Page 95 of The Forever Gift

Molly begins to cry.

Charlotte bends and gathers a whimpering Molly into her arms. ‘Shh, shh, shh,’ Charlotte says as Molly tucks her head into the crook of her mother’s neck.

‘Hey, Molly,’ Aiden says. ‘Do you want to come to the games room with me? I hear they have My Little Pony there.’

Molly lifts her head but she’s clearly unimpressed. ‘Do they have Peppa Pig? I like her now.’

‘I think they do,’ Aiden whispers as if Peppa Pig is the best kept secret the hospital holds.

‘You sure you don’t mind, Aiden?’ Charlotte asks. ‘Especially when you’ve come all this way to see Kayla.’

‘Actually, I came all this way to see Molly,’ Aiden says, reaching his hand up to my sister. Molly grabs on tight and when Charlotte bends and puts Molly down her feet barely touch the ground as she skips her way towards the door hand-in-hand with my best friend. Aiden looks over his shoulder and smiles.

I smile back, telling him without words that I’m ready to share my secret with Charlotte. I just have to hope she’ll understand the way Aiden did.

‘You coming, Mr Doran?’ Aiden asks.God love poor Aiden. I know he’d rather boil his head than be the decoy for my dad but I only need a few minutes to talk to Charlotte, and Aiden did ask if there was anything he could do to help.

‘Me. What?’ Dad says.

‘Come on, Daddy,’ Molly says. ‘I can show you the big telly.’

‘T-h-a-n-k y-o-u,’ I mouth, as Aiden winks at me and walks away with my dad’s hand firmly on his shoulder and my little sister skipping happily beside him.

FORTY-TWO

CHARLOTTE

‘So how are you feeling?’ I ask, cringing as I hear the stupid question pass my lips.

Kayla smiles, as if she knows how uncomfortable I am and she’s trying to hold in a laugh. I wonder if she’s equally as uncomfortable. I find myself trying to sneak a sideways glance at my watch. I know Heather never leaves Kayla alone for long, so I’m hoping she’ll be back soon. I hate feeling this way. I’ve known Kayla since she was a little girl. I’ve wiped her bottom after the potty for goodness’ sake, but we’ve grown apart in recent years. I’m not sure what her interests are or who her friends are. That Aiden boy seems nice. I wish I could think of something to talk about but my mind is blank and racing at the same time.

‘Charlotte I need your help,’ Kayla says, suddenly.

‘My help?’ Of all the things I was hoping Kayla might say, this wasn’t it.

‘Please,’ Kayla adds.

My breath catches nervously and I wonder if Heather has stooped as low as putting Kayla up to asking for Molly’s stem cells. ‘What is it, sweetheart?’ I ask, nervously.

‘It’s big, Charlie,’ Kayla says. ‘Like, kinda huge.’

‘Oh, Kayla.’ I exhale. ‘Are you sure I’m the person you want to talk to about this? Maybe your mam would understand more.’

‘No. Not Mam.’ Kayla shakes her head and I can see the simple movement leaves her exhausted. ‘Charlie, please?’

‘Okay, okay,’ I say, trying to keep her calm. ‘Okay.’

‘You can’t tell my mam. You have to promise.’

‘Oh, Kayla.’

‘Promise, Charlie. Please promise.’

‘Okay,’ I say, worried. ‘I promise.’

‘I’ve stopped getting better,’ Kayla blurts without warning. She’s not teary or upset. Her body language, although exhausted and worn out, is still confident and certain. She seems to have come to a grown-up acceptance that the rest of us just can’t seem to manage.

‘Kayla, I really think this is a conversation for you and your parents.’ I find myself looking over my shoulder at the door, hoping that someone, anyone, will walk in.

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