THANKS, AS EVER, to our wonderful agent, Holly Root, our editor, Adam Wilson (who still probably doesn’t know what hit him), the tireless and inspiring team at Gallery Books, our forever-helpful prereaders, Erin and Tonya, our amazing readers, all of the bloggers who support and promote us, and our husbands and children for their continued enthusiasm and patience.

Just after we began writing this book, Lauren and Erin’s father passed away after battling illness for over a decade. Because Christina and I are more than coauthors—we are best friends—the loss threw both of us into a bit of a tailspin, and we were unable to work much for a few weeks. I’m hijacking these acknowledgments to thank Christina for being so steadfast and present for me. You’re more than I could have ever hoped for, and always amaze me with the generosity of your spirit.

The last time I saw my father, he told me he had never seen me so happy and was so proud of me for chasing down this dream of writing. This meant the world to me. My dad—a professor, a psychologist, an epidemiologist—didn’t care that what we write isn’t heady literature or meant to be treated as any sort of cultural revelation. He just enjoyed watching me having the time of my life, and I, in turn, was grateful that he got to see me so happy writing stories that are meant to make readers smile and escape the daily stresses of life for a slip of time.

In 1992, shortly before I left for college, my dad wrote me a letter to where I was working at a camp in Yosemite. He said,

I enjoyed talking to you on the phone last night—I have really come to appreciate and enjoy these moments where I am aware that I have my own special relationship with you. You know me in ways that I’m not always very aware of myself. It’s only in my relationship with you (or Erin, although of course it’s different) that the particular person that is Lauren’s dad comes out. Somehow, Lauren’s dad doesn’t get as much practice as Dr. Billings or Marcia’s husband. In spite of that, it always thrills me when I realize that “Lauren’s dad” is a real person that you know, can predict, and frequently love.

“Frequently” is an understatement, for sure. So, thank you, Dad, for being so wonderful that I didn’t have to dig at all into the depths of my imagination to write a father-daughter relationship for Alexander and Harlow Vega that was full of love and support and loyalty. You are missed.

—Lauren

About the Author

About the Author

Photograph by Alyssa Michelle