“Okay. Can I call you an Uber? I’m getting one for myself.”

“I’ll walk. Take care, Cammie.”

“You too, hon. See you around.”

He started walking toward the river, then turned around. “Hey, Cammie.”

“Yeah?”

“If you want an investor for Shine, let me know.”

She folded her arms and gave him a fond smile. “You. You’re the sweetest thing ever. I just might take you up on that.”

He lifted his hand and turned around. The walk should clear his head. Two cocktails were one and a half too many, he thought. He pulled out his phone and tapped Radley’s name.

“Hello, hello!” Radley said.

“Cammie’s a working girl,” he said.

“I know. So how was it?”

“You set me up with a prostitute.”

“I thought I made that clear.”

“You did not.”

“Whoops. Um . . . are you super angry?”

“No,” he said. “She’s great. Very genuine.”

“Did you . . .”

“Kiss her? Yes. And that was it.”

“Got it. Let’s try to be more clear with each other moving forward, okay?” Radley said.

“I’m not the one who—”

“I have a date. Gotta run. Bye!”

Everyone had a date tonight, it seemed. Jen had asked him if he would babysit so she and Darius could go out (his mother had leaped at the chance when he said he was busy). Sarah had mentioned she was going on a rare second date. Radley now. Cammie, even if hers was a business transaction.

Well, he’d had a date, too. Sort of.

Cammie wasn’t his type, of course. His type was Lauren. He’d only ever been in love once. He might not ever be again.

But he’d kissed a woman tonight, and it had felt nice. He hadn’t crumpled in grief, he hadn’t yearned for more. More than anything, he was glad it was over.

Lauren had been right. Get it out of the way, keep moving forward. “Did you know she was a consensual sex worker?” he asked her out loud.

He’d bet she was laughing somewhere in the Great Beyond.

He hoped so. She’d had the best laugh in the world.

25

Lauren

Thirty-five months left

March

Daddy,

I am a smug married. I love being married. Marriage is the best thing ever, and I can’t believe how happy we are. We’ve been married for five weeks, and every day is like a dream come true.

 Our wedding—shoot, Dad, would you like to hear about our wedding? You would! Great! I know you were there in spirit, but this is my official update to you, assuming you can read in the Great Beyond.

 All signs were pointing to doom. First, I caught a cough from one of the little germ sponges at the Hope Center, because I’ve been volunteering, reading and doing art projects. Anyway, I had this cough for a month. Then I apparently lost six pounds (coughing burns a lot of calories) and had to have my dress tightened. Then there was a huge storm two days before the wedding, and it was expected to park over Rhode Island for the whole weekend and either snow or rain or both. The downside of choosing Valentine’s Day for your wedding.

 The storm blew out to sea. Thanks for that, Dad! And my cough seemed to disappear. You are one good guardian angel.

 So . . . I got to the church early for the rehearsal the night before. It was chilly, but it had that good church smell, you know? Candles and incense, furniture polish and good intentions.

 I stood there for a few minutes and thought of you, Daddy. You’ve been gone for six years now, and I can’t believe so much has happened to me without you. This especially. You would love Josh. You would’ve pretended not to like him at first, but you would love him like a son. He would’ve asked for your blessing before he proposed, and you would’ve lectured him on how special I am, then hugged him and tried not to cry.

 And at the wedding, you would’ve walked me down the aisle. You would’ve tried to smile and you would’ve patted my hand, happy tears in your eyes. You would’ve called me your little girl and told me how beautiful I looked. You would’ve shaken Josh’s hand and told him he’d better take care of me.

 So, standing there in the church, all by myself. I pretended you were there, and I pretended to link my arm through yours, and I walked down like you were next to me, and I cried my damn head off.

 How could I be getting married without you? Why couldn’t you have lived, Dad?

 You were the best father, Dad. The best.

 For a second, I thought I would be a wreck for the wedding, mopey and weepy, like Mom. But I guess I got it out of my system, and when Josh came in, he could tell I’d been crying, and he said how proud you’d be of me. He told me how he went to the cemetery and promised you that he’d take good care of me and never let me feel unloved.

 You see, Daddy? I picked a winner. I know you love him, Dad. I know you approve.

 Okay, back to the happy stuff. The day of, I was SO happy. I was just floating, Dad! I also looked gorgeous, if I do say so. Darius walked me down the aisle. (Mom passed when I asked her. Sigh.) But hey! Darius is the world’s best brother-in-law, and Jen is damn lucky, too. Sebastian was our ring bearer and the CUTENESS!

 My dress was so pretty . . . I tried to pick out something my daughter will want to wear someday, and not something that would make her scream with laughter. (We hope to have at least two daughters, like you and Mom did, Dad, because where would I be without Jen?) So it was Audrey Hepburn fabulous, as you no doubt saw. Josh wore a suit—I thought he was handsome in cargo pants, but MY GOD. I saw his face and thought, I am so lucky. He loves me. He loves me!