The Forever Gift by Brooke Harris

Author:Brooke Harris [Harris, Brooke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786816382
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2019-08-05T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Eight

Charlotte

Molly skips up the steps between the ground and third floor. I’d happily have taken the lift but Molly wanted to see all the characters painted on the wall as we make our way up the stairs.

‘That’s Jas-bin,’ Molly says, pointing excitedly.

‘Jasmine,’ I correct.

‘And A-lad-bin,’ Molly adds.

‘A-lad-din, Molly.’ I exhale. ‘Aladdin. We’ve watched the film twenty times.’

‘I can’t wait to see Kayla,’ Molly says, her hand in mine swinging back and forth.

‘Me too.’

‘Oh, oh, look,’ Molly says as we round the first half flight of stairs. ‘That’s Mooblee.’

‘Oh God Lord, Molly.’ I smile. ‘That’s Mowgli. Mowgli from The Jungle Book.’

‘I love The Jungle Book,’ Molly bounces. ‘I really like when the ele-fant goes flying high and high.’

‘Molly,’ I say as we round the next turn, ‘that’s Dumbo.’

‘No.’ Molly pulls a face and throws her head dramatically over her shoulder to look back at the mural on the wall we’ve passed. ‘That’s Mooblee.’

‘No, I mean the flying elephant is Dumbo.’ I shake my head, exhausted already. ‘You know what? Never mind.’

Molly’s hand pulls in mine and I know without looking she’s trying to get closer to the paintings on the wall as we ascend the staircase.

‘I’m tired,’ Molly announces as we round the next flight.

‘Well taking the stairs was your idea, missy. C’mon. Not much further. Kayla is waiting for us.’

‘And lollipops. Kayla will have lollipops.’

I come to a sudden stop and Molly’s hand jerks in mine as she tries to skip ahead.

‘Molly, there won’t be lollipops every time we come to see Kayla. Do you know that?’

Molly’s bottom lip drops and she shakes her head.

‘Didn’t Daddy explain this to you, sweetheart,’ I say.

Molly stares at me blankly. For a kid who almost never stops talking, Molly is a mute statue now. I turn away and roll my eyes. I asked Gavin to speak to Molly last night; ease her gently into what we’re facing.

‘What did Daddy tell you Molly?’

‘That we could see Kayla after school…’

‘And…?’

‘And that we’d see Aladbin and Mooblee.’

‘And?’

‘And that’s all,’ Molly says sweetly, smiling as she tugs on my hand, ready to get moving again.

I tug back, gently. ‘Did Daddy tell you Kayla might not be feeling very well?’

Molly shakes her head. ‘Does Kayla have a pain in her tummy again?’

‘Great! Thanks, Gavin,’ I groan inwardly.

‘What’s great, Mammy?’ Molly asks.

‘Nothing. Nothing,’ I say, wishing my kid didn’t have the ears of a bat. ‘Come on now, let’s go see Kayla. Yeah?’

‘Yay,’ Molly says, beginning to skip again and clearly forgetting that less than two minutes ago she was complaining about tired legs.

Molly complains about tired legs, a pain in her finger, and needs to stop off on the second floor for a wee, before we finally reach Kayla’s ward. Bleach and disinfectant seem to seep from the walls up here. The smell is so much stronger in this part of the hospital than anywhere else. I wonder if it’s my imagination or if everything has to be more sterile because the kids are so sick. A lump swells in my throat and I try not to think about it.

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