Prologue
June 1986
Hanna had wandered into the hallway to get away. The laughter from the backyard was too loud, almost forced. She hated these dinners lately; everyone was acting like nothing had changed, as if her parents’ divorce wasn’t fresh in her mind. Her mother blamed her for the split, and her father only seemed to want her around to get back at her mother. The truth was, neither of them had ever really wanted her. From the beginning, she was never the center of their love, just the excuse.
Her mother used her twice, first to escape her parents’ house by getting married to her father, and again to leave that marriage behind. Her father hadn’t wanted marriage, he only did what was expected after the pregnancy.
She ended up on the back porch, where the noise dulled behind the glass. Her grandfather Henry sat on the old swing, glass of tea in hand, watching the sky fade.
“Are you hiding, sweetheart?” he asked.
Hanna didn’t answer at first, then, quietly, “ Grandpa, I don’t think I ever want to get married or fall in love.”
Henry turned toward her, his expression calm. “That so? Where is this coming from?”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. “What’s the point? From what I have seen, most people will lie, cheat, and walk away.”
Henry smiled and set down his glass and patted the seat beside him. “People do lie, and some leave. But love, real love, isn’t about the easy moments. It’s about who stays when it’s hard. Who makes you feel safe, prioritized, and protected.”
She sank down beside him. “You think that kind of love really exists?”
Henry gave her a tired smile. “I do,” looking over at Irene, “and when you find the right man, Hanna, you’ll know. He won’t try to fix you or change you; he’ll just see you, truly see you, and love you for that. He will be the one reaching for your hand when life gets hard, not walking away. That kind of love? It’s rare, but it’s real, Hanna, and from my personal experience, it’s always worth the fall.”
She didn’t answer. Just leaned her head on his shoulder. If she ever got married, it’d have to be to someone kind. Someone true.
