Almost: a love story Part 37

Fax: (202) 467-8701.

TTY/TDD: 1-800-211-799.

www.ncvc.org.

Your local rape crisis center:.

Check in the front of your local phone book under "Community Services Numbers" or "Emergency a.s.sistance Numbers" or Google your city name and "rape crisis center".

Acknowledgements.

To my amazing family: Tom, Kika and Wilson: You suffered through many last minute trips to the burrito place because of me and this project. You held my hand every time I cried, you convinced me not to quit with your notes, poems, quiet support, cute "keep-writing" crafts, and your never-ending belief in me. Seven years is a LOT of burritos, and even more love. Thanks and Thanks.

To my parents, all four of you: Louise & Louis Nelson, Chuck & Connie Powers, my dear in-laws, Bob & Jackie MacFarlane, and the rest of my awesome-huge-family including those far away in Canada, Italy and Spain. Thanks for believing and sharing this ride with me for all these years. I love you all so much. Please, everyone: Try to stop getting older. I do not like it.

To Lana Williams & Mich.e.l.le Major Duytschaever: Dream sharers, writing warriors, master storytellers, story structure lovers, moms, and true friends. If we'd never met, or if one of us had quit (and I know we've all been on that fence) I would've never laughed so deeply, cried so hard or learned so much without you two in my life. I'm truly grateful for you two. Thanks for the tribunals, the 10PP, the vision boards, making me live The Secret, holding on to my heart so carefully, and reading and editing everything. Again. And again. And again.

@ThrivingWriters, I love you.

To Dawn Nash, Cathy Sheldon, Susan Clark, Erin Weller, and Susan Offen: Thanks for having awesome, perfectly honorable freshmen boys when I was writing this story. Your boys make up all the best that became my characters, Gray Porter. You answered questions about hockey, the secret life of boys growing up, listened to pitches, and gave me your constant friends.h.i.+p and support. And to those boys, who soon will be amazing, honorable men. Thanks for being in my life. Listen to your moms. They are awesome.

To Sharon and Ana Rosa,my only adult, non-writing readers, and dearest friends. I could not breathe without you. Deb W. and Susan B. fearless mom-world-changers and activists. I hope this makes you proud. And to my scattered, too-busy-to-meet Book-Club Ladies and Celtic Steps friend-family.Thanks for being there for the whole seven years, and for once in awhile, asking how things were going.

A special shout-out to Giovanna & Elmer Mercado, my other parents. My sanity. My friends. Without you two, and your deep love, I would have no success, no prayers at lunch and probably, no garden fun in the summer. Thanks for seven years of your unconditional love. I love you back.

Strider Dear, sweetest dog. Thanks for sitting in the hallway outside my office, every darn day. Your eyes never doubt me, and the way you hold that tennis ball in your mouth cracks me up. Best. Dog. Ever.

Cindi Madsen, Jodi Anderson, Milt Mays, Marty Banks, and the beautiful friends I've met through Romance Writers of America, SCBWI, and PPW: my world would have been very lonely indeed without your beacons of writing light. Especially Cindi, who gave me my very first author quote and whose own stories wow the YA world. #FF @CindiMadsen. #amazingwriter #girlrocksromance To founding girls from www.YAromance.com. @YARomance My readers. My confidants. Amazing writers, dreamers, artists and poets. Thanks for reading my pages, terrifying me with your relentless, harsh critiques, and making my story ring true. Kika, Jenna, Saoirse, Sydne.Thanks for your feedback.

Geoff Foley: Friend. Technical editor, movie-maker, artist, co-dreamer, and of course, programmer. I could not have trusted anyone else. Thank you for giving me the gift of good code, and a life-long friends.h.i.+p. It's an honor to be working with you again. Yay.

Tracie Schultz: Editor, reader, writer, amazingly patient mom of 4 boys, and brave friend. Thanks for your courage, insights, time, hard work and absolute s.h.i.+ning light through this whole long, strange process. I would not have had the courage to finish this without you. Have I said it yet, today? I promise...it's gonna be awesome...and I am almost done with my edits...are you?

end.