Finally, to anyone out there whose brain and/or body, like mine, makes existing in this wild world just that much trickier, who feels relegated to the periphery more often than not, who’s been hurt or misunderstood or overlooked, who questions whether or how they can belong: you belong, and we need you. I know we have a way to go in being the inclusive, accessible, empathic society that we need to be, but it is my deepest belief that we are going to get there. For me, compassionate fiction that doesn’t shy away from human struggle while holding tight to hope is a comforting place to go while we wait, while change is made in too-tiny increments. I hope, if you’re waiting like me, that in some small way this story has been a safe space for you, to see folks with struggles and vulnerabilities maybe a little like yours find loving belonging for exactly who they are. I hope that stories like mine and so many others, which endeavor to open people’s hearts to empathize and reach out and make room at the table, make a difference—that one day, true inclusivity won’t be the exception but the rule, that we’ll feel right at home, welcome in the very heart of life’s story.

· DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ·