The Wish by Heather Morris

Author:Heather Morris
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, contemporary, drama, cancer, friendship, family, relationships, illness, courage, emotional, heartbreakingç, uplifting, death, grief, heartwarming, tragic, leukaemia, survival, inspiring, against the odds, women’s fiction, Me Before You, Jojo Moyes, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin, Before I Die, Jenny Downham, The Fault in Our Stars, John Green, bestselling author, international, The Tattooist of Auschwitz
ISBN: 9781786586896
Publisher: Echo Publishing
Published: 2025-08-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Only the dim light from a lamp casts shadows around Alex’s home office. Tonight, the bank of monitors and screens which normally light the room in a kaleidoscope of colour are blank. From his bed, Max watches Alex sitting with his back to the screens, talking on his phone, making notes on a small pad. Ending his call, he turns to Max.

‘Come on, boy, time for your last trip outside tonight. I’ve got an early start tomorrow and so do you – we need to get some sleep.’

The first hint of light is visible on the horizon as Alex pulls up in his car outside the hospital’s main entrance. The dull flashing of a nearby ambulance in the emergency bay is a reminder that this building never sleeps. A security guard approaches and after a brief conversation he nods for Alex to head upstairs; he can leave his car where it is.

The swishing noise of the doors opening into the ward seems too loud and Alex is struck by the quiet: it’s usually so alive with buzz and activity. He passes two cleaners who barely glance at the intruder and makes his way to the nurses’ station. The charge nurse looks up at him, surprised.

Having explained his plans to her, the charge nurse gently wakes Jesse and waves Alex from the room. Helping Jesse from the bed she and Jesse look for clothes from the nearby cupboard. A few moments later they appear beside Alex, Jesse dressed in jeans, a jumper and jacket. A beanie on her head, shoes and socks on her feet. Together they leave the ward.

The security guard is waiting by the car and opens the door for Jesse once Alex unlocks it. He throws her a wink and a smile as if he is in on the adventure with them, and Jesse climbs in. As they leave the hospital grounds, Jesse turns to Alex.

‘So, where are we going?’

‘You’ll see. It’s a surprise.’

They drive silently through the nearby suburbs, Jesse gazing out the window at the sleeping town. Alex drives through the gates of a park, making his way down tree-lined roads before pulling up in front of a small building. There is no sign of life. Parking the car, he runs around to open the passenger door, and gestures for Jesse to get out. Grabbing a camera bag from the back seat, shutting and locking the doors, he slowly walks off and Jesse follows.

‘Why are we here?’ Jesse asks, a note of anxiety in her voice.

‘I wanted to do something special for you,’ he tells her, carrying on walking – he’s in a hurry to get to their destination.

Jesse stops walking, uncertain if she wants to go on. Alex doubles back to her.

‘It’s a surprise.’

His voice is calm, and reassures her that everything will be OK.

Taking her hand, he leads her to the back of the building where a large hot air balloon, fully inflated, is waiting.

‘Alex, what have you done, why are we here?’ Jesse puts her hands over her mouth in delight.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.