Tell Me One Thing (32 page)

“Please, Anna,” he said, but I couldn’t stop. I had a husband I loved and a daughter who was the world to me, but at that moment the fact that Owen was dying overwhelmed it all.

“Anna,” he said, “don’t. We’ve been so lucky.”

And I looked up at him finally, at this person who was as dear to me as anyone I had ever known, and knew in my soul what Owen had given me. Only Owen would say we were lucky. Only Owen would be so grateful in the face of what was to come.

Acknowledgments

         Without the encouragement and wisdom of my two first readers, Karin Costello and the mysterious Jenny Wolkind, these stories would never have been written. They know they have all my love and profound gratitude.

Lynn Pleshette has supported my writing for over thirty years, and Marly Rusoff grabbed hold with no lifeline and had the courage to go forth. Thank you both for believing in my work against all odds.

And Nan Talese opened her heart to me and my stories and made this book a reality. There is no way to convey my overwhelming appreciation.