I am a former professional investment accountant and fixed-income trader now living in the heart of the Jersey Shore, the place where my story unfolds. After spending 23 years in Florida with my husband, I returned home to New Jersey to be closer to my children, who now live in Brooklyn. Coming back to the area where I began has given me a renewed sense of connection—to family, to memory, and to the setting that has shaped so much of who I am. For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for writing using words as a way to make sense of my experience, emotion, and the passage of time. The subject of this book, along with the personal journey behind it, has been part of my life for nearly 35 years. It has lived quietly in my thoughts, in my memories, and in the questions I have carried with me. Now, at last, I am ready to bring it to the page with honesty, reflection, and purpose.