Through the streams of Olivia’s tears, Helen’s face began to blur into that of her mother. Lonely, tired and weighed down with grief.
‘I have biscuits.’ She smiled hopefully. ‘And some cake.’
In that moment, it dawned on Olivia that maybe it wasn’t Jacob who needed her today.
‘Well, who can say no to cake?’
*
Olivia took the steaming cup of tea from Helen and let its warmth begin to soothe her.
‘When my sister was really bad, I think we must have consumed about a litre of tea every day.’
Helen came to sit opposite her and placed a glistening Victoria sponge on the table between them.
‘I’m not surprised. It makes you feel so much better about life, doesn’t it?’ She nodded to the cake. ‘Can I cut you a slice?’
‘Yes, please.’
Olivia took a sip and felt the emotional whirlwind inside her settle.
‘How is your sister doing now?’
Olivia closed her eyes and took another sip of tea.
‘Oh.’ Jacob’s mum nodded, her grip on the knife tightening a little more. ‘I see.’
‘She passed away a few months ago, actually.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Thank you. She was sick for a very long time, so it wasn’t unexpected.’
‘But that doesn’t make it any easier, I suppose.’
Helen placed the crumbling cake on to her plate.
‘No, it doesn’t.’ The sweet smell of vanilla reminded Olivia of the softness of her sister’s skin. ‘How long has Jacob been sick for?’
The words still felt strange to say out loud.
‘A long time too. He was first diagnosed when he was fifteen years old.’
‘Wow.’
‘Yes, I know. Gosh, it seems like a lifetime ago when I think back to it now.’
‘Was it always …’
‘In the brain?’ Helen finished, squashing pieces of cake crumbs together with her finger. ‘Yes. The first time he beat it quite quickly, but it came back. He beat it again, then it came back again. It was a constant war that he never seemed to win. Eventually, he decided to take himself out of the ring.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He stopped treatment. On his twenty-fifth birthday, he decided enough was enough. He didn’t want to do it any more; he was tired of fighting a losing battle for his life. Instead, he wanted to live whatever life he had left to the full. That’s when he took off travelling.’
Olivia felt the pieces of the puzzle slowly slot into place.
‘That must have been hard for you.’
