That daughter grew up and applied to West Point, as well as to the other service academies. The application process alone is grueling and prolonged, and waiting for an acceptance or a rejection was the most nerve-racking thing I’ve ever gone through. And I wasn’t even the one applying. So it made perfect sense to me that Penn would channel his grief into an obsession with getting into the United States Military Academy, especially considering his dad’s history as a vet.

The inspiration for the most prominent event in the story was a rumor from my high school days, when a girl I went to school with was pilloried much like Beckett was in the book. Fortunately, those were the pre-internet days, so the rest of the world did not get involved. Equally fortunately, the baby rumored to have died at birth—or been killed—wasn’t actually found in the school. I have no idea if it was ever even real. But the rumors were real, and the former students I mentioned them to as I was writing this book still remembered them, twenty-seven years later. Everyone told me a different version of the rumors they remembered—how and where the baby was found, and who the father was.

According to the version I heard when I was in high school, the father of the dead baby was the boy I was dating at the time. I didn’t have the nerve to ask him if it was true. To say that the rumor stuck with me is an understatement. Unfortunately, I suspect it also stuck with the girl rumored to be the mother.

I really wish I could say I never repeated that rumor.

I am not Beckett Bergen. She’s much stronger and smarter than I ever was. Much more determined and resilient. She is who I wish I could have been, and I hope she’s found a place in your heart.

Rachel Vincent

Resources

RESOURCES

The following resources offer additional information or assistance on the topics covered in this book.

American Pregnancy Association—Teen Pregnancy Helpline

Available 24/7, this helpline is a safe place for pregnant teens to talk about their options. The corresponding article offers a comprehensive list of all the different aspects of being a pregnant teen, and also includes additional resources for more in-depth information.

1-800-672-2296

americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/pregnant-teen

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

For those struggling with mental illness, such as PTSD or depression, the National Alliance on Mental Illness site includes information on different illnesses, ways to find support or treatment, as well as coping mechanisms you can begin at home. Their website also has the ability to search for local resources using your zip code or city.

NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. EST)

Text NAMI to 741-741 for 24/7 crisis support via text message

nami.org

Findtreatment.gov