Acknowledgements

If I truly wrote to everyone I have to thank, we’d never get to the book itself. So, in a proverbial nutshell:

Jason Bradley, I am so sorry for all my damn repetitions, repetitions, repe… whoops. Thank you for helping me become a better writer, with all your grace, epic skill, and patience. Raevyn McCann, for your generosity and energy and dedication: you rock. Beth Phelan, for your incredible spirit and work to bring marginalized authors together in community, celebration, and publication: go #DVpit, go.

Jason (not my lovely editor; the other one) – you are my person, and I don’t want to know who I’d be without you (spoiler: it wouldn’t be pretty). Marcos, for shrieking in the ocean and daring to dream with me; you are my favorite writer, and one of my absolute favorite people. Katie, mah boy, for constantly bringing stability to a nonsensical world. James, for our gender journeys and your unwavering commitment to self-care. Josh, for our laughter and our tears and for your steadfast support, through everything. Kaysi, because you just kind of cocked your head and said, ‘oh, so Tinker Bell is a computer,’ and then it all made sense. Typical.

To Mom, for all our reading time and my adventures in your classrooms with Wally the Trolley. To Dad, for Doctor Who, Star Trek, and starry nights in Cooperstown. To Sis, for our beach times and DOOM. To Aunt Jamie, for late night phone calls and blender jokes.

To my fandom family – you are the reason I write, and you are a constant inspiration. Always know that this world needs you; never doubt your power, even (and especially) when the world tries to take it from you. Thank you for all the Discourse.

And Erika. Words will never be enough. You are, very simply, my multiverse. Thank you.