The task was a shock, and Joshua was not at all sure how to feel about it. For the first time, he questioned Lauren’s decision.

For one, it wasn’t her business.

For two, it might hurt his mother.

For three, it was a lot harder than any other month.

Hello, my darling!

I hope last month’s task went well and you are no longer a widower who hasn’t kissed anyone since the tragic death of his wife. (I hope it was great, for the record.)

So this month’s is on a very different note, and you might not like it, which is absolutely fine. So let’s cut right to it.

Meet your father.

You told me once that never knowing your father—which was his mistake, don’t get me wrong—has always made you feel a little disposable. And I understand that, honey. If I had met your father, the first thing I would’ve done is kick him in the nuts. Maybe you deserve that chance, to call him out (and kick him). Or just see what he looks like.

I could be wrong about this, Joshua. If you hate this idea, don’t do it. I just want you to have some kind of answer. We talked about it on our honeymoon. Do you remember?

Even if this guy is as different from you as he could possibly be, maybe—maybe—it would feel like a puzzle piece clicking in. If nothing else, it’s a distraction, a project. At best, it would give you some kind of closure.

You know I only want the best life for you, Joshua, my truest love. But this one is up to you.

I love you, sweetheart.

Lauren

He did remember that night, that conversation, and his heart gave a surge at a memory he hadn’t accessed yet, the fresh wave of love and longing, so deep he could feel it radiating out from his bone marrow, through muscle and tendon, all the way to his skin.

They had spent the day swimming and paddleboarding and goofing around at the beach in Hanalei Bay, truly one of the most beautiful places either of them had ever seen. The water was so clear, the waves big enough to be exhilarating. They swam all morning, took a nap on a blanket under the shade of the palm trees, got lunch at a little takeout shack, went back in the water, the epitome of a newly married couple—in love, young, attractive, demonstrative, laughing. Blissfully ignorant of the future.