“I can drop them over on my way out. I’ll be about ten minutes.”
“Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”
I hang up and give Remy an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry.”
“Oh Albie, of course they should stay here. Poor Summer, and poor Zach. How awful for them both. Come on. We should get the bedrooms ready.”
We rise and dress, go into the spare bedrooms, and quickly make up the two beds. My eyes meet Remy’s as we work together to stuff the duvet into its cover. “Thank you for this,” I say softly, shaking the duvet to get it to go to the bottom of the cover. “I’m sure looking after two kids is the last thing you want on your final week in New Zealand.”
“I want to help my friends,” she says. “I would do anything for any one of them at the Ark.”
We finish the bed, and she smooths the duvet down before straightening. I pull her into my arms and kiss her, and she leans into it, her tongue sliding against mine, sending the hairs rising on the back of my neck.
When we finally move back, I close my mouth to stop words from tumbling out. I want to ask her if she’ll miss me, but I know the answer, and all it will do is make us both sad and unhappy. So I just smile, then take her hand and lead her to the door as I hear a car pulling up outside.
It’s nearly ten p.m. and the boys are in their pajamas. Zach ushers them up the drive, and I ruffle their hair as they pass me and enter the house.
“Thanks, man.” Zach passes me a couple of bags. “The boys’ school uniforms are in there.” He looks pale and worried.
“They’ll be fine,” I assure him. “Give Summer our love.”
“I will.” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket, looking away, out into the night.
“She’s a fighter,” I say softly. “If anyone can beat this, it’s her.”
“Yeah.” He brings his gaze back to me and gives me a small smile. “Okay. I’ll call tomorrow.”
“Yes, keep in touch. Are you all right driving down by yourself? You don’t want me to ring Hal or Leon? They’ll happily go with you.”
“No, I’ll be fine. But thanks.” He comes forward and gives me a hug, which is unusual, so I know he must be feeling emotional. “Speak to you tomorrow.”
“Take care, Zach.” I watch him walk back to his car, wave to him as he drives off, then go inside and close the door.
Remy has taken the boys into the kitchen, and she’s talking to them as she microwaves a jug of milk and prepares some hot chocolate. She looks up as I enter and says, “I thought a warm drink before bed might be a good idea.”
“Sounds great. How about we watch an episode of something while we drink it?”
“Yeah,” they both say. “Can we watch The Office?” Robbie asks.
“The English or American version?”
“American,” Simon replies.
“Come on then, let’s set it up while Remy finishes the drinks.”
All four of us sit on the sofa together and watch an episode while we sip our hot chocolate, and then Remy washes up while I put the boys to bed. I give Simon, the youngest at eight, a hug before turning off his light, then go into Robbie’s room to make sure he has everything he needs. Robbie’s ten, a way off the dark moods and rebellious behavior that await him in his teens.
“I know you don’t need tucking in,” I joke. “Just checking you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” he says, although he looks a bit pale.
I sit on the edge of the bed. “How’s Simon coping?”
“He’s okay,” he says. “I don’t think he realizes how serious it is. Dad’s really worried. He pretends he’s not, but I know he is.”
“Your mom’s been in hospital many times,” I tell him. “It’s the best place for her when she’s unwell. They’ll give her some antibiotics intravenously, straight into her blood, which means they’ll work better than if they have to go all through her digestive system.”
“Dad rang Grandpa Charlie,” Robbie says. “I heard him asking if he should move Mom to Auckland.”
Now I’m really worried. If Zach is talking about wanting Dad to look after Summer, he must really be concerned.
But I give Robbie a smile and say, “If that happens, it’s because Grandpa thinks he’ll be able to help Mom. He’s an expert on CF. He’s invented all sorts of equipment to help people with respiratory diseases, and they have all the latest medications there. But let’s take it a day at a time, okay? Let’s be warriors, not worriers.”
That makes him grin. “I like that.”
“Me too.”
“I don’t want to go to school tomorrow,” he says. “I won’t be able to concentrate.”
“Yeah, I get that. But sometimes it’s best to take our minds off things, otherwise we’ll just sit and worry.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but I pull the duvet up over his chest and turn off his light, and he promises to try to get some sleep.
