“I put a bit of myself in every character I create: Anastasia’s anxiety, Nate’s self-sacrifice, Aurora’s need to be wanted, Halle’s loneliness, and the internal scars Russ has because of his father’s gambling addiction. I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about people understanding Henry for the parts of him—parts of me—that shut down or need to be alone. The part of me that exhausts herself mirroring those around her and soaking up their characteristics like a sponge. The part of me that tries so hard and still gets things so, so wrong.”