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Back The Life We Almost Had Save as PDF
Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Note to Readers
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. Chapter Ten
  17. Chapter Eleven
  18. Chapter Twelve
  19. Chapter Thirteen
  20. Part Two
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-One
  29. Chapter Twenty-Two
  30. Chapter Twenty-Three
  31. Chapter Twenty-Four
  32. Chapter Twenty-Five
  33. Chapter Twenty-Six
  34. Part Three
  35. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  36. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  37. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  38. Chapter Thirty
  39. Chapter Thirty-One
  40. Chapter Thirty-Two
  41. Chapter Thirty-Three
  42. Chapter Thirty-Four
  43. Chapter Thirty-Five
  44. Chapter Thirty-Six
  45. Part Four
  46. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  47. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  48. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  49. Chapter Forty
  50. Chapter Forty-One
  51. Chapter Forty-Two
  52. Chapter Forty-Three
  53. Chapter Forty-Four
  54. Chapter Forty-Five
  55. Chapter Forty-Six
  56. Chapter Forty-Seven
  57. Chapter Forty-Eight
  58. Chapter Forty-Nine
  59. Chapter Fifty
  60. Chapter Fifty-One
  61. Chapter Fifty-Two
  62. Chapter Fifty-Three
  63. Chapter Fifty-Four
  64. Chapter Fifty-Five
  65. Chapter Fifty-Six
  66. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  67. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  68. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  69. Chapter Sixty
  70. Chapter Sixty-One
  71. Chapter Sixty-Two
  72. Chapter Sixty-Three
  73. Chapter Sixty-Four
  74. Chapter Sixty-Five
  75. Chapter Sixty-Six
  76. Chapter Sixty-Seven
  77. Chapter Sixty-Eight
  78. Chapter Sixty-Nine
  79. Chapter Seventy
  80. Chapter Seventy-One
  81. Chapter Seventy-Two
  82. Chapter Seventy-Three
  83. Chapter Seventy-Four
  84. Chapter Seventy-Five
  85. Chapter Seventy-Six
  86. Part Five
  87. Chapter Seventy-Seven
  88. Chapter Seventy-Eight
  89. Chapter Seventy-Nine
  90. Chapter Eighty
  91. Part Six
  92. Chapter Eighty-One
  93. Chapter Eighty-Two
  94. Chapter Eighty-Three
  95. Author’s Note
  96. Book Club Questions for The Life We Almost Had
  97. Acknowledgements
  98. Extract
  99. Chapter One
  100. About the Publisher

‘But…’ I don’t know what to say. It’s like having the chance to create your ideal box of chocolates and yet putting in one that you hate. A rogue Turkish Delight amongst a plethora of strawberry creams and crunchy pralines. ‘I felt… I felt upset but I wanted to move past it quickly and make the most of the time we had. Is it odd it felt so real?’

‘No. Oliver hoped it would. That’s why he wanted a direct connection rather than viewing images through a computer. The ultimate virtual reality as though you were really there, experiencing it all. Anna.’ Eva leans forward. ‘You do know that this isn’t real? That this isn’t a permanent solution for you to be with Adam?’

‘Of course.’ But I can’t help second-guessing what my next experience will be like. The one after.

‘Oliver will only need you to repeat this a few times before he’ll need to find other participants. It can’t be a balanced trial with only your results.’

‘I know.’ Oliver keeps telling me this but every time it’s hard to hear. The thought of being shipped back to the UK and left to sit by Adam’s bed, wondering what he’s thinking while I wait for him to wake up, is unbearable.

Two years. Twelve years. Twenty years.

‘But you’re happy for me to try again?’ I ask.

‘If you’re up to it, then yes.’

I rush out of the room to find Oliver, a ‘thank you’ trailing in my wake, before Eva has even put the lid on her pen.

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Again I am lying on the patient table next to Adam but this time I’m more excited than scared.

‘We’re almost ready,’ Sofia says. ‘We still haven’t got to the bottom of why the computer didn’t record so in the event that it happens again, we’re relying on you to remember as much as you can.’ She slips the goggles on me and then the headphones. The table slides into the scanner and I wait for Oliver to speak.

‘I’m going to count you down now, Anna,’ he says. I wait impatiently for the count of one.

I am back at home. In the bath. My fingers instantly stray to my stomach. I’m smiling when I feel my bump, under the coconut bubbles. I place both hands across my belly.