
We'd been driving for about seven thousand years.

Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this. It feels like nothing else exists outside of that word, this moment. He sounds almost shy when he says, "Me neither." And then he hesitates. I say, "I can't believe you're really here." And thank you to Gram, who inspired me to write about the forever kind of friendship, the kind that spans over boyfriends and beaches and children and lifetimes vi

Longstockings, and one Longstocking in particular, who has sat across from me every Monday and cheered Many thanks to Jenna and Beverly and the Calhoun School for their continuous support of my writing life. Thank you to my editor extraordinaire Emily Meehan, who supports me like no other, as well as Courtney Bongiolatti.

To all the important sister women in my life and most especially Claire acknowledgmentsįirst and always, thank you to the Pippin women: Emily van Beek.
