by Rachel Hulin
Hey Harry,
Oh my god! Oh shit, Harry. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe there’s no baby! I really wanted that baby, Harry. I thought it would make us a family again. It was a fucking boy! I can’t believe I was wrong.
.
Matilda,
You know what—I don’t think I wanted that baby.
.
Harry,
What! But I thought you wanted to be a dad?
.
Matilda,
I do. Matilda, I should let you know that I contacted your dermatologist (I know all your passwords, naturally) and properly ended it for you. I told him you don’t love him. He wasn’t surprised. Said he hasn’t heard from you in some time. He wishes you well.
.
Hey Harry,
What the fuck? Have you lost your mind, Harry? He was my ONLY OPTION!
You have to fix this!
.
Matilda,
Gary is not your only option. He’s a fucking terrible option, actually.
I also called the chair of my department and handed in my notice.
.
Harrison Goodman,
ARE YOU ON DRUGS????!!!!
.
Matilda,
Stop and listen to me, for once.
Pack a bag. I’m coming to get you.
Acknowledgments
So many people have helped Harry and Matilda come into being. I am deeply indebted to readers and supporters Judy Stein, David Hirschman, Sara Goldsmith, Kara Canal, Jane Spencer, Lindsay Foehrenbach, Joslyn Hansen, Kate Stonebraker, Becky Dorf, Hannah Garrison, Sarah Hirschman, Catherine Choudhry, Manjari Sharma, Jackie Delamatre, Carrie Bancroft, Theresa Ganz, Jen Snow, Derek Delahunt, Jennifer Salcido, Manya Rubenstein, Clay Rockefeller, Emily Steffian, Charles Hulin, the Hirschman Family, Ken Dardick, Terence Keegan, Flannery Patton, Lauren Cerand, Brian Clamp, Maggie Riggs, Nathan Deuel, Joe Caliguire, Yvette Koch, Stephen Pierson, Emma Dries, and Tara Kole.
Special thanks Cody Curran for her continued magic and inspiration, to Nadia Sawicki for lending me words for Harry, and to Ari Lubet for his extreme goodness.
Much appreciation to Rebecca Friedman for championing Harry and Matilda from their humble beginnings, and to the inspired Jenny Jackson for believing in them and making them better.
Deepest thanks to my family.
A Note About the Author
Rachel Hulin is a writer and photographer. Her writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Nerve, Radar, The Huffington Post, and The Daily Beast. Her photography book, Flying Henry, was published in 2013. Hulin has a BA from Brown University and an MA from NYU. She lives with her husband and two children in Providence, Rhode Island.
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