Settlement is the absolute correct answer for this highly interesting question.
I would assume that the author does this to show how indifferent the person in the book is, she/he doesn’t know what they are in life, this makes it relatable to readers who have had this feeling before and it shows how the character is feeling in that moment
I'd go with the first option, because if you are writing a first-person you are using the word I a lot. and that gets kind of boring.
<span>Mark expects the photo to arrive when the letter arrives.</span>
