Page 7 of Road to Rosalee

Sally tenderly wiped wisps of hair from her face. ‘Would you like something to eat?’

Melody shook her head. ‘I’m not hungry, thank you.’

‘Come on now, love, you have to have something. You’re losing weight, and you need your strength.’ She offered a kind smile. ‘How about I make you your favourite?’

‘Which one?’ Melody smiled a little.

‘A bacon and egg sandwich with my garlic aioli. And a nice hot chocolate to go with it. Then we’ll follow it up with your special cake.’

‘That sounds lovely, thank you.’ She appreciated her aunt so much.

Sally patted her arm. ‘You go and have yourself a nice long shower and I’ll have it ready for you when you’re done, okay?’

‘Okey-dokey.’ Melody’s forehead puckered. ‘I honestly don’t know what we would do without you. Thank you for loving me and mum like you do.’

Blinking faster, Sally drew in a breath. ‘Ditto, sweetheart. You and your mum are the closest to family I have.’ Her bohemian skirt swished at her ankles as she turned to head out the doorway. ‘My blood relatives aren’t worth my time or energy,’ she added before slipping away.

With Sally gone, Melody took a moment to lean in and softly kiss her mother’s forehead. Lucy Harrison stirred just a little, but the drugs kept her in their grasp. Dragging herself from her mother’s bedside, Melody padded to the shower, considering the fact that her aunt was in the same boat as her. She felt bad for not having thought too much about how hard it would be for Sally, nursing her childhood best friend to her death. It hadn’t been from ignorance that she hadn’t stopped to really think about this until now, but more because she hadn’t wanted to accept her mother’s cancer was terminal. The comprehension that all of this was truly happening, and that nothing was going to make her mum better, tore at her already tortured soul.

How was she going to say goodbye to her mum forever?

An hour later, showered, fed and fighting to keep her eyes open, Melody hugged her aunt goodnight then headed back to her mother’s bedroom. Lucy was still sleeping and Magic had taken his usual post at the foot of the bed. Curled up, he too was fast asleep.

Unfolding the blanket she’d left on the dresser that morning, Melody pulled it over herself as she got settled into the recliner. It didn’t take too long for her eyelids to drop closed, and for the next few hours she slumbered fitfully, jolting awake with fright after fright, each time bringing her cheek to her mother’s face so she could feel that she was still breathing.

Wide awake just after midnight, Melody finally saw signs of movement. She sat up straighter and took her mother’s frail hand in hers. ‘Hey, Mum, can you hear me?’

‘Of course I can, love.’ Lucy blinked heavy eyelids half open. ‘I’m not dead yet,’ she mumbled with a hoarse chuckle that promptly had her coughing and gasping.

Plucking a tissue then putting it to her mother’s lips, Melody helped to prop her up a little. ‘Please don’t talk like that, Mum. It’s not funny.’ With a heavy heart, she noted the splatters of blood on the tissue as she tossed it into the little bin.

Lucy looked to Melody through hollow eyes. ‘I’m sorry, darling, you’re right. It’s not funny in the slightest.’ Her lips quivered as she smiled. ‘I suppose I’m just trying to make light of an awful situation, that’s all.’

‘I know you are, but …’ She tried to meet her mum’s smile but failed miserably.

‘Oh, my love, I’m so sorry. I know this is hard for you.’

Melody couldn’t believe her mother was the one apologising. ‘Please, Mum, I’m okay. You don’t need to worry about me.’ Sinking to the side of the bed, she gave her hand a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m tough like you, remember?’

‘That’s my girl.’ Lucy held her gaze, her mouth opening to speak again, but then closing. She did this a couple of times.

‘What is it, Mum?’

‘I have something I really need to tell you.’

Melody nodded. ‘Okay, well, I’m all ears.’ She stood, coming closer to her mum so she didn’t have to project her voice.

‘I don’t know how else to tell you this …’ Lucy’s lips pressed into a thin line as she took a few lengthy moments. ‘You know how I’ve always told you that your father didn’t want anything to do with us?’

‘Yes.’ Melody’s heart stalled and she unconsciously held her breath.

‘Well, it was because he didn’t know about you.’ Lucy’s eyes filled with tears.

Tears prickled Melody’s eyes too. ‘What do you mean?’ Leaving hers, she wiped at her mother’s with a fresh tissue.

‘I never told him I was pregnant.’

The room felt as if it were closing in on her. Melody sank down to the chair before her knees could buckle. She took her time to catch her breath and to rein in her anger – she could not, would not, yell at her dying mother. Gathering what she could of herself, she took a deep breath then blew it away. ‘Why would you do such a thing?’