But first, the jump!
Do you hear that? I jumped out of a plane!
If I had ever considered chickening out, I couldn’t have knowing the amount I was raising – six figures for Everlasting Acts! Our charity is so much more than we ever imagined it would be, with a committee and offices and so many people we’ve been able to help. Leanne and Tim are in charge of it now. They do it in your name and with your level of gusto, you’d be pleased to hear. It’s been an amazing thing to witness.
Mum and I have moved. She’s been stable for the last few years and we decided it was time I got to have a house, but we’re too used to each other’s company. She insisted on having a granny annex to remain in keeping with her granny status.
You would not believe how lucky we got. Juliet is the sweetest child we could have hoped for. She has soft brown curls and the greenest eyes, just like her father. She is eighteen months old and tottering about causing chaos. She has absolutely no fear and she hums when she’s happy. This especially makes me smile at breakfast time when I’m not quite awake… Her contented delight when munching on honey on toast is enough to brighten the darkest day. Some days I so wish you could meet her, but then when I see her, I see you. She brings you back a hundred times over.
And there are other things I have back in my life, be it in different ways. I have a new tattooed nipple! It’s kind of awesome. It looks 3D but never gives me any bother when it’s cold.
Rudi is all set to do his skydive in six months. His sponsorship rockets every day and he is so proud to be able to do it.
You see… so many things to tell you.
So much to say.
But mostly I want to say thank you. The dream that filled your thoughts was the one that made us appreciate every hour while we had them. It has gone on to fulfil so many other people’s dreams.
I wish for a day when I can dream of you on repeat.
Until then…
I will listen to the wind when it blows and watch as the earth moves.
I will join in with Juliet when she belly-laughs. I might even start humming at breakfast time.
I will cook the food that we love and eat out in the sunshine. Even in the winter sun.
I will study tiny creatures under rocks and ensure our daughter doesn’t eat too many of them.
I will love.
I will laugh.
And above all, I will live. Every day. An hour at a time.
If 99 Days With You had you reaching for the tissues and vowing to live every moment like it’s your last, you can sign up here to be the first to know when the next heartwrenching and uplifting book from Catherine Miller is out.
A Letter from Catherine
Dear Reader,
It is such a privilege to know that the words I’ve written have been read. I want to say a huge thank you for choosing 99 Days With You. It has come from a special place in my heart and I hope it will find a special place in yours. If you did enjoy it and want to keep up to date with all my latest releases, please sign up here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I hope you loved 99 Days With You, and if you did I would be very grateful if you could write a review. Every one of them is appreciated. I’d love to hear what you think and it makes such a difference in helping new readers to discover my books for the first time.
I love hearing from my readers – you can get in touch on my Facebook page or through Twitter..
Lastly, please take the sentiment of this story and go and do something with that hour… Book the tattoo. Feed the ducks. Do the thing that makes you happy.
Go live your life with no regrets, and say I sent you.
Love, Happiness and Thanks,
Catherine x
Acknowledgements
This is the first book I’ve written that I can state has taken several years rather than several months. The story of Nathan and Emma may have never evolved beyond an idea if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of my agent, Hattie Grunewald. This is the story she took me on with, and which I promised to write for her, but it wouldn’t be as complete as it is without her input.
I owe a massive thanks to Christina Demosthenous and the Bookouture family for falling in love with the story as well and bringing it to the next level, ready for readers to enjoy. A special thanks also goes to Kim Nash for being a stalwart supporter.
For the research elements of this story I have to give particular thanks to Alison Keen, Head of Cancer Nursing at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. I also need to thank friends who shared their treatment experiences: Tracie Gledhill (The Girl With The Boobs blog) and Di Dilly. Without their input, this story wouldn’t be as human as it is. Any adjustments made to suit the storyline are down to me as the author. I’d also like to thank YouTube for the many skydiving clips I’ve watched. I have to confess I am like Emma and have been keeping my feet very firmly on the ground!
I’m incredibly blessed to have such amazing family surrounding me, and this section wouldn’t be complete without giving thanks to them. Firstly my gorgeous daughters, Eden and Amber. You both make me incredibly proud and are my reasons to write. A huge thanks to my mum and nan for moving 150 miles to come and live on the same street as me to make my life easier. And because life and stories do move on, I’ve had the privilege of welcoming Ben into our lives and we all smile more because of it. Thank you to all the Thomson clan for embracing us too. I wish for everyone to be as lucky in life and to get this kind of happy ending.
A big thank you to all my friends who are good enough to know that my head is in the clouds more than fifty per cent of the time and that without their friendship skills I wouldn’t be anywhere near as rounded.
Lastly, a massive thank you to all the readers and book bloggers who have supported me during my career. I can only count it as such because of your ongoing support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Published by Bookouture in 2019
An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
www.bookouture.com
Copyright © Catherine Miller, 2019
Catherine Miller has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-78681-888-1
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
99 Days With You Page 22