Another Way to Fall

Another Way to Fall
Amanda Brooke

What would you do if you could write the story of your life? From the Richard & Judy author of YESTERDAY’S SUNThis is the story of Emma’s life.For three long years, she has battled with illness, enduring everything with bravery and always with hope. Then one day, Emma is told that they’ve reached the end of the road. While her family and friends are thrown into denial and grief, Emma suddenly realises that with so much left undone, she must find a way to live the life she has always dreamed of.This is a story of Emma’s death.Emma begins to write and something miraculous starts to happen: as her body weakens, the lines between fiction and reality start to blur and her story takes on a life of its own. And as her story gains in strength, Emma, and those who cherish her, discover that even in death, there is life.This is a story about happy endings.

Another Way to Fall

Amanda Brooke

Copyright (#ulink_4c37e247-49dd-5336-82be-e7fb399df1b7)

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

77–85 Fulham Palace Road

Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins 2013

Copyright © Amanda Brooke 2013

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2013

Cover images © Werachai Sookruay/123RF (girl, foreground); Mark Owen/Trevillon Images (background)

Amanda Brooke assert the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

These novels are entirely works of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed within are the work of the authors’ imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780007445929

Ebook Edition © 9780007445936

Version: 2014-12-12

To Nathan, my autumn child

Contents

Cover (#u588c4cc5-e62f-5947-9902-5f0468c3afb2)

Title Page (#uae4407c1-62a8-5def-b222-97eec9fa0304)

Copyright (#u36ea71b4-2044-500d-a68a-7303cfa2d32f)

Dedication (#uc10a7f8a-a11f-5501-ad5d-9d8860ae0f14)

Chapter 1 (#ue1803e8b-dd2b-5750-a8f3-61066dc40caa)

Chapter 2 (#u197125d8-3573-56fb-bc32-f96793d84251)

Chapter 3 (#u2b0cc527-0f01-57c6-9027-86d3150abf46)

Chapter 4 (#u8ddb9588-38ea-51cb-b32f-7b8550a30e19)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by Amanda Brooke (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_3b5f65e5-4a01-5233-a002-302b5e4f16a2)

I was sitting patiently to one side of Mr Spelling’s vast desk, which took up most of the floor space. The doctor paid me no attention, too intent on the images that flashed in quick succession across his computer screen. As I waited, I became vaguely aware that my fingers had developed a life of their own, tugging at the seams of my jeans then playing with the cord hanging from my padded jacket. I slipped my wayward hands between my crossed legs in an attempt to bring their fidgeting under control, but a moment later the soft whisper of denim across denim drew my attention. My right foot had broken ranks and had started tapping rhythmically in midair.