Open House(71)

“Haley and Henry,” Dean said. “That’s cute.”

Haley laughed. “Oh stop,” she said. But she felt a buzz when she thought of her sweet new boyfriend, his nerdy-but-cute glasses, and dark blue eyes.

“Has he met your parents yet?” Dean asked.

Haley shook her head. “Not yet,” she said, but she had a feeling it would happen soon. Her parents were doing better with time. Both of them had broken all over again when they learned the truth of what happened to Emma, but each year they seemed stronger than the one before. Haley stayed with them on the one or two weekends per month when she returned to Waverly for a visit. The fresh air was good after a week spent at her lab in the city.

Sarah returned to the table with two teas, soup, and a packet of organic baby yogurt, and in that moment Haley decided she wouldn’t say anything about the muffin she bought for Grace. She gave Grace’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Should I try to feed her?” Haley asked carefully, and Sarah smiled, passing the yogurt and a spoon across the table. “Priya’s paintings look gorgeous,” Sarah said, lowering herself into her seat. “We’re going to the exhibit tonight if the sitter doesn’t cancel.”

All four of them sat that way, chatting about ordinary things like sitters and jobs, Grace never once wanting to leave the comfort of Haley’s arms. When it was time to leave for her parents’ house, Haley kissed Grace’s cheek and said goodbye to Sarah and Dean. As she crossed the coffee shop, she thought of Emma, her first and truest love, imagining what it would be like if she were still here. She turned back only once, waving to her friends before opening the door and making her way into the bright and safe future that awaited her.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to Carmen Johnson and Dan Mandel, the editor and agent of every writer’s dreams. Carmen, thank you for bringing each book to the next level, for setting high standards, and for believing I can meet them. Your guidance, instincts, and expertise have made our books together something I am proud of, and your friendship and our shared language of what makes characters tick have made writing these books so enjoyable. Dan, thank you for such tremendous support and encouragement over the past decade of agenting my books, for your friendship, and for the keen career guidance that is the entire reason I’m a published writer.

Thank you to everyone at Amazon Publishing and Little A. Your dedication to these books puts them in the hands of so many readers, connecting stories to real live people, and I couldn’t be happier to be one of your authors. Thank you especially to Jeff Belle, Lucy Silag, Emma Reh, Merideth Mulroney, and thank you to Kimberly Glyder for another beautiful cover.

Thank you so very much to all the readers who bought this book and spent time in its pages, and to the ones who write me to tell me what they thought of characters and plotlines. Thank you to all the bloggers and Instagrammers who spread the word about We Were Mothers, and thank you in advance to the ones who will spend their time reviewing Open House. Thank you to the editors and agents who’ve taught me so much over the past decade, Alessandra Balzer, Brenda Bowen, Lanie Davis, Kelsey Murphy, Sara Sargent, and Jennifer Kasius. Thank you to all the teachers who inspired me to write in high school, especially Mrs. Orr, Mrs. Harrison, Mr. Bedell, Dr. Danaher, Mrs. Betro, and Mrs. Kuthy. And to my teachers at the University of Notre Dame, especially Mark Pilkinton and Shannon Doyne, and to my theater professor, Siiri Scott, who helped me navigate the years in college that weren’t always easy.

Thank you to my friends and family who read first drafts and give such helpful feedback and cheerleading, especially my sister, Meghan Sise; my brother-in-law, Roby Bhattacharyya; my sister-in-law, Ali Watts; my dad, Jack Sise; my aunt Joan Miller; my uncle Bill Sise; my aunt Angela Sise; and my friends Chrissie Irwin, Sarah Mottl, Sarah Webb, Nina Levine, Ally Reuben, Molly Hirschel, Debbie Stanley, Antonia Davis, Wendy Levey, Alex White, Michelle Kenny, Pete Kenny, Davey Tejtel, Brinn Daniels, Janine O’Dowd, and Caroline Rodetis. Thank you, thank you to Stacey Armand, who offered such terrific feedback, and is the entire reason the epilogue exists as such.

To my partner-in-crime and carpooling, Jesse Randol: I treasure your friendship, and so does my entire family. Every day you and your family make us feel loved.

Thank you to the librarians and booksellers who make my family and me feel so welcome in your aisles. Thank you to the terrific teachers who inspire my sons’ love of reading, Kristin Cacciapaglia, Nicole Meinel, Patti Osborne, Roisin McGuire, Kirsten Zarras, Lena Nurenberg, Elizabeth Fortune, Barbara Nasti, Patty Peterson, and Susan and Haley Ross.

There are all kinds of ways that my community and my friends help me write books, mostly by caring enough to ask, “How’s your book coming?” Thank you to all my friends and family, especially Erika Grevelding, Caroline Moore, Jamie Greenberg, Claire Noble, Megan Mazza, Tricia DeFosse, Kim Hoggatt, Jessica Bailey, Liv Peters, Heather Trotta, Linda Harrison, Bob Harrison, Katelyn Butch, and to authors Fran Hauser, Fiona Davis, Micol Ostow, Anna Carey, Kimberly Rae Miller, Jen Calonita, and Noelle Hancock.

Thank you to Investigator James Castiglione for answering my police procedural questions. All mistakes are mine. Thank you to Dr. Constantine Demetracopoulos at the Hospital for Special Surgery for answering my questions about anatomy and dissection, and for brainstorming with me the ins and outs of the crime at the open house. To discuss characters and circumstances as if they’re real is one of my favorite parts about writing, and I appreciate your careful attention to what I was trying to accomplish.