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I continue into the kitchen and pour the lukewarm water out of the kettle, pop open the lid and shove it under the tap. The cold water hits the bottom of the kettle with force and splashes onto my blouse, freezing me. I look at Gavin, hoping he’ll pass me a towel. But he hasn’t noticed. He’s standing with his back against the countertop and his arms are folded across his chest as he stares into space.
I flick on the kettle and fetch the hand towel hanging over the handle of the cooker. I listen for the sound of Heather’s footsteps coming down the stairs but there’s no sign of her reappearing yet.Good. I’m grateful of the opportunity to speak to Gavin alone.
‘How did it go?’ I say, at last.
Gavin shakes his head. I’m not sure what that means.
‘What are they saying?’ I try being more specific.
He shakes his head again and I hear the toilet flush overhead.
‘Gavin, please,’ I say, racing my words now. ‘What did the doctors say? I’ve been waiting all day for news. Will Kayla be okay?’
The water begins to bubble noisily in the kettle but I still hear Gavin exhale loudly. He’s a bloody mess. I don’t understand how he can bea tall, composed pillar of strength for Heather but he can’t even string a sentence together for me.
‘Gavin. Please, answer me,’ I say. ‘Are things really that bad? You’re scaring me.’
‘It’s cancer,’ Heather says, walking into the kitchen.
I jump. I didn’t hear her coming back downstairs over the noise of the kettle boiling. A lump forms in my throat and tears blur my vision. I shake my head, feeling I can’t cry – not in front of Gavin and Heather. Kayla is their child, I know that. But my heart is breaking nonetheless.
‘It’s a sarcoma,’ Heather explains.
‘A sarcoma,’ I find myself repeating the strange word I’ve never heard before. ‘But I thought she hurt her knee. She’s a basketball player. She’s the school captain for God’s sake?—’
‘I don’t think cancer cares what team she plays for,’ Gavin cuts across me.
‘Gavin. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…’ I pause and shake my head. ‘I just don’t understand.’
‘It’s cancer in the soft tissue around the bone, Charlie,’ Gavin continues. ‘It’s called Ewing’s sarcoma. That’s what’s been hurting her. Kayla has a tumour in her knee.’
‘Oh,’ I say, trying to take it in. I feel crushed.
‘I’d never heard of it either,’ Heather says, as if she reads my mind. ‘Not until this morning.’
‘Leg cancer,’ I say. ‘I mean, that’s treatable, right? It’s not like blood cancer or something in her organs?’ I wait for Gavin or Heather to tell me I’m right. I wait for someone to say it will be okay, but silence falls over us as the kettle bubbles dramatically in the background.
‘Sarcomas aren’t common in kids and they can spread,’ Gavin finally says, his voice cracking.
‘But we don’t know much for certain,’ Heather adds. ‘There’ll be more tests and stuff before they decide a treatment plan.’
‘Okay,’ I say, as a tear that I’ve fought to hold in trickles down the side of my nose and I catch it quickly with my fingertip. ‘And when will they know all that?’
‘They want to start tests immediately,’ Heather says.
‘And they want to get family in for bloods,’ Gavin says. ‘Hopefully one of us is a donor.’
I nod as if I understand.
‘They’ve suggested tomorrow,’ Gavin says.
‘Tomorrow?’ my eyes widen, and I say it much too loudly just as the kettle flicks off.
I swallow, struggling to keep up. ‘But, tomorrow. It’s so soon. No one has had time to get their head around this.’
‘They don’t want to waste any time,’ Heather says.
‘Depending on the results they’ll call Molly in after that,’ Gavin adds.
