“How odd life was,” she thought “that if she hadn’t met the underpant salesman from Pompeii, Dan would not be missing and she would never have read Jeremy’s final words.” She’d made that promise to herself when Jeremy had handed her the letter – that it would go with her to her grave unopened. At the time he gave it to her, she believed that just to open it would tear her apart. And yet here she was having read it, and feeling more peaceful within than she could have ever imagined. Jeremy’s words hadn’t filled her with anger they had given her strength and courage. He’d known her better than she had known herself. “He was right,” Issy thought “she needed to be true to what she believed, and in this moment it was to say what needed to be said to try and get Dan back.” With the sun rising quickly, Issy stood up and went to the bathroom. Standing under the old shower attachment, the tepid water slowly washed away layer after layer of dried cold sweat and tears from the night before.
