Content Warning: This section discusses the deaths of loved ones and grief and mentions alcohol abuse.

Twenty-two-year-old Maurice Augustine writes his former math teacher, Grace Winters, a letter. He’s in his final year of college and finishing his mathematics degree. He ran into another teacher, Mr. Gupta, in town and heard about Grace’s husband Karl’s death and Grace’s move to Spain. He expresses his condolences and shares his excitement about her new life.

Maurice also shares that his mother died and that he’s been in a state of despair ever since. He wants to help his sister but is stuck in a pattern he can’t get out of. He fears that he’s made too many mistakes and is disappointing his mother. The state of the world also depresses him. He admits that he’s unsure why he’s sharing this with Grace but remembers her kindness and wants her advice.

Grace writes back to Maurice, thanking him for his email. She expresses her condolences for all he’s been through and sympathizes with him. By way of advice, she says that she’s going to tell him a story about her recent experiences in