The following week, Willow wanted to get to her counseling appointment early to see Mai and Quang-ha, so she ordered a taxi to pick her up from school. Willow reviewed the driver's, Jairo Hernandez's, paperwork before getting in, which made him nervous because he thought she might be part of an undercover investigation. Willow felt good to be taking risks like getting a cab ride by herself.

Mai was waiting outside the office trailer for her brother, and Willow excitedly greeted her in Vietnamese, which she had been practicing. Mai was impressed, and they chatted until Quang-ha's session ended. When Mai waved goodbye to Willow, Willow thought of her as a “protector,” which “was some kind of magic” (91). During her session, Willow played a boring word game with Dell and concluded that middle school was a disappointment, with the exception of her new friendship with Mai. 

Jairo's ride with Willow had shaken him, and he believed she was “a blinking warning light” for his future (95). She got out of the car saying, “Never let someone tell you that you can't do it” (94), which inspired him to drive to the community college to find out what the requirements were to become a medical technician.