CHARLOTTE

The weekend arrived faster than I’d envisioned, but for the first time, I didn’t feel anxious about meeting Thiago. If anything, I was happy to be out of the house, and the activity we had planned seemed like a great distraction from everything that had been happening. Sonia had spent most of the week in the apartment, making sure I had something to eat and that I was well-rested.

When the nurse arrived, she was impressed by how much had changed compared to the reports she’d read. My headaches were gone, and while I still felt a dull pain in my joints, I knew it would be gone soon....