Terri Anderson Lawrence was raised in Queens, New York City, one of those neighborhoods where each block has its own identity, language, and culture. He quickly learned how to be fluent in change. His backyard was Flushing Meadows Park (home of the 1964 World’s Fair and currently the US Open Tennis Center). His first goal was to grow up to be a professional baseball player, second base for the NY Mets.

Instead, he grew up and attended University, majoring in Mechanical Engineering before joining the US Navy. He completed his undergraduate degree while serving on active duty.

Like many, he drifted for a while after being honorably discharged and ended up lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons. He advanced into recreation and aquatics management. He will tell you that while it doesn’t pay much, he has enjoyed his career.

In fact, it was within this space that he could write the first draft of this novel. It gets quiet on a pool deck, allowing your mind to expand and wrap around possibilities.

Terri grew up surrounded by strong, opinionated, well-educated women. These voices influenced and informed his life. The men in Terri’s life were not silent or absent. They were also strong, opinionated, and well-educated. While growing up, Terri witnessed and participated in many spirited debates on every subject.

The central character of this story is most significantly impacted by the absence of those strong female voices. The story imagines what effect the absence of a mother’s voice and presence has on a daughter. It imagines what effect loss has when it is profound and deep. Most of all, it imagines what unconditional acceptance is when it occurs.