Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Gabrielle Zevin is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of several critically acclaimed novels, including The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young. Her most recent novel is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, one of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, a selection of the Tonight Show's Fallon Book Blub, the winner of the Goodreads Choice Award, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and one of the best books of the year according to the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Atlantic, Oprah Daily, Slate, NPR, and many others. She has also written books for young readers, including Elsewhere, which Time magazine named one of the 100 Best YA Books of All Time. Her novels have been translated into forty languages. She lives in Los Angeles.

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THE HOLE WE'RE IN

Black Cat

Contents

Part I The Red House.....................................................................1A June and Six Septembers................................................................3October..................................................................................16November.................................................................................30December.................................................................................37January..................................................................................46February.................................................................................52March....................................................................................64April....................................................................................74April II.................................................................................84May......................................................................................97June.....................................................................................101July.....................................................................................103August...................................................................................106September................................................................................108PART II What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a War Like This?............................111Patsy at the Airport.....................................................................113Patsy on the Road........................................................................122Patsy among Friends......................................................................130Patsy in Bed.............................................................................139Patsy Pays the Bills.....................................................................147Patsy Attends Church.....................................................................156Patsy Calls on Her Father and a Sick Friend..............................................163Patsy Gets a Job.........................................................................179Patsy Gets Fired.........................................................................192Patsy Visits Her Mother and Does Some Last-minute Christmas Shopping.....................197Patsy Makes a Phone Call.................................................................205PART III A Relative Paradise.............................................................209Helen before Dawn........................................................................211George in the Morning....................................................................216Vinnie at Lunch and After................................................................229Magnum in the Afternoon..................................................................236Roger at the End of the Day..............................................................241George Just before Sleep.................................................................248PART IV Baby One More Time...............................................................251Closing Time at the Hoot and Holler......................................................253Second Opinion...........................................................................256Preparations.............................................................................258Orange City..............................................................................261Bethesda.................................................................................263A Nice Place in Maryland.................................................................265Ramada...................................................................................269Toronto..................................................................................272Detour...................................................................................276Buckstop.................................................................................278Acknowledgments..........................................................................285

Chapter One

MIDWAY THROUGH HIS son's graduation from college, somewhere between the Ns and the Os, Roger Pomeroy decided that he owed it to himself to go back to school. He was forty-two years old, though people told him at least once a week that he looked younger. Last Christmas, a salesgirl had mistaken his then nineteen-year-old daughter for his wife. Last week, a different salesgirl had mistaken his forty-one-year-old wife for his mother. He knew it wasn't flattery, because in both instances the salesgirls had already made their sales: respectively, a flannel nightgown (wife's Christmas) and a leather fanny pack (son's graduation). And, at work-Roger was an assistant principal at the same Christian high school that his two older children had attended-all the girls flirted with him no matter how much he discouraged the practice.

His wife, George (ne Georgia), nudged him. "You're supposed to be standing." Roger looked at the crowd, then past it to the dais. A flag was being raised. Everyone was standing, so Roger stood.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to do it now. Roger had completed a master's in education while working full-time, but if he wanted to get really serious (that is to say, a PhD) he would have to take leave. He had three children: Vincent, the son who was graduating; Helen, who would be a college junior the following year; and Patricia, age ten, the baby of the family though hardly a baby anymore. In any case, the kids were mostly grown, which meant two fewer mouths to feed. And if George had to work a couple of extra hours-here, he paused to smile at his wife. The smile was meant to acknowledge the official magnitude of the occasion, A Son's Graduation from College, but George immediately detected the ulterior in it. She grinned back.

Roger lowered his thoughts to a whisper. If George had to work a couple of extra hours, it would ultimately be for the best. With a PhD, Roger would earn more money, which meant the wife could retire altogether. Based on the time it had taken him to complete his master's, Roger estimated three years for a doctorate. He had been a family man for twenty-two years, over half his life. He had never cheated at anything, marriage included. He was an honorary pastor at their church and considered himself to be a better-than-average Christian. He had made sacrifices for others and now, he reckoned, sacrifices should be made for him.

George squeezed her husband's hand. "Earth to Roger," she whispered. "Your son's next."

They called Vinnie's name, and Roger applauded. He had missed his own graduation from college because George had gone into labor with the boy. It seemed fitting and good that he had come to this decision on this day.

Caps flew through the air and Roger's eyes filled with tears. The youngest, Patsy, was standing on the other side of him. He lifted her over his shoulders so that she could better see the show.

"Daddy," Patsy said. She placed her doll hands on his cheeks. "Are you crying because you're still mad at Vinnie?"

"No, I'm just happy, baby."

* * *

FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER, Roger moved his family from Tennessee to...