Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

They were all crying now, tears coursing down Hannah's,
Matt's, and jenny's faces alike. Hannah pulled Grace close and
smoothed her hand over the child's silky hair, hair that was so like
Alicia's at that age. Jenny crawled under the covers on the other
side of Grace and Matt knelt up against the bed. They formed a
group hug, each of them crying in soft whispers, desperately
hanging on to the moment.
Hannah could almost feel herself pushing against the hands of
time, begging God for more hours, days. Whatever He might give
them. As though by staying there at her side they might somehow
avoid the good-bye ahead.
But long after Grace had cried herself to sleep, time marched
on, and that morning when the doorbell rang, her two large suitcases
were packed and ready to go.
Hannah had imagined Patsy Landers to be an older version of
164
H A L F W A Y T O F 0 R E V E R
Grace's mother, hard and mean, tarnished from years of drug
abuse. The real Patsy couldn't have been more different.
Mrs. Parsons made the introductions. Jenny had taken Grace outside until the given signal, allowing the
adults to discuss the matter away from her at first.
When they were seated, Patsy turned to Hannah and spoke in a voice that trembled with emotion. "You
have no idea how sorry
I am about this." She turned to Matt. "I had no idea Grace had been placed in foster care. I'm afraid..." Her
gaze fell to her lap for
a moment. "I'm afraid my daughter told her I was dead."
The entire story spilled out, and by the time it was finished, Hannah knew that despite her limp, the
woman was obviously capable of caring for Grace. Clearly she had wanted custody of the
child long before this, but time and again had been refused by her daughter. What's more, it seemed the
woman was a believer, just as Grace had told them from the beginning. Hannah and Matt need not worry;
this woman would keep Grace grounded in her faith.
But the most obvious truth was this: Patsy Landers loved Grace with all her heart. And so there was no
doubt in Hannah's mind that the child's move to Oklahoma was not only final, it was the right thing. Maybe
not now, maybe not in the short term, while Grace was bound to miss them. But in the bigger picture.
Grace would not know the love of parents the way she would have if she'd been allowed to stay, but she
would have a woman who had known her all her life and loved her since birth. A woman who, like all of
them, had been a victim of Leslie Landers's drug addiction.
When their discussion was over, Patsy thanked Hannah and Matt and promised to pray that God would
bring another child into their lives soon. Jenny led Grace into the room after that, and now here they were.
After months of learning to love a little.girl
I6S
166 they'd never known before, months of breaking through her silence and isolation and hurt, months of
caring for her as though they'd have forever together, it was time to say goodbye.
Patsy and Edna left through the back of the house and closed the door behind them. Hannah summoned all
her strength to lift her head and kiss Grace on the forehead. "Your grandma is a very nice lady, Grace."
Jenny bit her lip, and Hannah knew she was trying to stop the
tears that flowed from the corners of her eyes. Matt was utterly