He had everything he could want...but her
Even winning Country Music Artist of the Year canât help Sawyer Landry shake his guilt over leaving Rory Callahan behind. All the fame, fortune and fans heâs earned havenât relieved his regret over the way he ditched her. But all thatâs about to change. Because Sawyer has finally realized that everything is empty without Rory. And heâs returning to Findlay Roads to win her back. Hopefully.
But Sawyer has no idea how hard itâll be. Roryâs not going to welcome him with open arms. And heâs about to discover a family secret that could ruin everything...
Heâd become famous. Heâd fulfilled his dream.
But heâd also left her, after years of shared joys and tears, when it was most convenient for him. And sheâd spent the past twenty-three months trying to come to terms with the loss of himâher high school sweetheart, the guy sheâd waited for throughout army basic training and deployment, the man sheâd traveled all over the United States with as theyâd performed their music and chased their dreams.
Sawyer had been her soul mate. She was once closer to him than any other person on earth.
Until fame came calling.
âRory? Arenât you going to say anything? Welcome me home?â
Without giving it a second thought, Rory turned and grabbed a half-full glass of ice water.
âWelcome home,â she offered and then tipped the water over his head.
Dear Reader,
Think about your best memory. Focus in on that. Try to remember every little detail of that moment, how it touched you, embedded itself in your soul.
Now imagine having that memory taken from you. Not just that one, but every one that came after and each one that came before. You donât just lose your memories but the emotions and people that went with them. You lose your loved ones, then you lose yourself.
Alzheimerâs leaves you without memories, recognition, understanding, even the most basic forms of knowledge, like tying your shoe or using a phone. Early-onset Alzheimerâs is a rare form of the disease that can develop as young as oneâs thirties, effectively stealing not only past memories...but future ones.
My goal when I set out to write A Song for Rory was to find hope within such tragic situations. But that job had already been accomplished for me in the countless personal stories Iâve read about this disease. Patients and caregivers for Alzheimerâs (especially early-onset) have my utmost respect and admiration. You are all fighters, battling to keep what you should never have to lose.
Thatâs why for every purchase of A Song for Rory, Iâm dedicating a portion of sales to Alzheimerâs charities.
In A Song for Rory, I hope you find this truth: that even when memories are taken, love is not.
If you have a personal story on how Alzheimerâs has touched your life, Iâd love to hear from you. You can contact me through my website at www.cerellasechrist.com or by mail at PO Box 614, Red Lion, PA 17356.
Cerella Sechrist
CERELLA SECHRIST lives in York, Pennsylvania, with two precocious pugs, Darcy and Charlotte, named after Jane Austen characters. Inspired by her childhood love of stories, she was ten years old when she decided she wanted to become an author. These days, Cerella divides her time between working in the office of her familyâs construction business and as a barista to support her reading habit and coffee addiction. Sheâs been known to post too many pug photos on both Instagram and Pinterest. You can see for yourself by finding her online at www.cerellasechrist.com.
To my brother, Caleb Sechrist. Because youâre awesome. But you already knew that.
I donât care what I said all those years ago when I found out Mom was having a boy. It turns out having a little brother is one of the best things that ever happened to me. Thanks for making so many of my days brighter.
Acknowledgments
To my sister, Carissa Sechrist, for allowing me to âborrowâ many of her original lyrics for A Song for Rory. Youâre the true genius behind Roryâs and Sawyerâs talent. And extra-special thanks for writing âRoryâs Songâ just for this story. Your payment (i.e., pound of coffee) is in the mail.
To my editor, Laura Barth, for helping shape the Findlay Roads series thus far, and to Karen Reid for doing a wonderful job picking up where Laura left off. Iâm blessed to work with not just one but two amazing editors. This story is better because of it.
A special shout-out to all my fellow baristas and customers at the Randolph Park Starbucks in York, Pennsylvania. Especially Bruce K. Davis, who kept me on track every week by asking me if I was meeting my book deadline. That next triple-shot cappuccino is on me, Bruce.
Finally, to every family member, caregiver and Alzheimerâs patient who has had the courage to share their personal struggle with this diseaseâyou have taught me about persistence, pride, love, patience, and the power behind each and every memory. Thank you.