Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

Hannah's eyes filled, blurring the image of Grace. "No, honey.
Stories aren't real. The thing I have to tell you now is real."
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"Okay, what?" Grace's fingers gripped the satin edge of her will make the transition easier for Grace. She
managed to grab a
lanket on either side of her chin. "Tell me."
A light-headed feeling came over Hannah and she begged
God for strength. And the right words, God... please. Something that
mouthful of air, and decided to start with the good news.
"Grace, they found your grandma. She isn't dead; she's alive." Grace scrunched up her face. "Mommy said
she was dead." Hannah cast a desperate glance at Matt and then turned her
attention back to Grace. "Your mommy was wrong. Your grandma
is alive and she's coming to see you tomorrow."
Grace sat straight up and stared at Hannah. "My grandma's coming tomorrow?"
"Yes." Hannah took hold of Grace's hand. "In the morning." "From Oklahoma?"
Hannah had nodded, and her throat grew thick again. Grace was very bright for a four-year-old. She
seemed to know more, retain more information than most children. Then again, Grace hadn't ever had a
childhood.
At least not until she lived with them.
Hannah steadied herself. "There's something else." She paused. "Your grandma wants you to go back to
Oklahoma. She wants you to live with her."
Grace's blonde eyebrows settled lower on her face. "You mean for a bacation?"
"No, honey..." Behind her, Hannah could hear the sound of Jenny stifling her tears, and Matt came
alongside her, slipping his arm over her shoulder. She focused on Grace once more. "I mean forever. Your
grandma wants you to be her little girl."
Tears flooded Grace's eyes. "In Oklahoma?"
"Yes, baby. You'll be moving to Oklahoma with her tomorrow." 165 all
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"But..." The tears spilled onto her velvet-soft cheeks. "But will you come with me?"
The child's words sliced Hannah's heart to ribbons. She had
thought nothing could be more painful than Mrs. Parsons's call
earlier that day. She was wrong.
Will you come with me...?
Hannah bit her lower lip and found the strength to speak.
"We can't, honey. Our house is here. Your house will be in
Oklahoma." Hannah imagined how her answer must have
sounded to Grace and she cringed. "Your grandma wants you all
to herself." Tears were tumbling down Grace's cheeks, and
Hannah cocked her head, desperate to ease the child's sadness.
"You love your grandma, right?"
"Yes." Grace's chin quivered, and two soft sobs came from her
throat. "But you're my mommy and daddy and jenny" She looked
around. "This is my room. And if my room is here then this is
where I live. I wanna stay, Mommy Please... "