Josh resumes regular work but struggles to concentrate, thinking that the preceding months might have been a “bad, excruciatingly detailed dream” (177). Josh rages over lost car keys, a dead car battery, and a torn shirt. He feels ashamed of the anger, which he knows indicates the stage of grief he’s experiencing. He likens his grief to a black hole or a snake devouring a mouse. Radley relieves his pain, and Pebbles also helps. Chiron Medical Enterprises, a Singapore-based company that bought one of his designs, contacts him about a project, and then Josh has a flashback to Lauren asking about his tunnel-vision focus when working. 

Sarah drops off the fifth letter, which he reads with frustration at its bossy tone and brevity. Lauren instructs Josh to get rid of the couch and bed (i.e., places where they had sex) so that he won’t think of her when he looks at them. Josh feels upset at the request and wonders if the letters may not be helping him.

Jen, Sarah, and Donna sort through Lauren’s clothes and belongings. They recall memories as they select clothing to keep. Josh takes Octavia for her nap, and she tells him, “yuvoo” (185).