Summary

In "The Rule," January has already planned the Saturday outing, so she writes. Gus holds up a sign apologizing for being weird on the previous evening. January thinks about how Shadi's boyfriends run away when they realize they could be involved in a serious relationship and holds up a sign telling Gus that he was always weird. She writes a bit more and leaves to get rid of some of the cottage’s things. January still has the picture of Sonya and her father, and she still has not gone into the basement or the master bedroom. January goes to the beach and thinks about how alone and lonely she is. She cries and a seagull poops on her head. Gus arrives and she blames her tears on the sea gull.

January’s next romance writing lesson involves taking...