Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

could do to stop the madness that had come upon them. "I need
to go."
Tanner drew a deep breath and crossed the room, hugging
Matt with the crook of his arm the way he might hug a close
brother. "Call me."
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"I will."
Moving in a fog of fear and uncertainty, Matt grabbed his
ings and headed for the car. There was roadwork on Malibu
Canyon and the ride home would likely take twice as long as nor~Ial. That was fine. Matt needed the time
to think.
He stared at the brake lights in front of him and then gazed up. A blue sky stretched from one mountain
range to the other,
.nd the sun overhead sent rays of light along the narrow canyon road. Warmth filled the car, numbing his
fear, and Matt shifted his attention to the wheat-colored rolling hills in the distance.
As he did, he was drawn toward the tunnels of time.
It was the pain, of course. The pain reminded him of meeting Hannah for the first time, of looking into the
eyes of a woman who had just lost her husband and child.
He remembered the first time he and Hannah met in court,
before one of the hearings. He'd never seen so haunting a face before. Hannah was equal parts devastated,
determined, and defiant. And more beautiful than any woman he'd ever seen.
With the Pacific Ocean just ahead, Matt gripped the steering wheel with both hands and remembered the
depth of despair she had carried that first year of their friendship, the year he spent prosecuting Brian
Wesley.
Everywhere she went back then, Hannah wore a pin with the photos of Tom and Alicia. As he worked the
case, Matt often relived his own grief from years before, when his best friend in college was killed by a
drunk driver. But over the months of working with Hannah, he came pain had been at losing his ing a
spouse.
Or a child.
"It's a kind of pain you Hannah had told him.
LO
realize no matter how strong his
friend, it paled in comparison to loscan't know until you feel it yourself," I55
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Ili
Memories of her voice faded as Matt reached Pacific Coast Highway. He was five minutes from home.
Was it really happening? Would he walk inside and find Hannah crying? And what about Jenny? She'd
already lost one sister, and that had just about done her in.
How would she handle losing Grace?
He remembered the night before when he sat on the edge of Grace's bed, holding her hand and reading her
a nighttime story. "Daddy?" She looked at him from a nest of soft blankets and
lacy pillows and batted her eyelashes. "Will you always read me stories?"
Matt grinned at this little one who'd so captured his heart. "Forever and ever, Gracie."
"Even when I'm big?"