They’re not you.
That’s what their declaration-of-independence rants were all about, when you used to fight, and why they kept telling us they want to do it their way.
Well, now, I get to do it my way.
I get to eat what I want when I want, and for me, that can mean cereal for dinner, or just broccoli. Sometimes if I have a big lunch, I have dessert for dinner. I scarf down my favorite ice cream, and there’s always enough because nobody eats it but me.
And you know what?
It’s fun!
I can stay up late if there’s something I want to watch on TV, or I want to finish reading the next chapter in a book. I can work around the clock for three days, then sleep late on the fourth. I can walk the dogs or not, I can go to the movies or not, I can do anything I damn well please.
It’s called freedom.
And I earned every minute of it.
And that’s the best feeling in the world.
To me, that’s our long-delayed reward for decades of hands-on parenting. And for the tape running through the backs of our minds, in mommy lobe, for the rest of our lives.
Whether your nest is full or just has more closet space, I hope you enjoyed this book.
Because it’s really about being a woman at the wheel.
We’re always moving ahead.
Enjoy the trip.
Also by Lisa Scottoline
Think Twice
Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog
Look Again
Lady Killer
Daddy’s Girl
Dirty Blonde
Devil’s Corner
Killer Smile
Dead Ringer
Courting Trouble
The Vendetta Defense
Moment of Truth
Mistaken Identity
Rough Justice
Legal Tender
Running from the Law
Final Appeal
Everywhere That Mary Went
Acknowledgments
This entire book is an acknowledgment of the gratitude and love that Francesca and I feel for our family, our friends, and each other, but if there are any words worth repeating, they’re Thanks and Love.
So here goes.
Thanks and love to the great people at The Philadelphia Inquirer. This book was inspired by our “Chick Wit” column, and we’re proud that we appear in their newsprint every Sunday. Special thanks to editor Sandy Clark, as well as publisher Brian Tierney, Bill Marimow, Ed Mahlman, and Hilary Vadner.
Big thanks and love to Jennifer Enderlin, our terrific editor at St. Martin’s Press, as well as to the brilliant and fun team led by the fearless John Sargent, as well as Sally Richardson, Matt Baldacci, Matthew Shear, Jeff Capshew, Alison Lazarus, Michael Storrings, John Murphy, John Karle, Monica Katz, and Sara Goodman. We appreciate so much your enthusiasm for this book and its predecessor, and we thank you for your hard work, energy, and good humor.
Thanks so much and love to Mary Beth Roche, Laura Wilson, and the other great folks at St. Martin’s audiobook division. It was so much fun to record both audiobooks, and we even won an Audiofile Award! These people make even a Philadelphia accent sound good.
Many thanks and much love to our amazing agents, Molly Friedrich, Paul Cirone, and Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency. They were all early believers in these books and in us, and they’re the smartest, funniest, and most loyal bunch you’ll ever meet. God bless them for their great good hearts.
One of the biggest hearts in creation belongs to Laura Leonard, who shepherds every manuscript through publication and shepherds us through life. We don’t breathe without consulting Laura, and her friendship sustains us every day. We love you, Laura! And we love Franca Palumbo, who is simply an angel with a slammin’ body.
Brother Frank, Francesca, Mother Mary, and Lisa. Welcome to the family.
Of course, family is the heart of this book, because family is the heart of everything. Francesca and I have always valued our bond and felt grateful for Mother Mary’s continued health and Brother Frank’s continued hijinks. We still miss the late Frank Scottoline, but he is with us always. Writing this book has given us a unique opportunity to laugh at ourselves and to cherish the gift of having three generations of women who truly are best friends.
We suspect we aren’t alone in our great good fortune.
Finally, we want to acknowledge our readers. We knew we were lucky before we wrote this book, but by sharing our stories, and by meeting the mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and sons who have connected to something we’ve written here, we have been able to feel it. And for that, we extend our sincerest thanks and love to each of you.
Because you’re family now, too.
MY NEST ISN’T EMPTY, IT JUST HAS MORE CLOSET SPACE. Copyright © 2010 by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella.
All rights reserved.
For information, Address Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella, St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
eISBN: 978-1-4299-4181-5
Lisa Scottoline, My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space
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