Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee(100)



But lately I’ve been thinking a lot about that firefly. And not because it’s September. Because I see it differently now. Maybe that firefly wasn’t sad and lonely and desperate. Maybe it was okay with being left behind, and it was shining its light because that’s what it does.

For a long time I shined my light for someone other than me. But not anymore. Now I shine bright for me. You can create light even when everyone’s left you behind because that’s what you do. It’s what I do. I don’t know if the world will remember me or what I did, Dad. But I’ll know that I burned as bright as I could.

I’m glad I got to have pizza with you one more time.

I’m glad I got to see the ocean.

I hope you have a good life and you’re a good father to your new daughter.

I hope you remember me sometimes and love me, or at least remember that you loved me once. There will always be part of me that loves you.

I hope I’m braver than you when life hurts. I think I already am in some ways.

Your daughter,





Delia

I hit send.





This book would not have been possible without my amazing agents, Charlie Olsen, Lyndsey Blessing, and Philippa Milnes-Smith, or my brilliant editorial team of Emily Easton, Lynne Missen, and Samantha Gentry. My undying gratitude to you all.

Thanks to Phoebe Yeh and everyone at Crown Books for Young Readers. Thanks to Barbara Marcus, Judith Haut, John Adamo, Dominique Cimina, Mary McCue, Margret Wiggins, Kristin Schulz, Adrienne Waintraub, Lisa Nadel, Alison Kolani, Ray Shappell, Trish Parcell, and Megan Williams at Random House Children’s Books.

My eternal gratitude as always to Kerry Kletter. Your writing reminds me of the possibilities of precise, beautiful language and clear insight. I don’t know how I ever wrote without your friendship, brilliance, wisdom, and critical eye. Yes, I cut and pasted that from my last set of acknowledgments, but it’s still as true as ever.

Deepest thanks to Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry. You are brilliant, hilarious, amazing writers and people who inspire me daily both with your published works and with the text message threads with which I can only barely keep up. Thanks for being such a wonderful exemplar of female friendship. I need the book you’re writing together in my hands.

Victoria Coe and Bridget Hodder, another dynamic duo of friendship, an inspiration to me and this book.

Stephanie Perkins, for your phone call that day and for making me believe I could write romance. Who, after all, is more of an expert?

David Arnold, my bizarro twin. Will it ever stop surprising us how similarly we think? More to the point, it will never stop pleasing me.

Nic Stone. My Working on Excellence partner and Crown sister. I’m so excited the world finally has your books.

Jennifer Niven and Angelo Surmelis, for being the models of generosity and kindness as authors and people. Y’all deserve every good thing that’s come and will come to you yet.

Jesse Andrews, for inspiring me to write a funny book.

My bosses, Amy Tarkington and Rachel Willis. I get asked all the time how I manage to write with a full-time job. You are how. Thank you.

John Corey Whaley, Rainbow Rowell, and Benjamin Alire Sáenz, thank you for letting me vent about politics in addition to leaving me in awe of your talents.

Adriana Mather, for being basically the epitome of cool and putting your head down, tuning everything out, and working. You’re one of my heroes.

Brendan Kiely, for being such a welcome and familiar face on so many of my travels, and for being such a powerful voice for good in our world.

Ryan Labay, for being the raddest and most supportive.

Kristen Gilligan and Len Vlahos, for being so awesome and talented, and such advocates for my books.

Marlena Midnite, Robyn Graves, and Blake Powell of Midnite Mausoleum, for creating such a fun, sweet, goofy, and bizarre show for me to randomly discover on my local public access station at eleven on a Saturday night. Josie and Delia aren’t an attempt to write you, but they certainly owe their existence to you.

Cameron McCasland, thank you for the insights on the strange and wonderful world of public access. I can’t believe I was so lucky to have a member of one of the all-time great horror-hosting teams right in my backyard.

Amber Addison, thank you for the MMA information.

Rose Little-Brock, for putting so much goodness into the world and basically encapsulating why I’d watch a TV series about Texas librarians.

Steph Post, for being not only a brilliant writer of books but an amazing advocate for them.

Nickolas Butler, for taking the time out of your day to hang out with a total stranger who happens to be one of your biggest fans.

The crew from Jeffz Game of Thronez Korner.

The brilliant authors who have allowed me the honor of being one of the early readers of their work: Sharon Huss Roat, Marie Marquardt, Estelle Laure, Calla Devlin, Ashley Woodfolk, Samira Ahmed, Randy Ribay, Maggie Thrash, Jared Reck, Richard Lawson, Anica Mrose Rissi, Kelly Loy Gilbert, Tanaz Bhathena, Carlie No?l Sorosiak, Gae Polisner, Kit Frick, Farrah Penn, Sarah Nicole Smetana, Eric Gansworth, Peter Brown Hoffmeister, and Susin Nielsen.

The staff and campers of Tennessee Teens Rock Camp and Southern Girls Rock Camp. Allowing me to see firsthand the magic and beauty of young women coming together to make art was a huge impetus for this book.

The readers, librarians, educators, booksellers, podcasters, book clubbers, Instagrammers, and bloggers (and every other category of book people) who have been such advocates for my books. I see you and the work you do, and I am so deeply appreciative. You make our country a better place when so many are trying to do the opposite. By sharing stories, you’re giving dignity to those who are targets of those trying to strip it away. You’re helping to write the counternarrative to the narratives of hate and fear that are all too prevalent now.

Jeff Zentner's Books