Modern Love The Podcast is supported by

Produced by the I-Lab at WBUR Boston.

From The New York Times and WBUR Boston, this is Modern Love.

Stories of Love, Loss and Redemption.

I'm your host, Megna Chacrabardi.

When people first come into our lives, it's impossible to know how important they'll become.

Leah Keith writes about a man who came to matter a great deal to her.

Her essay is titled, Despite the Losses, So Much Gained.

It's read by Marsha Stephanie Blake, who's just been nominated for an Emmy award for her performance in the Netflix drama, When They See Us.

Dude was a doctor who wanted to leave medicine.

We met almost 20 years ago.

When he applied to a writing fellowship program at the movie studio where I was an executive.

When I called him with the good news, he jumped up and down and screamed into the phone.

Then he told me he didn't hear anything after the word accepted.

To me, he said, You just sound like an angel.

No one had ever called me an angel before.

Months later, dude moved to Los Angeles.

In the beginning of our professional relationship, I would give him notes on his screenplays.

Our personal relationship happened later.

I was a 26 year old black woman from Georgia, and he was a New York Italian 13 years older.

I don't remember when or why he became dude.

But after the naming, he anointed me Lillie short for Lil' Dude.

...