejection, of her work not being good enough.

Taking a deep breath, Eliza clicked on the email. The subject line simply read, “Your Essay.” Her heart pounded in her chest as she began to read.

“Dear Eliza,

I wanted to take a moment to express my thoughts on your latest essay. It’s rare that I come across writing that feels as honest and raw as yours did. Your words carried such depth, such emotion, that I found myself moved in a way that doesn’t happen often. You have a gift, Eliza—a way of expressing the complexities of the human experience that is both vulnerable and powerful.

I hope you realize how talented you are. Please, keep writing. I look forward to seeing where your talent takes you.

Best,

Professor James”

Eliza’s eyes filled with tears as she read and re-read the email. Her chest felt tight, her heart swelling with an emotion that was hard to name. Validation—that’s what it was. The feeling she had been craving, the acknowledgment that her words mattered, that she mattered. And it came from him, the person whose opinion meant more to her than she wanted to admit.

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes closing for a moment as she let the praise wash over her. It felt like a balm to her soul, soothing the uncertainty and doubt that had been gnawing at her for weeks. In that moment, all the complications, all the warnings, all the fears seemed to fade away. All that mattered was that he saw her—really saw her—and he believed in her.

A knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned to see her roommate, Claire, peeking in. “Hey, El. You okay?” Claire asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

Eliza nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah, I’m good. Just… got some feedback on my essay. It was really positive.”

Claire’s face brightened. “That’s amazing! See, I told you you’re a great writer. What did he say?”

Eliza hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to share the details. The praise felt personal, almost intimate, and a part of her wanted to keep it to herself. But Claire’s genuine excitement made her relent. “He said it was honest and raw, and that I have a gift,” she said, her voice soft.

Claire’s eyes widened, and she let out a low whistle. “Wow. That’s high praise, especially coming from Professor James. You should be really proud of yourself, El.”

Eliza smiled, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days. “Thanks, Claire. I am. I really am.”

As Claire left the room, Eliza turned back to her laptop, her eyes drifting to the email once more. She knew she shouldn’t let herself get caught up in this, shouldn’t let the lines between student and professor blur any further. But the way his words made her feel—the way they filled a void she hadn’t even realized was there—was impossible to ignore.

She picked up her notebook, flipping to a blank page. The need to write was overwhelming, her thoughts spilling out faster than she could contain them. She wrote about the longing for connection, the fear of vulnerability, the thrill of being seen. Her pen moved across the page with a sense of urgency, as if the words were demanding to be released.

When she finally stopped, her hand ached, but her heart felt full. She glanced at the clock, realizing hours had passed, but she didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be—lost in her words, her emotions, her passion.

Maybe it was reckless. Maybe it was dangerous. But as she looked at the pages filled with her handwriting, Eliza couldn’t bring herself to care. She had found something that made her feel alive, something that gave her purpose. And for now, that was enough.

She closed her notebook, her fingers lingering on the cover for a moment before she set it aside. She knew the road ahead was uncertain, that the choices she was making could lead to heartache. But for now, she chose to hold on to the words of praise, to the validation she had been craving. And as she turned off her laptop and climbed into bed, Eliza let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, she was on the right path.