ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My infinite gratitude to Ayesha Pande, Lauren Wein, Alexandra Primiani, Meredith Vilarello, Amy Guay, and the extraordinary teams at Pande Literary, Avid Reader Press, and Simon & Schuster; to the journals and editors who first published these stories; to my colleagues and students at the University of Miami Creative Writing Program. To my readers; to my dearest friends; to my writing companions; to my family, far and near; to Richard; to John Henry; to Matías, my shining star; and to my ancestors. To my beloved mother, who departed this life shortly before these stories became a book, and to my father: every word is for you.