The Unhoneymooners

What you lose the moment you finally open the last letter.

Either way, I’d fully intended to read the letter. I’d just been waiting for the right time, hoping the worst of my anger would settle and those last words from Dad would be comforting. Instead, a full year had passed and the dread I felt at the thought of opening the envelope grew every day. It was so unfair, that he should get the last word and I’d have no way to reply. To scream or cry or demand more answers. Once I’d opened it, there’d be no going back. That would be it. The final goodbye.

Beach Read · Emily Henry

How a doctorate turns into a side hustle you never put on the CV.

Not that there would be anything wrong: sex work is legitimate work, and people who engage in it are just as deserving of respect as ballerinas, or firefighters, or hedge fund managers. But ten months ago, when I graduated with a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Northeastern, I figured that by now I’d have a reasonably remunerated academic position. I did not imagine that at twenty-seven I’d be paying my water bill by helping adult men pretend that they have dating lives. And yet here I am, fake-girlfriending my way through my student loans.

Love, Theoretically · Ali Hazelwood

What to say to someone on the days they can’t love themselves.

You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t.

Mile High · Liz Tomforde