Summary

Julie remembers the beginning of her relationship with Sam when he entered the bookstore for the first time. He left a folded cherry blossom on the front counter for her. He worked at a coffee shop and learned her order. He told her he liked her at a school dance. Sam picked her up once when her parents were fighting.

In the present, Julie wishes she had picked up the phone on the night Sam died. She listens to his voicemails and going through their photos. Julie’s mother is worried about her, but she also struggles with paranoia and overwork at her job as a professor. She encourages Julie to see her friends and try to get out of the house for a walk. She tries to tell Julie that she does not need to throw away all of Sam’s things...