Elna Baker

When you stop and think about it, the fact that he'd been able to navigate the world convincingly and keep this from Michelle for over three years, it was an incredible feat. He must have been covering this up constantly.

When you stop and think about it, the fact that he'd been able to navigate the world convincingly and keep this from Michelle for over three years, it was an incredible feat. He must have been covering this up constantly.

She was not going to allow this obstacle to push them apart. She jumped into action. This was before you could Google everything. So Michelle went to the library and did research on adult literacy. She broke it down into manageable steps and wrote out a timeline for him.

She was not going to allow this obstacle to push them apart. She jumped into action. This was before you could Google everything. So Michelle went to the library and did research on adult literacy. She broke it down into manageable steps and wrote out a timeline for him.

I get it. Michelle's dyslexic and her boyfriend didn't have a learning disability. But still, she could empathize with how hard it can be to read. And at first, Michelle's boyfriend was totally on board with the plan. But after a year of Michelle offering him solutions, he still hadn't taken any action. It just seemed like he didn't want to. He got around the world just fine without reading.

I get it. Michelle's dyslexic and her boyfriend didn't have a learning disability. But still, she could empathize with how hard it can be to read. And at first, Michelle's boyfriend was totally on board with the plan. But after a year of Michelle offering him solutions, he still hadn't taken any action. It just seemed like he didn't want to. He got around the world just fine without reading.

She started realizing, oh, wait, his illiteracy was a way bigger problem for her than it was for him. And it really started pushing them apart.

She started realizing, oh, wait, his illiteracy was a way bigger problem for her than it was for him. And it really started pushing them apart.

It started to bleed its way into every moment they shared together. Like she could never fully relax anymore. Even when they were happy, she'd snap herself out of it and think, wait, no, no. We're forgetting that there's this huge looming problem. And we've got to fix it before everything can be okay. She started to resent him.

It started to bleed its way into every moment they shared together. Like she could never fully relax anymore. Even when they were happy, she'd snap herself out of it and think, wait, no, no. We're forgetting that there's this huge looming problem. And we've got to fix it before everything can be okay. She started to resent him.

Well, in a sense, it actually like it made the relationship last longer because everything became about him reading. And so if you could just crack that or fix that, then maybe it would work out.

Well, in a sense, it actually like it made the relationship last longer because everything became about him reading. And so if you could just crack that or fix that, then maybe it would work out.

That's the promise of an obstacle. You feel like all you have to do is conquer it, and you get your happy ending. How would it play out in a rom-com?

That's the promise of an obstacle. You feel like all you have to do is conquer it, and you get your happy ending. How would it play out in a rom-com?

Amazing. See, I was imagining that he would, like, greet you at the airport with, like, a sign that he had handwritten himself that was like, Michelle, I can read now.

Amazing. See, I was imagining that he would, like, greet you at the airport with, like, a sign that he had handwritten himself that was like, Michelle, I can read now.

And then you'd see it and you'd start crying.

And then you'd see it and you'd start crying.

And he's worked so hard behind your back secretly going to night school the whole time. Aw.

And he's worked so hard behind your back secretly going to night school the whole time. Aw.