Page 55 of The Geography of Happiness

It was my turn to reach for him. “Judah once told me that there’s no one rightway you’re destined to live your life,” I recounted. “No single purpose or preordained path that if youmiss it means you fail. And I figure with all he’s been through, he should know, a little like your Gil. Everyone gets more than one chance, right?”

Spencer’s frown disappeared, replaced by a warm smile that settled somewhere in my belly. “I agree. I think I might like this Judah, once I get over the fact you crushed on him.”

I ignored the latter part of his comment but that didn’t stop a wee smile breaking over my lips. “Yeah, well, don’t go getting ahead of yourself. Believe me when I say the man can be an acquired taste and a total arsehole at times.”

Spencer laughed. “But Hannah loves him, right?”

I grinned. “She does. Every year Judah starts his dance classes with the same speech, and I’m paraphrasing here: Every experience can grow us positively if we let it. There are multiple ways to use your gifts, to experience joy, to be challenged, to love. The trick is in recognising the opportunities when they’re right in front of you, grabbing them and holding on for the ride while at the same time having faith that if you fuck up, or the universe shits on you, all is not lost. Those same opportunities might come around again in a different form, but if you’re too caught up on what you think theyshouldlook like, you could miss them.”

Spencer nodded. “It’s stellar advice, but if you extend it to your dilemma with Hannah, then it means there could be numerous possibilities for how her future might look, with or without Nolan. And by the same token, your future too.”

Well, damn.Spencer’s insight gave me pause. I hadn’t actually thought about Hannah’s future in that way, which only begged the question ofwhyI hadn’t. Probably because I was too terrified of doing the wrong thing. But Spencer was right, of course. Whether Hannah attended Nolan or not, it wouldn’t be the last opportunity she’d have. I had to believe there’d be others down the track. It wasn’t all or nothing, either/or. And with thatunderstanding, a weight lifted off my shoulders and the door opened to other possibilities I might not have considered.

I wriggled free of Spencer’s arm and bundled Miller back into his cage. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. And if that’s true, then—” I stopped to answer my phone that was ringing in my jacket pocket.

Zach’s name flashed on the screen and I put it to my ear. “Hey, Zach.”

“Terry, thank God.” The urgency in Zach’s tone put me instantly on alert. “Is Spencer with you?”

“Yes, why?”

“Put me on speaker.”

I did. “Zach, please, what’s happened?” I shot to my feet and Spencer followed.

“First of all, Hannah’s okay”—

Then why are you calling?Panic ripped through my chest and Spencer’s arm slid around my waist as Zach continued.

—“but she’s had a fall. We were at the cemetery when a dog came out of nowhere. He wasn’t interested in Hannah, but he took her elbow crutch right out from under her when he rushed Gabby.”

“A dog?”Oh god.I froze, my heart pounding against my ribs.Which joints? How much damage?What about Gabby?“Where are you?”

“We’re at Oakwood Medical Centre. Gabby got between Hannah and the dog to protect her and took a nasty bite to her flank, Spencer. She’s missing a bit of skin and might need a few stitches.”

“What about Hannah?” I pushed. “Zach, please.”

“She’s okay, Terry, I promise you. They’ve taken her to X-ray to check her out. She banged her head on a gravestone and landed awkwardly on her knee when she went down. She was a bit groggy when she came to.”

“Jesus Christ.” I white-knuckled the phone and Spencer’s arm tightened around my waist. “How the hell did this happen, Zach? She was supposed to be safe,” I snapped. “No, don’t answer that. You can tell me when I get there.”

“We’ll be there in ten,” Spencer said loud enough for Zach to hear. “Is Gabby in the truck?”

“No, she’s in here with us.”

“Good, I’ll take her from there. See you soon.” Spencer took the phone from my shaking hands and hung up. Then he pulled me into his arms and kissed my hair. “She’s okay, you heard him. Now grab your jacket and let’s go. I’ll tell Sonja to meet us there in case we need another vehicle to bring Gabby back.” I was about to do as he said when he grabbed me by the shoulders and stared deep into my eyes. “We’ve got this, okay? Hannah’s in good hands, and you can leave Gabby to me. It’s gonna be all right. Take a breath, sweetheart.”

I did as he said and tried not to lose my mind.

Only later did I remember him calling me sweetheart.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Terry

Spencer shotme a quick look as we took a right at the first intersection. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine,” I lied, then added, “I trusted Zach to look after her, dammit. Her knees are dodgy at the best of times. If she’s done any real damage, then—Jesus, Spencer, I can’t bear to think about it. She might not walk for months, let alone dance. It’ll be months of recuperation. And what about Gabby?”

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