A Thousand Sleepless Nights
Page 26
Henry looked over her shoulder, his hands coming to her hips. “In loving memory of Lucy Jetty Craig.” He smiled with emotion. “Thank you, Abby.”
“Felt right, you know,” she said, wiping at her wet cheeks.
“It’s perfect,” Matilda said. “We can hang Jetty’s painting of Lucy with it.”
“There’s one more thing in there.” Abby gestured to the pink bag.
Matilda pulled out a framed picture. It was a beautiful photograph of Lucy’s grave. The plot was nestled under the shade of an old maple tree, rolling hills of vibrant green cornfields beyond. The sky above was brilliant azure and marked with cotton clouds. Just as Jetty had described it.
“I took it last time we were there,” Abby said reverently. “It was such a lovely day.”
Matilda, Henry, and Abby had visited the gravesite many times now. Milly Baker, the owner of the farm and Jetty’s friend, had welcomed them with open arms, quickly becoming a dear friend. She’d even been here to the shop to expertly clean the stained glass in the front door. This place on Milly’s farm—Matilda touched the glass of the frame over the simple granite headstone that marked her daughter’s resting place—was peaceful and beautiful and perfect. Every time they went she felt closer to Lucy.
“Thank you, Abby,” Matilda whispered through her tears. “This will go home with us. I want it on my nightstand, next to my favorite picture of me and Jetty.”
“Sounds right.” Abby gave her a long hug.
Henry took the plaque, removed the sticker covering on the back, and pressed it to the space of wall next to the doorway to the children’s room. “It’s perfect,” he repeated quietly. He looked at Matilda, eyes brimming with emotions. She reached up to touch his freckled face. A flash of guilt threatened to ruin the happy moment. She still struggled to understand the power inside her that had erased their lives. But she clung to something Henry had told her late one night when she woke crying and thrashing. He’d held her in their bed, whispered in her ear. “We are stronger now. You gave us that.”
Abby said with a happy sniff, “I can’t wait to see the new little one running around in here. I’m betting on a boy.” She leaned forward and spoke to Matilda’s slightly rounded belly. “Are you listening, little man? Auntie Abby can’t wait to meet you.”
Henry smiled. “Should we name him Gill, if it’s a boy?”
Abby scoffed as she stood up. “Of course not! Awful name. A fish’s name. You find him a good strong name, like his father’s.”
Matilda laughed. Henry shook his head, leaned down to kiss her forehead. Then he went off to his office to write, Abby trailing behind him listing off boy names.
Matilda touched Lucy’s name on the plaque with one hand as she touched her belly with the other. A new baby. What had Jetty told her? You need a reason to live after tragedy. Matilda smiled to herself. I have you, little one. And I have Henry, and Abby. And this bookshop.
Matilda went to the big front window and flipped the sign to Open.
Discussion Questions
Grief is a major theme in the book. Discuss the different ways characters deal with death and loss.
What thoughts and theories did you have when Matilda and Henry woke up in different places after the accident?
Who was your favorite supporting character and why?
Weather is used as a symbol several times in the story. Recall when and discuss the purpose of this technique.
Books play a major role in this story. How do books help the characters?
Which one of Henry’s letters was your favorite and why?
How do you feel about the idea that our thoughts and emotions have energy and power?
CREATIVE BOOK CLUB SUGGESTIONS
Take your book club to a local bookstore. Spend time browsing and sharing and then hit a bakery (like Estelle’s) for donuts and discussion.
Take your book club to a local antique shop. Spend time browsing old things or see if you can find some of the items mentioned in the book, such as a rotary phone, an old Chanel purse, a steamer trunk, and old typewriters. Major bonus points for finding a 1937 Remington Rand 5.
Serve some of Matilda and Jetty’s favorite foods: pasta, pie, cinnamon rolls, or fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Or serve food inspired by The Bright Night Festival: BBQ, cotton candy, cookies, pink lemonade, donuts, and root beer.
Track down a working typewriter and have everyone write/type a love letter to his or her favorite person.
Acknowledgments
This novel had a little bit different of a writing process in which good books and the luxury of time deserve the most thanks. I worked on it in the background while I wrote my first three books, so it had lots of time to evolve and get better. I also read some very helpful books on writing, namely Story by Robert McKee, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, and Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder.
Many thanks to the crew at Cedar Fort and Sweetwater Books. To Melissa Caldwell for her insightful editing. To Jessica Romrell for sharp-eyed copyediting. To Breanna Call Herbert for the perfect typesetting. To Shawnda T. Craig for the gorgeous cover design. To Kaitlin Barwick for editing coordination. To Vikki Downs for marketing help. To Erin Tanner who read it first and said yes. And to those of you whose names I don’t know, thank you for your work.
A big thank you to my family for your support and love. Thanks Kenneth and Natasha for some last-minute opinions. The most thanks goes to my husband, Matt, who is always there to provide a practical insight, a late-night fried egg, and endless encouragement. He also inspired the typewriter idea by giving me a 1937 Remington Rand 5 for one of our anniversaries. It sits on the shelves next to my desk, and I adore it.
Finally, a big, warm thank you to you, the reader, for picking up this book.
About the Author
Teri Harman has believed in all things wondrous and haunting since her childhood days of sitting in the highest tree branches reading Roald Dahl and running in the rain, imagining stories of danger and romance. She’s the author of three previous books: Blood Moon, Black Moon, and Storm Moon. She also writes about books for ksl.com and contributed regular book segments to “Studio 5 with Brooke Walker,” Utah’s number-one lifestyle show. She lives in Utah with her husband and three children.