Page 171 - SpontaneousSuccessFINAL6

SPONTANEOUS SUCCESS
I heard Thomas's voice in my mind. His wisdom, his
guidance, and his unwavering support. I owed him too
much to ignore this moment.
"I have to make a couple of calls, but yes. Okay.”
As the limo sped off, I felt the threads of fate weaving
together, drawing me into a new adventure. The
coincidence of our meeting in Saint Thomas Church of
all places seemed more than just chance; it was a sign
that our paths were to cross again.
Over the next few hours, I cut short my last day on
tour, got Wendy’s blessing and learned that a diplomatic
passport can move mountains. Little Francesca Viera,
now the Unit Chief in the Portuguese Department of
Global Communications at the United Nations
Headquarters, could pull a lot of strings, including last-
minute business-class seats for two to Faro on TAP, the
Portuguese national airline.
Over dinner at 37,000 feet, we caught up.
Francesca was obviously happy for us to be together,
but her nervous body language and lack of eye contact
were sending mixed messages. After dinner, she ordered
a Macieira brandy for each of us. Then another. Then,
reaching into her handbag, she pulled out a small photo
album.
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