When I’ve passed the restaurant, part of me expects to hear your voice at my back, calling my name. But I hear nothing except the bustling song of the city—cabs honking, people on lunch breaks gabbing into their cell phones, their voices absorbed into the rumble of the subway underground. Another day unfolding around you and me.
Acknowledgments
Writing is often a solitary endeavor, but it takes a village to morph a flawed first draft into a finished novel and to send that novel into the hands of readers. I am grateful to so many people. Thank you:
To my editor, Sarah Cantin, and my agent, Allison Hunter, I can’t imagine a world where I don’t list the two of you first. Thank you for your generous, insightful guidance and unwavering support. How lucky I am to be on this team, with two of the most brilliant women I know. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I’d follow you both anywhere.
To the wildly talented and diligent team at St. Martin’s Press, especially: Sallie Lotz, Katie Bassel, Marissa Sangiacomo, Jennifer Enderlin, Lisa Senz, Olga Grlic, Kejana Ayala, Sara LaCotti, Sara Ensey, Chrisinda Lynch, Kerry Nordling, Kim Ludlam, Tom Thompson, Anne Marie Tallberg, and Gisela Ramos.
To Natalie Edwards and the teams at Trellis and Janklow & Nesbit.
To Jason Richman, Addison Duffy, and the team at UTA.
To Karah Preiss, Emma Roberts, Matt Matruski, Meaghan Oppenheimer, Shannon Gibson, Laura Lewis, Stephanie Noonan, Sam Schlaifer, and the teams at Belletrist, Rebelle Media, Refinery29, and Hulu. You’ve helped my work reach many more readers, and you’ve made my wildest dream come true.
To Anna Faris, and to Abby Wike and the team at A&E.
To Crystal Patriarche and the team at BookSparks.
To everyone at Book of the Month.
To Joycie Hunter, for providing early feedback, and for reading my work so willingly （and quickly!） every single time. Your encouragement of my writing over the years has meant the world. I love you big.
To my mom, for being an early, devoted reader—I can’t tell you how much I value your opinion and your notes. You are my best friend. White wine should always be chilled.
To Ben Cronin, for going above and beyond to answer my （many） questions about the music industry. This book is better thanks to your thoughtful and comprehensive feedback. Danner Lane has nothing on Gilligan Moss.
To Martha McAndrews, for your extremely helpful feedback. I value our friendship so much.
To my readers. You are the reason I’m able to keep writing.
To all the booksellers and librarians.
To my incredible friends—time has shown me who the true ones are. Thank you for being there with loyalty and love.
To my family, for absolutely everything. You’re my heart.
To Rob—my sun rises and sets on you and James. Thank you for being such an extraordinary partner and father and for loving me exactly as I am. I’m endlessly proud of the life we’re building together. How did we get so lucky?
To my James—you were a tiny speck when I started writing this book at the beginning of 2020, growing bigger and bigger in my belly as I raced to finish it before your arrival. Safe to say, I think this one was a team effort. Thank you for being there to give me strength and persistence during a year when it was not always easy to write. You are pure magic, baby. The greatest gift of my life is being your mama.