Acknowledgements

To my wife Michele, and my sons Travis and Evan, for your tireless proofreading, thoughtful editing, and endless brainstorming sessions. You helped shape this story in more ways than you know.

To my faithful fans and readers — thank you for following this journey week by week. Your enthusiasm, encouragement, and feedback made each chapter come alive.

To my mom, who gave me the gift of stories before I could even read — and who brought me week after week to the Auburn, Maine, Public Library, where I fell in love with whole worlds, one shelf at a time.