CHAPTER 14
Another week passed before I felt strong enough to meet Meili in person. She was visiting friends nearby for the weekend, and she agreed to detour to Charlotte so we could talk and sign the papers.
Papá drove me into the city to meet her at a popular restaurant. The suburbs were too small. I couldn’t draw a breath without running into six people from high school. Since arriving in town, I hadn’t ventured beyond the sanctuary of the backyard. As far as I was aware, none of the neighbors even knew Papá had a guest.
After I arrived, I paced the foyer, peeking out the windows from beneath a pink sparkly wig and over the top of giant sunglasses.
“You’re trying too hard to hide,” a voice behind me said. “‘In places like this, a disguise makes you stand out. People will scrutinize
