She smiled when she found it tucked in the pocket of the pink folder she used for history class. He must have slipped it in there during glee when she was talking to Kurt. Two sheets of notebook paper folded into quarters with "Rachel," written across it, a little star scrawled at either end of her name. Adorable. But, that was Finn—so sweet, so warm, so full of the simplest gestures that made her heart swell. She unfolded the note excitedly as she sat down on her bedroom floor, leaning against her bed.

Hi Rach,

I've been talking to Ms. Pillsbury about applying to colleges and stuff, and she told me I should write a story about myself-a "personal statement," she called it—that I could use in my applications...not that I know where I'm sending them or anything...but she said it would be a good start. I don't really know what I'm doing here, I can't write like you can. But I'm going to give it a shot. So here goes...

My name is Finn Christopher Hudson. I was born in Lima, Ohio and have lived there all my life. Until recently, I never had any reason to think or dream that I might ever get to live anywhere else. I guess you could say I didn't have it easy growing up. I never knew my dad, who was killed in the Persian Gulf when I was a baby. My mom did the best that she possibly could for the both of us, but we struggled. I remember my mom buying groceries with food stamps. I remember when we couldn't pay the gas bill and had our heat turned off in the middle of January. I remember lonely afternoons, letting myself into the house after school while Mom worked double shifts, trying to do homework I didn't understand. I'd end up playing my dad's old drumset for hours. It made me feel close to him, and the music was the only thing that made me feel less alone. My mom gave me everything she could, but how was she supposed to provide for me and be home to take care of me at the same time? We lived day-to-day, doing whatever we needed to get by. Just surviving. Our life was so small. It never even occurred to me to dream bigger for myself.

By the time I got to high school, Mom had been able to get better-paying work, and things were a little more comfortable. I still struggled with school, but I was decent at sports. Becoming quarterback of the football team made me feel good about myself and made me popular, which was nice. But I still felt pretty empty. I was still just surviving—doing what was expected of me, but not what made me truly happy.

It was Mr. Schuester, my Spanish teacher at the time, who got me to join the Glee Club. It was probably the least popular or cool activity that I could have joined, but it made me feel alive inside. Singing and per gave me this incredible feeling of happiness that I'd only had glimpses of when playing my dad's drums as a kid. All of a sudden, my life, my world, began growing leaps and bounds. I started to see myself as a real leader, somebody who other people looked up to.

It wasn't just Mr. Schue, though. There was this girl in Glee. She didn't really seem to know how to make friends, and everyone was pretty mean to her. I figured they were jealous or stupid or whatever because I thought she was amazing. The moment I heard her sing, it was like my heart started beating for the first time. She just had this light burning so brightly inside of her that made me want to be near her. She was bold and strong-willed and driven and had more passion than anyone I had ever met in my life. She had dreams, real dreams, big dreams, and she wasn't going to let anybody get in her way. She was an inspiration. And she was beautiful. Not just regular beautiful, but the kind of beautiful that started somewhere deep inside and shone through every look she'd give me, every word she sang in my direction. She made me want to be better at everything. Because of Rachel, I stayed in Glee, I worked harder, I learned to follow my heart.

Over the years, we've been through many ups and downs, but I'm incredibly lucky to still have her by my side. She tells me that I make her want to be a better person too. She tells me that I inspire her. She tells me I can dream as big as I want. She tells me she knows I have what it takes to make it out of here. She makes me feel special and loved and worthy. She is the music that keeps me going, she is the song that leads me home. Not home like Ohio, but home like a place where I know somebody will always believe in me, no matter what.

I'm a different man than I ever dreamed I'd be. Because of music, because of Glee, but mostly because of Rachel, I will never settle for just surviving. I will always dream. I will always stand up for what I believe in. And I will always strive to be a part of something special.

Rachel clutched the creased papers to her heart, not wanting the most breathtaking words ever written to be smudged by her tears. Catching her breath, she reached for her keys and headed straight for her car.

She was still breathless when he opened the door, not completely surprised to find her on his doorstep.

"You read it?" he asked shyly.

"I have no words, Finn," she whispered softly, "only this."

She stood on her tiptoes, slipped her hands into his hair, and kissed him with all of the passion his words had stirred in her, the kind of passion that made all dreams seem possible.

He held her close to him and marveled at how limitless his world had become.