She’d given life to Linney, and it was from half of her that Linney had been created, the other half stemming from what must surely have been the very best part of me.

When Nancy and I are together, our shared love is as close as we can come to having Linney alive again, at least on earth.

She caught me looking at her and was somewhat flustered by it. She turned and saw the yellow writing tablet on the kitchen table. “What’s that?” she asked.

“Nothing urgent,” I said. “You can look at it later.” I took hold of her hand. “I treasure you, Nance.”

She laughed shyly.

“Treasure you,” I said again, and not letting go of each other’s hands, we walked up the stairs to watch Gail teach our child the letters of the notes on a piano.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

I am hopelessly indebted to Jon Karp, editor in chief of Random House, for the existence and nature of this book. He has inspired and guided me, helping me to shape and sculpt this story in every way imaginable. What I owe Jon continues to compound itself daily at a rate any loan shark would envy.

I’m profoundly grateful to Random House president and publisher Gina Centrello for giving my work the most admired home on the block in which to live.

Random House has also provided Ray Sherwood and company with an accomplished, supportive family. It has been a pleasure to work again with savvy copy editor Bonnie Thompson and to be adroitly, patiently, and wittily overseen by production editor Evan Camfield. In matters both practical and creative, associate editor Jonathan Jao has been a tremendous help since the novel’s earliest inception. I’m very grateful to clever and insightful senior editor Caroline Sutton and to managing editorial associate Jennifer Rodriguez for their creative input, and to Amit Kumar for his encouraging comments. Production manager Molly Lyons and designer Mercedes Everett have done their usual splendid job of giving my words a clean and handsome look.

Managing editor Benjamin Dreyer has been a joy to confer with since he oversaw my first novel. He has generously continued to lend me creative insight as well as free access to his astute mind in the creation of this book. I would express my gratitude much more eloquently if he were helping me write this paragraph.

Heather Schroder, my literary agent at ICM, continues to be an insightful voice of reason, and a lilting voice it is, at that. For her valuable advice, insight, candor, and friendship, a plethora of thanks.