Sometime years before, I had dragged an old bean bag chair to that place. I watched Zach sink onto it, and then he pulled me down to lean against him. I felt his arms go around me, holding me tight. I was safe. I was warm. I was home.

For all the days of our lives," we finished and I felt a little like a character in one of my grandma's soap operas.

Where's the fun in that?

"We're going to be okay." Here's the thing about being a spy: sometimes all you have are your lies. They protect your cover and keep your secrets, and right then I needed to believe that it was true even when all the facts said otherwise.

It's every little girl's dream," she said. "Interpol surveillance. And kittens.

But the downside of being con artist is that it very hard to con. Even if the lies you tell are to yourself.

The whole summer lay ahead of us-time to rest, time to wait. And when the future comes-no matter what comes with it-I'll be smarter. I'll be stronger. I'll be ready.