The Measure(106)

Of course, people still wondered, would always wonder, where the boxes came from, and why they were sent. Were they meant only for the individual, to use the knowledge of your own life span however you saw fit? Or were they offered to the world in communion, to prompt some greater global change? Some predicted their true power would only be unlocked once every single person had looked. Others had begun to believe that they were never even meant to be opened, that the gift was simply receiving any string at all.

And though her own string still stretched out long before her, Nina wondered if perhaps she herself could try living as if it were short, unafraid of the unexpected, embracing the chance to say yes.

She never imagined herself as a mother of two, yet these children were the light that had broken the darkness. Who knows what else awaited her? Perhaps she would finally agree to being set up on one of those dates her friends were always offering. Perhaps she would update her book with new stories. Perhaps she would take Willie and Midge on an adventure somewhere. Perhaps she would show them the world.

But for now, on a bench in Central Park, Nina simply willed her mind to rest, to focus on the present. She lifted herself up and joined her children on the playground, clasping their hands within hers, as she twirled them around and around.

And somewhere, a few blocks north of them, on the edge of the park and just out of earshot, a man on a bicycle pedaled on, with a stereo strapped to his back. His legs labored more than they used to, the wheels turned a little more slowly. But the melody played as clearly as ever, and all the people walking around him, busy and distracted as always, paused for a second and turned their heads, trying to see where the music was coming from.





Acknowledgments




I want to thank everyone who played a part in the journey of this book, bringing a dream to fruition. The depth of my gratitude cannot be fully conveyed here.

Thank you to my incredible agents at CAA, Cindy Uh and Berni Barta, the fairy godmothers of this book. I cannot imagine bringing this story into the world without their wisdom, dedication, and guidance.

Thank you to my remarkable editor, Liz Stein, who touched every page of this novel with her brilliance and compassion. I could not have asked for a better partner and a greater champion of this story.

Thank you to Carla Josephson, for her endless passion and creative leadership in bringing this book to UK readers.

Thank you to the powerhouse teams at William Morrow, Borough Press, and HarperCollins, especially Liate Stehlik, Jennifer Hart, Kelly Rudolph, Ariana Sinclair, Kaitlin Harri, Brittani Hiles, Elsie Lyons, Dale Rohrbaugh, and Dave Cole. I pinch myself each day.

Thank you to the unparalleled team at CAA, especially Michelle Weiner, Dorothy Vincent, Emily Westcott, Jamie Stockton, Khalil Roberts, Jason Chukwuma, Adi Mehr, Sydney Thun, and Bianca Petcu.

Thank you to my aunt, Aimée Fine, for her initial feedback; to Sumya Ojakli, for her early faith in this book; and to Mady Despins, for her invaluable kindness.

Thank you to all of my professors at Harvard and Columbia, and to my teachers at School of the Holy Child, who nurtured my desire to write and pushed me to be better.

Thank you to the circle of incredible people whom I met in Cambridge and New York, for your love and support during the years that I worked on this book. You have all made my life so much richer, and I will always be grateful.

Thank you, at last, to my family. To my grandparents, Mary and Walter, for laying the foundation of my life spent loving books and inspiring me each day, and to Nancy and Everett, for helping me reach for the stars. To my parents, Laura and Jim, for shepherding me through every step of my life and for the unwavering encouragement that raises me up. (A special thank-you to my mother, my original editor, for reading this book more times than anyone else.) To Landy, my sister and my very best friend, for sharing her enviable talent and creativity with me. Being loved by all of you has made me who I am.

And to any reader who picks up this book, thank you.





About the Author




NIKKI ERLICK is a writer and editor whose work has appeared on the websites of New York, Harper’s Bazaar, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, the Huffington Post, Indagare Travel, BookTrib, and the Verge. As a travel writer, she explored nearly a dozen countries

on assignment—from rural villages in France to the arctic fjords of Norway. As a ghostwriter, she has lent her voice to CEOs,

academics, and entrepreneurs. She graduated Harvard University summa cum laude and is a former editor of the Harvard Crimson. She earned a master’s degree in global thought from Columbia University. The Measure is her first novel.

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