Surprise Me (37 page)

—

IN THE SPRING OF THE NEXT YEAR
, the first copies of Daniel’s final book arrive at Noah’s Ark. Isabelle has been waiting for them, and she opens the cardboard box with eagerness, Julian by her side.

“Ah,” he says as she hands him the first copy, “a gorgeous book.”

The cover is a photo of Daniel’s cabin on the bank of Foyle’s Pond, sheltered by the birch trees. It was taken in late afternoon, and shards of waning sunlight are sprinkled across the water. The title, Daniel’s title—
Regrets of a Grateful Man
—is printed in clean, crisp black type across the tops of the trees, and his name is spread across the water at the bottom, almost as if it will disappear in an instant.

“Maybe Deepti is right,” Isabelle muses as she takes a second book from the carton and holds it with two hands. “Maybe souls migrate.” Memories flood her. They will for the rest of her life, she knows. “Isn’t Daniel’s soul here, in this book?”

It’s a rhetorical question, which Julian knows enough not to answer. Of course Daniel’s soul is in his writing. Why else write?

Isabelle opens the book to the back flap, and there is Daniel’s face looking back at her. This is Daniel in Winnock. Daniel smiling. Daniel with some measure of peace. She sees that Bev is credited with the photo, and she immediately knows that it was taken during the ten good years they had together. And that makes her happy.

It was Bev, of course, who called her the night Daniel died, less than two weeks after Isabelle returned to California. She tells her Stefan arrived a day after Isabelle left. He lives in Michigan now, and is married to a woman with two young children.

“He works as an orderly in a hospital,” Bev says, “and Daniel was very glad to see him. They talked for days—well, Stefan talked, and Daniel mostly smiled at him and nodded. They both were happy with that.”

There’s a silence as Bev gathers herself, and then she adds, “We were all with him at the end—Stefan, Alina, and of course I was there.” Bev pauses again before she makes her final statement. Her voice is confident; this is what she will remember. “I know he felt surrounded by love.”

“Oh, yes,” Isabelle says softly in response, “he was loved.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Three determined women have guided my writing career: Lynn Pleshette recognized the writer within me before I ever allowed myself to believe in that possibility. Marly Rusoff guided my transition from weary screenwriter to wide-eyed fiction writer. And the intrepid, courageous Nan Talese reached out her hand to me and made it all happen. I am grateful beyond all words to all three.

I also want to thank the Sundance Institute and Michelle Satter, in particular, for inviting me to be part of their Screenwriting Lab. It is in the glorious mountains of Utah that I have learned what it is to be a mentor to young screenwriters from the world over. My experiences there have translated into a better understanding of Daniel here, in this book.

And finally, of course, without the unwavering love and complete support of my husband, Marty, and my daughter, Eva, this book would never exist. They have all my love.

A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deena Goldstone is the author of the short-story collection
Tell Me One Thing
and a screenwriter of feature films and television movies. She lives in Pasadena, California, with her family. This is her first novel.

What’s next on
your reading list?

Discover your next
great read!

Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.

Sign up now.