The Speed of Light: A Novel(79)
My heart warms; it has always known it would be safe with his. The rest of me just needed to catch up.
“I love you,” I whisper.
He smiles. “I know.”
A gust of wind blows us closer, together at last, and he kisses me as the snow sweeps up into the sky. My fears, my doubts, swarm upward with the snowflakes, joining in their frenzied pattern of beautiful chaos, not knowing where they will land but grateful for every thrilling moment of existence.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the brain and spinal cord in which the immune system attacks myelin. The cause of this unpredictable illness is unknown, and there is no cure.
MS affects almost one million people in the United States alone—including me. In many ways, Simone’s journey with MS mirrors my own. Writing this story helped me share part of that journey—the long road to diagnosis, dealing with unpredictable symptoms—while also letting me show that all of us deserve a happily ever after.
No two people experience this illness exactly the same, so this book in no way speaks for everyone with MS. My hope, though, is that it can open the door to more chances for people with MS to tell their own stories.
If you are living with MS, I hope this book has helped you see that your story matters. You matter. And you are never alone. To learn more or connect with others in the MS community, visit the National MS Society: www.nationalmssociety.org.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My gratitude is endless. So many people have believed in me, encouraged me, and been there for me when I needed them over the years—most of all, my family and friends. Without their support, I would never have gotten to this point, and this book would not be a reality—this dream would not have come true. To my husband and children, Ted, Isabelle, Jack, and Ernie Dickey, thank you for being the loves of my life and my reason for everything. To Bill and Elaine Grossell, thank you for teaching me that parents are always there for their children. To my sisters, Erika Grossell-Evans, Eva Moore, and Elana Evans, thank you for always having my back since day one, and for showing me what sisterhood means. To my besties, Alisa Kocian, Kari Nurminen, and Meghan Kutz, thank you for accepting me in all my writerly introversion, and for being my first readers.
To my amazing agent, Sharon Pelletier, thank you for believing in my writing and in all my stories, and for being so supportive throughout this journey, but especially supportive of a story with a main character who has multiple sclerosis. To my wonderful editors, Danielle Marshall and Erin Calligan Mooney, thank you for truly getting this story and seeing its importance, for believing in it and pushing me to make it even better so that the world can relate to and love this story about a main character with MS. And to Gabriella Dumpit, Nicole Burns-Ascue, Bill Siever, Jill Kramer, and everyone on the entire team at Lake Union who had a hand in making this book and my entire debut-author experience so wonderful; as well as Tim Green with Faceout Studio for designing the gorgeous book cover—thank you so much.
To my brilliant Pitch Wars mentors, Meredith Ireland and Kara Leigh Miller, thank you for choosing my story and believing in my writing, and for teaching and guiding me so much along the way. To my critique partners / writing buddies—Emily Kelly-Padden, Samantha Leach, Angela Parker, and especially Gretchen Mayer, my writing partner in crime—thank you so much. I couldn’t have done it without you. To friends and family who have read my words: Suzi Dickey, Angie Cleberg, Carrie Cole, Kelda Pharris, and Kate Brauning, who offered wisdom and guidance on my path to publication, thank you for your unending support.
To the Pitch Wars class of 2016, the 2021 debut author group, and the entire writing community—thank you for your encouragement and support, and for lifting me up when I needed it. To everyone involved in Pitch Wars and PitMad—thank you for making people’s dreams come true, including mine.
There are truly so many friends, family members, and coworkers who have believed in me, taken an interest in my writing, and offered advice or simply a listening ear. Each and every one of you has played a part in my not giving up, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
To my fellow MS warriors—Duby, Carol, Susan, Marcia, and so many others—you are all strong and amazing.