After

by Amy Efaw

  Also, like a pregnant woman, a writer needs tons of support. After would never have entered the world had the following people not been there for me. I owe you all huge thank-yous! To Jo Anne Martin for letting me be a fly on the wall of your classroom in Remann Hall—if only every kid could have a teacher with as big a heart as yours. To Detention Manager Gerald Murphy and Remann Hall Administrator Daniel Erker for giving me access to the girls. To Dr. Phillip Resnick, forensic psychiatrist and pioneer in the field of neonaticide, for taking the time to provide me with feedback on an early draft of my book. To Brad Poole for allowing me to pick away at your brain about Washington State juvenile defense, and to Robert C. Gottlieb for your legal expertise with cases like Devon’s. To Todd Kelley for showing me around Tacoma General, and to Laird Pisto for providing answers to my legal questions relating to hospital procedure. To Dr. Rohit Katial for all the time you spent thoroughly answering my many questions, and to the rest of my medical experts—Dr. Nicki Bacon, Dr. Barbara Echo, and Nan Gilette—for your willingness to impart your knowledge. To Susan Pollock for helping me to understand how Child Protective Services handles abandoned baby cases, and to Yael Ben-Ari for providing a social worker’s perspective. To Virginia Pfalzer and Joan Dedman of Safe Place for Newborns of Washington for making me smart on “safe haven” legislation. To Mark Dougherty for checking that my “soccer mom” descriptions of “the beautiful game” made sense. To Alix Reid for believing in Devon’s story from the very beginning and focusing her voice. To my fab “Wild Folk” critique group for all the insightful constructive criticism and “inciteful” debate. To my agent, Amy Berkower, for firmly believing in this book and finding it the perfect home at Viking. To Regina Hayes for firmly believing in this book and offering it the perfect home at Viking. To my wonderful editor, Joy Peskin, for your incredible enthusiasm and polishing rag in the form of a pen—your seemingly innocuous suggestions prompted me to work harder and stay up later than I ever thought I would. Fingers crossed, we will do it again! To Sara Gustafson, Vivian Gembara, and my little sis, Bonnie Etnyre, for reading early drafts and suggesting great improvements. To Connie K. Walle for granting me permission to use the poems that were once sandblasted into concrete on the Promenade at Point Defiance but have since washed away—at least they are commemorated here! To my mom, Elizabeth Moudry, for being a total “mom,” nagging me nonstop to finish this book. To my long-suffering kids—Alix, Anastasia, Ari, Andrew, and Kat—for putting up with all those cold cereal and tuna melt/tomato soup dinners, that cluttered kitchen table, and often all-over-the-map ADD mom. This seven-year project was always present and demanding of my time and attention, almost like another sibling. To God through Whom all inspiration is given. And, of course, to Andy—words are inadequate to express my gratitude.