Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

He was too terrified to voice his concerns. "I can't imagine."
"It's like..." Tanner lifted his hands and let them drop. "It's like I lose her a little more each day" He
planted his elbows on his desk and hung his head, his shoulders trembling. There was an ocean of sadness
in his voice. "I'm so scared."
There was nothing left for Matto say. He stood and circled the desk, stopping behind Tanner and placing a
hand on his shoulder. "Let Hannah and me come over tonight and pray with you. Please."
Tanner wiped the back of his hand beneath his eyes. "I'm not sure jade would be up to it."
Matt's heart sank. "Then let us bring you dinner. If she's feeling good enough, we'll stay for a while."
Tanner lifted his head and looked about to protest when
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Matt's secretary poked her head in. "Matt, line two. It's Hannah." Normally Matt would have taken the call
there, in Tanner's
office, but something told him Tanner needed to be alone. He followed the woman, glancing back at his
friend. "Be right back.' Matt's office was next door. He dropped to the chair behind
his desk, picked up the receiver and punched the flashing button. "Hannah?"
Her breathing was rough, and Matt heard the muffled sound
of sniffling. "Hi. Sorry to call you at work."
There was no question about it. She was crying. A surge of
adrenaline coursed through Matt's veins. "Honey what's wrong?
You sound temble."
"Mrs. Parsons called." Hannah struggled with each word.
"Grace's grandmother is alive. The judge is ordering that Grace
live with her."
The words hit him like so many bricks. "What?" Matt's reply
came out as more of a gasp, as he hunched over his knees and dug
his elbows into his thighs. "That's impossible."
Hannah sniffed again. "It's true." She hesitated. "Grace leaves
tomorrow."
Not Grace:! Matt screamed the thought silently, the pain so
deep, so great, it was impossible to voice. There didn't seem to be
enough oxygen in the room, no way to take a deep breath. Every
thought in Matt's head spun wildly out of control. "They can't do
that."
"Well, they are." A small sob made its way across the phone
lines. "Come home, Matt. Please."
"Okay." He didn't recognize his own voice. "I'm on my way"
He hung up the phone and stared at his hands, willing himself
to deny the fact that Hannah had called, or that the social
worker had delivered the news. Wanting to disbelieve all of it.
How could their social worker have missed the fact that Grace had
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ndmother? And why weren't they told of the judge's decision
ner? Matt clenched his fists. If only he'd had an hour before the ge. Surely he could have convinced the
man that Grace was
ter off in a family, with a mother and father and sister who ed her. Matt would have argued that the