Open When I'm Gone

Acknowledgements.

 When I started this book almost three years ago, I never thought that it would be where it is now. I have so many people to thank in this journey, so many people who without them, I wouldn't have been able to finish this story.

Before I start any set of thanks, I just want to thank the Lord Jesus. He has pushed me on this journey farther than I ever thought I could go, and I would not be here without his constant hand of protection over my life. I am forever grateful for his ever-guiding presence in my life, and I owe any talent I have to Him.

Honestly, I think that one of the biggest groups I owe a lot of my inspiration with this book is owed to my friends, specifically the seven people who I based characters around. Thank you to Brett, Ella, Annastyn, Ava, Kendall, Cora, and Jonah. Thank you for letting me use your personalities in this story, for being such strong presences in my life just like these characters are to Simon.

Thank you to my Beta readers, Jonah, AJ, Dasya, Lynley, and my sweet sweet mother. Thank you for encouraging me even when the whole plot felt like a dumpster fire, and thank you for your insight and ideas that made the story what it is today.

Thank you to Kingdom Collective for giving me a safe community to be an artist under the name of God. Thank you for taking me under your wings and raising me up to be a strong writer and strong in my faith.

Thank you to my family. My mom, my dad and my sisters. You guys have encouraged me every single step of the way, from the time I was five writing worship music to now, you've never doubted my ability to write a compelling plot, and have always been willing to read whatever I put in front of you. Thank you for giving me a safe home to grow up in where I was welcome to pursue whatever I wanted. I know a lot of children aren't as lucky.

I have to pay a very special thank you to my dear friend Elsie, for being my guide to writing Eddy, and for being my person who pulled me out of my darkest places. Even though she's not around to see this book come to completion, I know for certain that she believed in me, and I hope this book makes you love her as much as I do.

And finally, thank you to you, the reader! Thank you for taking time out of your life to read three-hundred and eighty-something pages of my inner workings. I hope the plot and characters stay with you for a long time. And I hope over everything you've read, the one thing that sticks with you is that you're enough. If you are still here it means you still have a purpose in life. Never forget that. You are worth every breath used to say your name.