The Love of My Afterlife(98)

“Thank you, Sis,” he says, his voice cracking. “For everything.”

“Goodbye, Merritt,” I say, a lump in my throat.

“Goodbye, both of you.” Her voice wobbles. “Hope I don’t see you for a long time.”

Cooper and I can only stare as she fades into a glimmering mirage before eventually disappearing into nothing, as if she’d never been there at all.



* * *





I snuggle into Cooper’s lap once more. Cooper takes my hand and leans in close, nose nudging mine. “So Eric said that if I could find you and kiss you within ten days, then I could stay.”

“I see,” I murmur.

“Ergo, I would very much like to…” He trails off, glancing hungrily down at my lips.

“To what?” I whisper.

“Kiss you, Delphie. If you want me to, of course.”

“I’ve never wanted anything more.”

His lips graze mine immediately, the pair of us smiling madly. We kiss softly at first, tentatively, and then harder and more passionately until we’re pressed so close together I can feel the beat of his heart as if it’s my own.

“I think that should do it.” I eventually laugh, head thrown back. I look at him through eyes blurry with tears. “God, I can’t believe you’re actually here. I was starting to think you’d decided to stay in Evermore.”

Cooper shakes his head. “Being with M again was…it was everything I’ve been thinking about for so long. And if this had all happened when we first lost her, I would have stayed there without any hesitation. But…you. You, Delphie Bookham. I can’t be without you. I don’t ever want to be without you.” He strokes his thumb across my cheekbone. “You make me laugh and you infuriate me. You make me want to be completely myself and to learn how to do that from you. You make it fun to be me. I love you, Delphie.”

“I’m so in love with you,” I whisper back immediately, pressing my forehead against his. The words are brand-new and exciting on my tongue. I get the feeling I’ll be saying them a lot.

I wheel him into the reading room where, one by one, the other attendees immediately race over, laughing and crying and rubbing Cooper on the shoulder. Mrs. Ernestine gives a nonchalant shrug before turning back to inspect my nude of Leanne.

Amy and Malcom arrive, and I laugh out loud as a crowd forms around us.

I’m holding hands with the love of my life.

I’m surrounded by people.

My people.

The ones I love and who love me back. The ones who will be at my side during the peaks and the dips and all the precious bits in between. Those who will be a part of those small everyday moments that might not make it into the poems and the grand paintings and the history books, but all together add up to something more precious than anything.

A life, witnessed. A life, lived.

There’s so much to see, so much to do, so much to feel.

Cooper interlinks his fingers with mine and squeezes tight. I squeeze back, my heart bursting with the anticipation of all that’s to come.

I’m so ready.





Acknowledgments


It takes a whole bunch of people to create a book and bring it into the lives of readers, and I have been so lucky to have the very best bunch of people on board to help with The Love of My Afterlife.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Hannah Todd—my exceptional agent who championed this book before the first line was even written. Your editorial know-how, smart and steady guidance, generosity, and the ambition you have for yourself and for me is responsible for so many of the incredible things that have happened. You are a force to be reckoned with and I wouldn’t want to be without you, summer fruits squash and all.

Thanks also to the magnificent wider team at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, particularly Valentina Paulmichl, Hannah Ladds, Amanda Carungi, Elinor Davies, Liane-Louise Smith, Casey Dexter, Madeleine Milburn, and Hayley Steed. It is a genuine pleasure to work with you. Thank you for changing my life!

Huge thanks to my wonderful and clever editors: Jen Monroe in the US, Katie Loughnane in the UK, and Deborah Sun de la Cruz in Canada. Not only has your collective expertise transformed this novel into something so much better than I ever could have hoped for, but your warmth, thoughtfulness, and passion have made the whole process so enjoyable and seamless. I’m endlessly grateful to you.

Big thanks also to the incredible publishing teams at Berkley, Century, and Penguin Canada, who have already blown my mind with their dynamism, mad skills, and general coolness. In the US, special thanks to Claire Zion, Candice Coote, Christine Ball, Craig Burke, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Erin Galloway, Jessica Mangicaro, Loren Jaggers, Jin Yu, Kaila Mundell-Hill, Kim-Salina I, and Kiera Bertrand. Thank you to Angelina Krahn, Lisa Davis, and Claire Sullivan. In the UK, special thanks to Jess Muscio, Hope Butler, Rachel Kennedy, Katya Brown, Issie Levin, Alice Brett, and Georgie Polhill. How lucky I am to get to work with you.

I would also like to send my sincere thanks to the wonderful publishing teams at Sperling & Kupfer, Droemer Knaur, Anaya, General Press, Editura Trei, Kobiece, Znanje, Euromedia, Kobiece Companhia das Letras, Leya, Leduc, Laguna, Tchelet Books, Bazar, and Bard.

Thank you to Ceara Elliot and Vi-An Nguyen for creating the most stunning book covers.

Thank you to Antalya von Preussen for the gorgeous author photos!