In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss

One morning, Bloom and Brian get in an argument about birdseed. Bloom feels guilty for picking on Brian but can’t control her temper. When Brian fights back, Bloom stops feeling ashamed.

Another day, Bloom and Brian visit Brian’s meditation instructor, Donna. They’ve been seeing her for meetings resembling couples therapy. During the session, Bloom realizes that the way she and Brian currently are in their marriage won’t change.

During another meeting with Donna in 2019, Brian tells Donna he wants to take a vacation before he dies. Bloom hates the idea but tries to humor Brian. She researches possible trips and destinations and asks her therapist Wayne for advice. She secretly feels that she has failed Brian and notes the ways his doctors have failed him too. For example, one doctor prescribed B-12 to remedy Brian’s condition.

Brian develops a habit of picking up his grandchildren from school or summer camp. One day when Brian goes to collect them from camp, he can’t find the girls. Bloom and her daughter try calling Brian, but he doesn’t answer. Although Brian eventually locates the girls and returns home, Bloom worries that her granddaughters will remember and internalize the situation.