1.) They have decided to change the rules.  Florence initially convinces her parents to let her go to Germany to visit her brother who is stationed there.  Her brother cooperates in the conspiracy by purchasing a plane ticket for her to travel to Egypt and meet Shareef.  She even lies to her brother when conspiring with him so that he willingly buys the tickets.  She explains that she just needs to meet him and that she'll return in a week.  Immediately after she arrives they begin to plan their courthouse marriage.  During this week, they sort out all the issue that could not be discussed in letters or over the phone.  

[Pros]  It starts the story off with an excellent running start.  But the pace could easily slow down with the opposite effect, when describing the week that they spend with each other (in an effort to flashback to all the other moments of their lives).  However, the narrative must emphasize the most tense moments they might have together and that they may have had in the past twelve years before meeting.

2.)  Could it be narrated from the perspective of the FBI investigator who has to travel to Germany and interview her brother?  She would have had to participate in a crime, witness to one or even be the victim of one.  He might even travel to Egypt in hopes of tracking her down.

     a.)  Perhaps it's not an investigator, but her brother who has to come from Germany to find her in Egypt.  He eventually finds her, but it is too late.  She is married to Shareef and decides to spend her life in Egypt.

3.)  The story could also begin from the moment she receives her first response from him.  She does not tell her parents anything, but keeps her best friend in on their correspondence.  The reader may only know that she's secretly planning on traveling to Egypt to meet him and then return to the U.S.  

4.)  Perhaps the story is narrated by Florence's son.  One who attempts to only meet people face to face in hopes of meeting his soul mate in the exact opposite manner than that of his parents.  It could be set in the late nineties when many Web companies started the dotCom boom.  He begins to despise his existence because (as he sees it) life just isn't going his way.  Life isn't going his way because of his absurd social and communication practices.  He will not talk on the phone, correspond over email, text, send memos or even letters for that matter.  He feels that he is somewhat of an anomaly and cannot seem to meet someone who is just like himself.  [This could be an interesting second-story because it delves into the byproduct of the marriage and family that Florence and Shareef produce.]