The rain in Portland was different from the rain in Seattle. It was softer, less aggressive, settling into the mossy banks of the Willamette River rather than hammering against the glass skyscrapers of home. Bella stood on the second-floor balcony of the new Chen Center, looking down at the street below. The ribbon was tied across the entrance, bright blue against the red brick. A crowd was gathering. Reporters. Donors. But mostly, kids. Kids from the neighborhood who would soon be walking through those doors for coding classes, art therapy, and tutoring.
It had been six months since she sent the manuscript to her publisher. The book was due out in the fall. The tour was starting here, in Portland, marking the opening of the second center. It felt like a culmination. The book was the stor
