The Light We Lost discussion

In a letter to Gabe's son, Lucy writes "...whatever our lives look like when you read this, whoever you grew up calling 'Dad' - I need you to know..."
That statement doesn't give me much confidence in the marriage of Lucy and Darren, especially given the fact that Darren bought the Hamptons house without consulting Lucy. Will there be a follow-up or are we left to our own conclusion?

There is a point towards the middle of the book or late beginning where she mentions Darren, prior to her formally introducing him and their entire relationship. It was at that point where I got a feeling that their marriage wasn't a sturdy as one would hope. Fast forward to the ending of the book. Lucy ends up pregnant by a man Darren felt threatened over his whole entire marriage. Even though he wanted more of a housewife who didn't participate in financial and big decisions he did love Lucy. This sort of betrayal is too much for anyone to handle. If I was Darren I would be throwing up the deuces and finding me a new life partner. Honestly, I am not team Lucy, yes she was the main character telling her side of the story but because her and Gabe kept playing cat and mouse for decades, she ended up hurting someone who loved her. She's no hero.If she wasn't trying to be in that type of relationship then don't get married, have kids. She treated Darren as a place holder the entire time and it helped no one. If I was writing the second half, they break up, maybe they try and repair after a while but it makes no sense unless, he really never found out, to keep up the sham marriage.

Do all protagonists have to be likeable though? Lucy may not have been a hero, but she had the courage to follow her heart. And that made for a good story, even though it wasn't very logical and had some REALLY BAD consequences. But that's life! Protagonists should be human too.

Great book! Darren has a ton of patience for Lucy. I don't know a ton of men that would allow a wife to refuse to let an ex go completely.

Darren is a manipulator and not that great of a guy. Doesn’t make the cheating right but he isn’t the hero so many make him out to be. As for her comment before she meets his fam... she is telling this story to Gabe in the hospital. Knowing what she knows. There is no way that her recollection of the past is influenced by the knowledge of everything that has happened. My guess is she is placing more value on things in the present than they really deserved. I don’t see any of them as a hero. I feel like that is what makes the book as relatable as it is. People are imperfect and broken and we make bad choices and do things that hurt the ones we love and even ourselves. If I had to guess what happens next... she never tells him. At least not until after the kids are grown. But probably not even then. What purpose does it serve to tell Darren now?

uky wrote: "What purpose does it serve to tell Darren now?"

I appreciate your opinion. I have a different one. What purpose does it serve to tell your husband that his youngest son is not his?

I guess it serves no purpose if you're content to live as a selfish coward. And guilt has a way ruining your life. Not a fan of Lucy. She's too selfish and too much of coward to tell her husband the truth and let him decide if he wants to stay married to her.

My wished-for epilogue... Darren finds out the result of the paternity test and divorces her cheating ass.

Alyssa wrote: "What purpose does it serve to tell Darren now?"

I have a different outlook and take on "What purpose does it serve to tell Darren now?" If I were personally Darren and I didn't know my youngest son wasn't actually mine I would be a lot more broken and hurt that I didn't know until after 18 years of him growing up, than I would be in the beginning. I would love my son just the same, but I would very very frustrated with my partner if they had never told me.

It's not about the son not having anyone who loves him, it is about my own conscious and admitting to a consequence I will have to face because I made a wrong decision that was not logical but made since to my "heart" at the time.