“I’d like to move back in with you,” I whisper in his ear as the song swells. “If you don’t think it would be moving too quickly.”
He grins lazily, his hand drifting down my back. “It’s been eleven years in the making, Liv. We need to make up for lost time.”
And for a moment, I allow myself to picture it: a future with Lucas Deiss.
I can see it so clearly. Our walls changing colors over the years. Coffee in the mornings. Me, building my graphic design business from the counter in his shop. Him, teaching guitar to our child in the back. Our feral little cat, terrorizing everyone. And Cat Stevens, peering at us from under the bed, his eyes sharp with disdain.
It’s breathtakingly perfect.
But then I look around at the little lighted bow, glowing brightly in the middle of a deep dark ocean. Phoebe is shrieking with laughter as Mac spins her around, the white flower in her hair catching in the wind and disappearing from view. Simone is forcing Elena to be in one of her selfies. Stars twinkle up in the distance, like the sky has strung party lights just for us. And I realize there’s no point in looking toward the future.
The present will do just fine.
Acknowledgments
Isaac Waldon, you will always be first on my list of people to thank. You probably assume that’s because you talk me through every single plot point and make me laugh when I’m otherwise tempted to hurl my laptop across the patio. You’d be wrong. I will always thank you first because you’re the voice in my head telling me I can do anything that I put my mind to. You’re my strength and my joy and my heart. You are my everything.
（But also, if I do anything wrong, remember that you just agreed that you’re the voice in my head.）
Thank you to Claire Friedman for being the best agent I could ever ask for. I thought you’d sell my books. I never imagined that you’d also be such a big part in making them. I’m so grateful to have you as a partner. （Seriously, though. My book is super pretty, right? SAY IT.）
Thank you to my editor, Kate Dresser, for all of your brilliant suggestions and guidance. This book is every bit as much yours as it is mine. From our very first conversation, I knew I was lucky to work with you. Naturally, I was right.
Thank you to the amazing team at Putnam. You’re all rock stars, and I’m so grateful that you took a chance on me. Thank you so much for not blocking my email address when I used it in excess.
I wrote this book during the pandemic, so my world felt a lot smaller than normal. I could’ve disappeared inside the writing cave and forgotten that the Earth was still turning outside. These are the people who didn’t allow me to:
Thank you to Autumn, Christina, David, Bill, Little Isaac, Davey, and Riley for being the greatest pod ever. Family Day was the bright spot of every week. I loved it almost as much as I love Trash TV Night. DC wouldn’t be home without all of you.
Thank you to Tina, Amanda, and Keri for being my besties. I love that we could be separated for an entire year but still talk as much as ever. It’s basically scientific proof that nothing will ever be able to keep us apart.
Thank you to Jamie and Dana for expanding our numbers. I feel like Kai might become the voice of reason when Isaac and Jamie are determined to injure themselves.
Thank you to Jennifer, Rhonda, and Charity for being the ultimate crew. You were always there to remind me to celebrate The Layover when I was too caught up in this book to remember to stay present. I’m so grateful the Scheduling Gods brought us together.
Thank you to Jane, Bob, Staci, and Missi for being the best parents and sisters a girl could ask for. I love you!
Thank you to the sqaf-ers for proving it’s actually possible to make new friends during a pandemic. Your kindness and enthusiasm and support has been such an unexpected source of delight. Now, I’m just waiting on Cindy to sum this whole thing up in the most irreverent manner possible.
When I wrote my acknowledgments for The Layover, I wasn’t thinking about all the people who would read it. I didn’t know how much your messages would mean or how a good review would make my day. This time, I do. Thank you so much for picking this book up! Every person who reads this makes it more possible for me to continue publishing books. Thank you for being a part of this journey and helping to make that dream come true.
About the Author
Lacie Waldon is a writer with her head in the clouds—literally. A flight attendant based in Washington, DC, Waldon spends her days writing from the jump seat and searching the world for new stories. She is also the author of The Layover.