“My darling girl,” Wolf said. “You will always be with us.”
It was a crock wasn’t it? She was gone, so far away. He couldn’t feel her. The sound of every little girl’s voice reminded him of hers. What had her voice sounded like? Sweet and smoky, full of laughter. He could describe it, but not hear it. His girl was gone.
“But today,” said Merri, rock solid. “Today we let you go.”
And they watched as the wind took her away into the waves and the gray sky.
He’d never seen Merri stronger. The knowing had ripped her to pieces, but she’d reassembled herself stronger than she was before. He laid his hand on her belly, which was already starting to swell just a little—or was it his imagination? Their saving grace. A child was conceived in The Hollows the night they realized that Abbey wasn’t coming home to them.
Their sad and desperate lovemaking, the ultimate act of comfort in an abyss of grief and sorrow, had yielded this gift. In his wife’s eyes now he still saw the depth of her pain and the bright glint of the future, and also her forgiveness. The fact that he didn’t deserve her wouldn’t keep him from accepting her love.
Would he ever tell her that he planned to leave her that weekend that they went to The Hollows? About the dark and ill-defined plan he’d hatched with Kristi, that she’d meet him up there and together they’d break his family apart?
No. Because he was weak, and they’d all lost too much. He’d take this second chance he’d been given. And if there was no such thing as a redemptive narrative, not truly, well, then he’d write one anyway.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It’s a myth that the life of the writer is a solitary one. Certainly, there are many hours spent alone at the keyboard. But when that work is done, it takes the efforts and talents of a passionate team of professionals to get those words out into the world. I am grateful beyond measure for the long list of people who support and bolster me, without whom I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.
Thanks to my editor Sally Kim who, as usual, brought her wisdom, keen insight, and passion to the manuscript, pushing me to make this book the best it could be, and encouraging me to go someplace I wasn’t sure I could go. Every book we have worked on together is better than it would have been without you.
My agent, Amy Berkower of Writers House, is a superstar. I am so grateful for her insight, support, and direction. I want to be just like her when I grow up.
The folks at Simon & Schuster, Touchstone, and Pocket are an absolutely stellar group. Each and every person brings their own special gifts and talents to the table. My heartfelt thanks to: -Carolyn Reidy, Susan Moldow, Michael Selleck, Liz Perl, Louise Burke, -Jennifer Long, Liz Psaltis, David Falk, Brian Belfiglio, -Jessica Roth, Cherlynne Li, Wendy Sheanin, Paula Amendolara, Teresa Brumm, Colin Shields, Chrissy Festa, Charlotte Gill, Gary Urda, Gregory Hruska, Michelle Fadlalla, Meredith Vilarello, Laura -Flavin, Paul O’Halloran, Etinosa Agbonlahor, Irene Lipsky, and Miya -Kumangai. And I can never heap enough praise on the top-notch sales team, out there on the front lines in this super-competitive, ever--changing business, getting books in every format into as many hands as possible. It’s everything; thank you.
I have an amazing network of family and friends who cheer me through the good days and carry me through the challenging ones. I am so grateful for my parents, Joseph and Virginia Miscione, and my brother, Joe, who have supported me in every way possible all my life and are unstoppable as a PR team doing everything from facing out books on the shelves, to carting me to and attending book events, and endless bragging. Thanks to Heather Mikesell for being one of my first and most important readers. She also takes pictures of people she sees reading my books—which is always a boost! Shaye Areheart, former editor and forever friend, remains a wellspring of wisdom and good advice and I lean on her more than I should. Thanks to Tara Popick and Marion Chartoff for their unfailing friendship. Even though way too much time passes between visits, they’ve been with me every step of the way.
My husband, Jeffrey, and our daughter, Ocean Rae, are the foundation upon which my entire life is built. I would be a lesser person and a lesser writer without the love, support, friendship, and laughter that fills our days together. I am so blessed in so many ways, but nowhere more so than at home with my two favorite people in the world, and our kooky Labradoodle, Jak Jak.