NATALIA
I could not believe my ears. How had he gotten to China? What was he even doing there?
I pushed the blanket off me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My father tried to stop me, but I shook my head.
“I have to go after him,” I said. My voice was weak, but my mind was made up. “Dad, please. Drive me to the airport. I have to stop him.”
My father looked at me for a long moment. He saw the tears on my face and the desperation in my eyes. He did not argue. He helped me stand up slowly, careful with my injured arm. A nurse came in and tried to stop us, but my father spoke to her firmly. He signed some papers quickly. Then he wrapped a warm coat around my shoulders and helped me walk out of the room.
Every step hurt. My arm throbbed. My legs felt shaky. But I kept moving. I
