When I’m reading, I often skip to the acknowledgements because they fill me with warmth and hope that there are so many people out there being thanked, and so many authors earnestly doing the thanking. I am so happy to express the gratitude that has been jumping around inside my heart.

To every single person who picked up this story – thank you. Reading is a balm to the soul and readers channel that transformative, healing, compassionate power into everyday life. I am indebted to each and every one of you.

Tanera, my absolute force of an agent – you have changed my life. Your belief in my ability as a writer has made me believe in myself. You are a dream come true for any author lucky enough to work with you. Laura, thank you for tirelessly reading every draft. The vision you and Tanera had for this book is the only reason it is what it is today. I am so proud to be a part of the Greenstone family.

And the rights teams who so passionately have advocated for this story – Mary Darby and Georgia Fuller – thank you so much for sharing Andi and Hugh with the world.

To all the folks at Bonnier who worked tirelessly to get this book into the hands of readers, thank you. Melissa, you are hilarious. I have never received an email from you that didn’t make me laugh out loud. I will never tire of you leaving margin notes tying something I wrote to a Taylor Swift song.

To all the folks who had a hand in this journey — I have so much gratitude for you and if I were to name every single one of you the acknowledgements would be as long as the story itself. If you are reading this, know that I appreciate everything you have done for me. To Coral Sea Dreaming, a real life Liveaboard for the Great Barrier Reef, thank you for the trip of a lifetime. And no, this is not paid advertising, although I really wish it was.

To my Seattle family, thank you for listening to me prattle on about this endlessly and for always responding with the words of encouragement I needed to hear. Everyone deserves friends like you.

To my beta readers, my best friends, the people who infuse my existence on this earth with laughter, warmth, and exuberant, unbridled support and love, how will I ever thank you enough? You have read all my first drafts, you have picked me up after every rejection (there were five books ahead of this one), and you have jumped for joy with every celebration. This little paragraph doesn’t come close to what you all deserve, so if I am so lucky, I promise to thank you again in another “Acknowledgements” section.