I chose to include the present pandemic as the backdrop of this book because I think it is forever intertwined with our future. Even after the worst passes, going through this time will have fundamentally changed the calculus about what is important for many of us. COVID-19 has forced a reevaluation of our responsibilities to ourselves, our families, and one another. It has required a reckoning about what support systems societies require and what jobs are grossly undervalued. For some of us, it has heightened our appreciation for family and friendships. For others, it has crystallized how compatible, or incompatible, we are with those closest to us.
This book is set in the pandemic because our lives have been set in a pandemic. And it would not have been possible without the efforts of so many who are fighting to keep us healthy and safe while simultaneously struggling to preserve our way of life. Thank you to all the medical personnel on the front lines. Thank you to medical researchers, like my brother, James Holahan, who help study and test vaccines with the goal of saving lives and getting us back to life as we knew it. Thank you to the scientists who have dedicated their lives to discovering cures. Thank you to those who fund that research. Thank you, as well, to all the essential workers who risked their lives so that society could continue to function. Thank you to the technology workers who changed corporate operations in short order to keep so many of us employed.
A great big thank-you to my family: my wonderful husband, Brett Honneus, and my daughters, Elleanor and Olivia. I love you all so much. Being quarantined with you, and the somewhat guilty joy that I’ve felt having this time with you three, is a testament to what amazing people you all are.
Thank you to my mom, Angela Holahan, and my father, Jay Holahan, for their love and support. Thank you to my sister, Tara Williams, her husband, Trey Williams, and my nephews, Miles and Hudson, for being such a big part of our lives and always there for us.
Thank you to my friends and extended family for your love and support. Missing you guys during the worst of the pandemic reminded me how much I rely on your wit, counsel, conversation, and company. I love you all!
Thank you to my wonderful editor, Alex Logan, who always makes my books better—not to mention regularly saves me from embarrassing myself with silly errors or quips that aren’t as clever on the page as they seem in my head. Thank you to my lovely agent, Paula Munier, who keeps me working.
Thanks be to God, who I see in so many acts of human kindness, compassion, and love.
Last, thank you to all the loved ones lost during this time, from coronavirus and otherwise. We may not have had the ceremonies that you deserved, but you will remain forever in our hearts.