One of the cars goes through, and we edge up in the line. I settle back in my seat and close my eyes. I was up early this morning. It took forever to pack and the truck is stuffed, filled with clothes and baseball gear. There are two boxes of vitamins and low-carb snacks that Mom insisted I bring along. There’s a coat for when it turns cold, since I may not be back before then.
Boxes and bags, all the things that, for one reason or another, I couldn’t leave behind. Not too much memorabilia, just enough from my box to remind me of where I’m from. And, deep within it all, an old book that belonged to a girl I hardly knew; a girl who might have grown to be, among many other things, my friend.
The truck has reached the front of the line. I open my eyes. Dad rolls down the window and tosses a token into the center of the basket. The light in front of us turns green, and we accelerate out of the booth and onto the bridge.
— Acknowledgments —
I am deeply grateful to my agent, Adam Schear, who was an early and constant supporter of this book, and to Margaret Raymo and the wonderful professionals at HMH, who have been generous with their insight and publishing wisdom. Thanks as well to my friends and fellow writers Allison Freeman, Mark Cecil, and Christian Douglass for their editorial contributions and support.
I would not have been able to write this book had I not been surrounded by a wonderful family: Anna, Abigail, and David, who survived siblinghood and became my friends; Jacob, Nora, Nathan, and Charlotte, who are the lights of my life; my mother, Rebecca, a tireless and insightful reader who manages to combine unconditional support with a keen editorial pen; and my father, Jonathan, who cultivated my love for books and went back to read my first favorite story from the beginning the very same night he finished it.
My gratitude for my wife, Leah, is beyond words. She is my trusted editor and first reader, my partner and collaborator in this and all things, my best friend, and the love of my life.
www.hmhteen.com
About the Author
Author photograph © Lynn Wayne
JOSEPH MOLDOVER is a clinical psychologist who works with children, teenagers, and their families. He lives with his wife and their four children in Massachusetts. He has published a number of short stories, mostly under the name Joseph Sloan. This is his debut novel. Visit him at josephmoldover.com and on Twitter @jmoldover
Visit him at josephmoldover.com
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Every Moment After Page 28
