Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

each passing day
"Why Matt?" They were standing face-to-face near the open
door, him filling the doorframe and her leaning against the wall as
she studied his eyes for answers.
He cocked his head, his tone soft. "Why, what?"
"Why are you here with me? You could be dating a dozen different
women, getting on with your life." She hesitated and she
could hear her heart beating hard within her.
For a moment she thought Matt might laugh or launch into
an explanation, the kind he was expert at giving. Instead, he
moved closer and cradled her chin in his fingertips. Then he
brought his lips to hers and kissed her.
When he drew back, his eyes were glistening. "Because..." He
kissed her again, his touch gentle and sweet, but burning with a
thinly veiled desire. "Because I love you, Hannah."
The explosion of emotions within her that night was more
than she could bear. Tears spilled from her eyes and she was
speechless. She was in love with Matt Bronzan, and that meant
she was healing. Though she had never expected to love any man
other than Tom Ryan, here she was, kissing Matt and savoring the
sensation of falling once more.
Matt's expression filled with subtle alarm when he saw her
tears. He brushed them from her cheeks as his eyes clouded over.
"I'm sorry, Hannah. It's too soon. I just ...I had to tell you." He
glanced at his feet and back at her. "I'm sorry."
A sound that was more laugh than sob came from Hannah
and she wrapped her arms around his neck. When the hug ended,
she found his lips again and kissed him the way she'd wanted to
for months.
The days after that were a blissful bouquet of moments that
146
',ere almost impossible to believe. By the end of the week, jenny
'aught on to what was happening between them. One night she
was on her way out with friends when she winked at Hannah.
"Tell your boyfriend hi for me."
Alarm sliced through Hannah's happy heart and she held her
breath. "Boyfriend?"
"Yes, boyfriend." Jenny laughed and Hannah's body went limp with relief. "I kept wondering what was
taking you guys so long.
I figured this would happen months ago."
After that Matt and Hannah were inseparable, and on Easter Sunday he took her and jenny to brunch and
asked jenny's permission to marry Hannah. Jenny was so thrilled she clapped her
hands like a little girl. "Yes! We're going to be a family"
As the summer wedding date drew near, there were many conversations between Hannah and Jenny and
Matt, acknowledgments that Matt could never replace Tom, but that what they shared would be every bit
as rich. Maybe richer, since great love was often born of great loss.
Though she would never forget Tom and the love they shared and the family they raised, Matt was her