Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

"This isn't the time." Tanner exhaled hard. "We'll talk later. I love you, jade."
"Okay" Jade pulled the phone from the side of her face and ended the call. Okay? Jade had always been
quick to confirm Tanner's declarations of love with one of her own. But this time the words simply
wouldn't come.
Ty finished his story and brushed Cathe crumbs from his ll had upset jade, he didn't
If he noticed the fact that the phone
say. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and darted toward the door. "Gotta get dressed. Helen's taking
me to the game." He paused before going inside. "I'll hit a home run for you, Mom. That'll make you feel
better."
She gave him a thumbs-up, touched by his tender heart. "Can't wait to hear about it."
Jade stayed outside, staring at the hills behind their house. If she focused hard on onehg ormal~She stayed
that way for clou-her
trunk or a sense of balance seemed almost
long while, refusing to think of anything but the beauty around
her. Eventually she heard the front door open and minutes later
the sound of the car pulling away.
Certain that she was alone, jade let her mind drift back to the conversation with Tanner. It was wrong for
him to spend so much time at work. Couldn't he see how badly she wanted him home? Did he think a nurse
could replace having him at her side?
181 II~I~
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K A R E N K I N G S B U R Y
Betrayal and anger rocked her soul. There were no answers, at least none she cared to think about. Jade
pushed her plate back and stared at her wedding ring. An ocean of tears spilled from her heart and down
her face.
She missed Tanner so much she could barely stand it.
What if she died? Tonight even? Was this how she and Tanner would spend their last days, distant and
frustrated and rarely together?
"God..." Sobs tore at her, and the sound carried on the
breeze. "I'm so scared and alone. I need him. Why doesn't he want
to be home? What have I done to push him away?"
Since her diagnosis, life had become a nightmare of secondguessing
and doubts.
Sweet Hannah, her dependable friend, had begged Jade not to
blame herself for what was happening, but it was impossible not
to. If only she hadn't called Tanner three years ago when she
needed legal help. If only she'd been a quiet wife for Jim, maybe
he never would have left her.
Maybe then she wouldn't be sick.
Jade leaned her head back and lowered her eyebrows. What
was she thinking? God wasn't using her cancer to punish her for
what happened with Jim. Besides, Jim had tried to take Ty away
from her! She'd had no choice but to call Tanner. Ty was his son,
after all. And Jim would still have divorced her whether she'd
called Tanner or not.