by Dahlia Adler
Dev laces his fingers with Reagan’s and kisses the top of her head. “I don’t think Rae can argue with that.”
Reagan blushes at the sight of Vic’s knowing smile. “Go get Chinese before this turns into an R-rated movie,” Vic orders. “We’re not allowed to watch those here.”
Reagan laughs. “Fair enough. Talk to you this weekend?”
“You know it. And Reagan?”
“Yeah?”
She leans in to switch off the webcam. “I’ll see you at home.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language, primarily communicated through manual gestures. It has its own independent grammatical structure and mechanics, and does not lend itself well to being directly transcribed (or “glossed”) for English-speaking readers. As such, it has been translated into English for this book.
Additionally, Just Visiting is set in the very rapidly changing world of college admissions, and uses both real and fictional institutions. All scenarios and characters are fictional, including at the University of Kansas. However, Reagan’s financial assistance options are very much based in real options available to low-income teens, and I strongly encourage high school students in need to consult guidance counselors and/or use websites to look into financial options for not just scholarships but test and application fee waivers as well.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
If there’s one thing I learned from this experience, it’s that “the book of your heart” may change, but each one will forever hold the loving labor put into it by the most wonderful and supportive people in your world. This was my most challenging writing experience thus far, but without the following, it would’ve been wholly impossible:
Lana Popovic, who gave this book her heart and her all (with the fabulous Fancy Allison Singer at her side)—thank you for loving it, polishing it, and fighting for it;
Patricia Riley, for too much to list, and her friendship on top of all of it;
Maggie Hall, Marieke Nijkamp, and Gina Ciocca, who are forever the brightest stars in my authorial universe, and the greatest critique partners I could imagine; Katie Locke, Sarah Benwell, Candice Montgomery, Ashley Herring Blake, and Sharon Morse—fabulous friends who helped shape a complicated book into its best self; Sarah Henning, for all of the Kansan heart and accuracy; Meagan Rivers and Akchita Singh, for encouraging early reads and love; Erica Chapman and Valerie Cole, for tending to this book when it was just a few baby chapters; and everyone who informed various aspects of my research along the way, including Nita Tyndall, Brooks Sherman, Corinne Duyvis, and Laurie MacDougall.
Thanks and love to Kelly Fiore and Rachael Allen, authors par excellence; Instagram superstar and macaron buddy Natasha Minoso; and the world’s greatest book pusher (and brownie maker), Gaby Salpeter—your early love for this book meant the world to me. Huge hugs to the bloggers and booksellers who’ve supported my work along the way, especially Christina Franke and her eagle eyes, Sara Taylor Woods and her V8 selfies, Nicole Brinkley and the rest of YA Interrobang, Debby (the right Snuggly one), my fellow author-bloggers Eric Smith and Valerie Tejeda, Patricia and Anasheh of the Fantastic Flying Book Club, and my wonderful editor at the B&N Teen Blog, Melissa Albert.
Major gratitude to the rest of my Spencer Hill clan, including Meredith Maresco, Cindy Thomas, Sarah Henning, Jessica Porteous, Michelle Smith, Karen Hughes, Michael Short, Rebecca Weston, and Maggie Hall, for another cover so beautiful, I can’t believe I get to put my name on it.
Love to the writer friends who keep my head above water on a daily basis: Jess, Kelly, Hebah, Sharon, and Tess, for commiseration in moderation (see what I did there?); the YA Misfits, OneFour Kid Lit, and Binders; my co-schmagent, Rick Lipman; my archnemesis, Leah Raeder; Corey Haydu, Lindsay Ribar, Jessica Verdi, Caela Carter, Alison Cherry, Adam Silvera, and the rest of the fabulous and supportive YA authors of NYC; Lindsay Smith, the best vodka-swilling, Stucky-shipping, Knope-abiding accountabili-buddy a girl could ask for; and the real stars in this endeavor: the makers of Gushers and Fresca.
Thank you to my family—Mom, Dad, Mom-in-law, Dad-in-law, Tamar, Jonathan, Aytan, Eric, Orly, Simona, Julia, Eyal, Ben, Liat, Annie, Nili, Besdins, Krauts, Morgans, Adlers, Fisches, Huttels, Weissmanns, and Kanovskys—for your support and your faith, always.
The book of my heart may change, but the keeper of that heart never does. Thank you, Yoni, for so many things, but especially for making food I can brag about on the internet. I love you.
