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“Mel, look. I’m sorry I reacted like that.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not. It’s just—it was a bit of a shock.”
“I know.” There is a beat of quiet, then, “How long did you know for?”
She bites her lip. “I found out on Christmas Eve.”
He rakes a hand through his hair, nods. “And she said she asked you and Kristen not to say anything?”
She nods. “I didn’t know what to do,” she whispers. “I wanted to tell you.”
He hesitates. “I know.”
“Do you know how bad…?”
“Well, it’s cancer, so not great.” He swallows. “Stage three.”
“Okay.” Mel blows out a breath. “Okay. So she’s…?”
“There’s definitely hope,” Finn says, his voice firm. Hope. Yes, thinks Mel. That’s right. “She’s got a long road ahead of her, but it’s all out in the open now, and we’re all going to be there for her.”
“Of course you will.”
There’s a pause, and Mel thinks she can hear Hattie’s voice, coming from somewhere along the corridor. Apparently finding food did not take all that long, or they just couldn’t bear to stay away.
“Mel, I know we need to talk, but—”
“It’s okay,” she says quickly, even as her heart does an awful drop into her stomach, wondering what he was going to say. “Now isn’t the time.”
He glances down to the end of the corridor, to where Hattie and Dylan are coming into view, then nods.
“Where are you all going to stay?” Mel asks. You. Not we.
“I think we’ll just crash here tonight, to be honest. If they let us. And you? Where will you go?”
She hesitates. “I’ll check into a hotel. There’s a Holiday Inn not far from here. I’ll see if they have a room, so I’ll be near if you…” Need me? Change your mind? She’s not sure what she’s trying to say.
“Okay. I think she’ll be allowed to go home tomorrow. They said her collapsing was more to do with stress than the…” His words seem to dry up for a moment. “The illness,” he finishes.
Mel nods. The stress of hiding it, panic over the fact that she had to tell them all—Mel can imagine it.
“Okay. That’s good I guess?”
“I guess. I don’t really know, to be honest.”
“Finn, you know if there’s anything I can do…”
“I know,” he murmurs. He hesitates, and Mel thinks he might say something else, then he gestures to Susan’s room. “I better…”
“Of course. Well, I’ll see you later.” It’s inadequate and she doesn’t really know what she means by it, but he nods.
“Okay. Bye, Mel.”
And as she walks away, leaving Finn to go and see his mum, she can only hope he doesn’t mean goodbye for good.
Chapter Thirty-three
