Exit Stage Left — Patti Larsen

Gone Girl, Gone Dad holds his ground, doesn't move. I'm about to bowl him over with my suitcase when he finally stands back, as if we've just been in some stupid standoff he's choosing to let me win. He holds the door open for me. "See you, then," he says. I hate him so much in that moment, my stomach heaves, tightens into a giant knot. The only thing saving me is the wide open door and the freedom beyond it. From Dad, from my memories. So why does it still hurt there is no hug goodbye from her daddy for Riley James? When Riley James loses the love of her life to leukemia, she doesn't know if she can go on alone. But the lure of the New York theater scene, her only other passion, draws her into the world of acting and stardom. Making friends-and an enemy bound to see her fail-Riley struggles to come to terms with loss, new love and her past under the floodlights of the stage.