As the first tear spilled from my eye, I said, “Me neither.”
His thumb came up and swiped my cheek. Then he pulled me tightly again him, my back to his front. Our breaths were soft and steady against the stillness of the night.
“I guess this means you’re all mine,” he breathed against my ear.
“For as long as you’ll have me,” I mumbled, in the haze of sleep.
And just as we drifted off into the land of bliss, I heard him whisper, “Forever works for me.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, I want to say how grateful I am for my ten plus years as a clinical social worker, where my experience in child and family therapy taught me a great deal about humanity. I learned about empathy, vulnerability, and the resilience of the human spirit. The thing we all share regardless of our race, gender, or socio-economic status is the need to be loved and to belong. Kindness goes a long way in helping someone keep their dignity. It might actually be a lifeline.
Thank you to Jane G. for assisting me with hotline details. You are truly one of the most gifted and compassionate people in my former field. And in life.
Thanks to Greg P. for teaching me the ins and out of college baseball.
To my rock star agent, Sara Megibow. You are like the voice of reason inside my head.
To the entire Penguin team, including the art department for my amazing covers, and the savvy publicity team: Erin Galloway and Nina Bocci. To the editing department: Laura Fazio, your keen eye helped make this book so much stronger. I’m so glad to have you in my corner. Special shout-out to Jesse Feldman who helped shape this story from the beginning.
To my family and friends for your constant unwavering support: I love you.
To my first readers: Kate, Stina, Lindsay, Deb, and Alina. Thank you for believing in Quinn and Ella’s story.
To the book bloggers and reviewers out there—there are too many of you to list here. Please just know I appreciate all that you do for the simple love of books. Because when it comes down to it, all of us are first and foremost, readers.
A special shout-out to The Sub Club ladies for making my debut book tour rock.
An additional thanks to Neda, Angelica, and Christine for those extra things you did to make my debut launch more special.
Last, to the readers. Thank you for taking a chance on my books and reaching out to talk to me about them. For an author, there may be no better feeling.