When a sentence doesn't end with a period

A reader writes to ask:

I know it’s still acceptable to space twice after periods. However, if there’s a close quote after a period is there actually only one space remaining after the quotation mark before first letter of the next sentence? Also, are there two spaces before the beginning of the quote, after the period closing the previous sentence?

Don’t overthink this. In both the situations you describe, use two spaces. Keep in mind that your two spaces go after the sentence’s final punctuation, whether that’s a period, a quotation mark, a question mark, or an exclamation point.

Of course, just because two spaces is acceptable after a sentence, it’s no longer the industry standard. You might consider simplifying things by just putting one space at the end of your sentences.