Halfway to Forever by Karen Kingsbury Page A

held her breath. “Grace’s mother was sentenced to fifteen years. The judge ordered termination of her parental rights to begin as soon as possible.”
    The tears were instant and Hannah smothered a cry with her hand. She glanced at Matt and Jenny and nodded. “So … so you can bring her here now?”
    “Yes.” The woman’s answer was quick, confident. “Grace is waiting. I’ll have her home in time for lunch.”
    Hannah hung up the phone and hugged Matt and Jenny as tight as she could. “She’s ours!” Tears spilled onto her cheeks as she shouted for joy. “Grace is coming home!”
    They made lunch together, guessing what type of personality their little girl would have. Would she be shy or silly, withdrawn or affectionate? And what would she look like? Most of all they talked about how right they felt about taking her in.
    Fifteen minutes later Mrs. Parsons pulled into the drive. With Matt and Jenny at her side, Hannah saw the little girl for the first time—and her breath caught in her throat.
    “Dear God …” She stared at Grace, at the child’s creamy complexion and the mass of dark blonde curls that framed her face. “I don’t believe it.”
    “Mom … do you see what I see?” Jenny’s eyes were wide.
    Matt’s face was blank as he looked from Hannah to Jenny and back. “What’s wrong?” He stared at the child. “She looks like an angel. So?”
    Hannah shook her head, her throat dry. “No … she looks like.” She was too shocked to speak, too caught up in the vision of the child before her. Almost as though she were seeing a ghost.
    “She looks—” Jenny took her mother’s hand and finished the explanation for Matt—“She looks exactly like Alicia.”
    Mrs. Parsons and Grace were at the door, and Matt opened it, his eyes dancing. He smiled big. “Hi.”
    The social worker grinned in return. “We’ve come to bring Grace home.”
    Hannah stood two feet behind him, mesmerized by the child. Up close it was clear that though the resemblance to Alicia was uncanny, this little girl was more serious, older than her years. She would be her own person, not a replica of a daughter that was no longer with them.
    But that was as it should be.
    “Come in.” Matt motioned to Mrs. Parsons, stooped down, and placed his hands on his thighs. “Hi there, Grace.”
    The child leaned into Mrs. Parsons and buried half her face. She barely lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers at Matt, looking at him with one wide eye. Then the part of her mouth that could be seen curved into a shy smile.
    Grace and Mrs. Parsons stepped into the house, and Grace raised her eyes up at Hannah. “Hi.”
    Hannah’s heart sang within her and she knelt near Grace. “Hi, honey.” She ran her fingers over the child’s feather-soft curls. “We’re glad you’re home.”
    Grace nodded and looked at something near her feet.
    A flock of questions invaded. Did she like them? Would she always be this shy? Hannah struggled to force them from her mind. It was too soon to make judgments about Grace’s personality. Of course she was shy! She’d never met them, and now she was being told this was her home, her family.
    But even in those early minutes, after being brought to yet another family, Grace’s quietness faded when she met Jenny.
    Hannah watched her teenage daughter kneel before the little girl.
    “Hi, Grace. I’m your sister.” There was a mist of tears in Jenny’seyes as she took the child’s hand. “My name’s Jenny.”
    Grace blinked and let go of Mrs. Parsons. She came to Jenny and leaned into her arms. Then she said the one thing that convinced Hannah beyond a doubt that Grace was destined to be their daughter. More convincing than Mrs. Parsons’ phone call a few weeks ago. Even more convincing than the way Grace looked so much like Alicia.
    With eyes hungry for love, Grace smiled at Jenny and said, “I always wanted a big sister.”
    Edna Parsons spent nearly an hour at the Bronzans, taken by the