I go out, leaving the door ajar, and plug the hall night-light in, in case either of them need to come and find me in the night.
In the kitchen, Remy is putting the mugs away. She turns as I walk in and comes up to me, sliding her arms around my waist. “They are lovely boys,” she says. “I hope Summer gets better soon.”
“Robbie said he overheard Zach talking to Dad about moving her to Auckland,” I tell her.
She moves back and looks up at me. “He must be worried.”
“He’s never mentioned that before, as far as I know.”
“Maybe he is just being extra cautious because he is conscious about her age,” she says. “Didn’t you say thirty-seven is the average life expectancy for someone with CF? That must play on their minds.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
She gives me a hug. “I am so sorry, Al-bear.”
I tighten my arms around her, the reality of the situation beginning to sink in.
Surely, I think, I’m not going to lose my girlfriend and my sister in the same week?
*
The next morning, we take the boys to school and drop them off, then go back to the Ark. Everyone wants to know what’s going on with Summer, but there’s not much I can tell them.
“I feel so helpless,” Izzy says. “I wish I could do something.”
“You’re covering all her appointments,” I tell her, “that’s not nothing.”
“I suppose.” But she looks unhappy, and I can see her concern reflected in the faces of everyone around us.
Still, there really is nothing we can do, and we get stuck into work and do our best to concentrate. It takes me most of the day to organize the installation of Leon’s new computer program on all the computers, and I hardly see Remy, who’s been busy cleaning up an extremely matted Old English Sheepdog that Stefan brought in after his old owner died.
At three, Remy and I drive down to the primary school to pick up the boys. We decide to drive over to Kerikeri, have some sushi at the local Japanese restaurant, then go to a movie at the cinema. We’re in the middle of watching the latest superhero movie when I feel my phone vibrating silently in my pocket.
Leaving Remy with the boys, I slip out and answer the call. It’s Zach.
“How are the boys?” he asks.
“They’re fine. Remy and I took them to the cinema.”
“Oh shit, sorry.”
“It’s okay, the phone was on silent. How’s Summer?”
Zach hesitates. “She’s not good.”
I swallow hard. “What’s happened?”
“Her lung function has dropped below thirty percent of someone with fully functioning lungs. They’re starting to talk about a double lung transplant.”
“Oh, holy fuck.”
“I know.”
“What does Dad say?”
“Charlie’s not keen. He says he understands why they’re suggesting it, and it can seem like the best option, but transplants come with lots of complications.”
I run my hand through my hair. “What a
re you going to do?”
“You know Charlie’s been researching gene therapy?”
“Yeah.” He’s been working on it since I was born. I know it’s disappointed him that progress has been so slow. “I thought it was still in the testing stages?”
“They’re doing clinical studies now. They’re using a type of virus called a lentivirus to deliver a healthy copy of the CFTR gene.”
I know that the CFTR gene causes Cystic Fibrosis when it carries a mutation. “How does that work?”
“They give it by inhalation, and it’s a single-dose treatment. That’s about as much as I could understand. Charlie did try to explain more but it went over my head.”
“And he wants to try it out on Summer?”
“They prefer to trial it on patients who don’t have chest infections. She might be too ill for it to do any good.”
“But he thinks it will be better than a lung transplant?”
“He thinks it’s worth a try.”
“Have you spoken to Dillon about it?” Summer’s natural father will be worried sick, I know.
“Charlie has. Dillon would rather go for the lung transplant as the gene therapy is still in its early stages, but he’s said he’ll leave the decision up to Charlie and me.”
I’m pleased that Dillon trusts Charlie enough to make the decision for his daughter. What a terrible situation to be in, though.
“What does Summer want?” I ask softly.
“You know what she’s like; she hates talking about her illness. I’ve tried to discuss it with her in the past and she just brushes me off. I’ve just tried to ask her what she wants. She’s really sleepy though, and I don’t know how much she understood. She gave me the thumbs-up when I mentioned the gene therapy, but I don’t know…” He pauses. “What do you think we should do?”
“The gene therapy,” I say without hesitation. “Dad wouldn’t suggest it if he wasn’t confident it would do some good. But after saying that, I do understand that it’s risky, and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go with the transplant.” I look back at the cinema door as some explosion on screen booms out. “Do you want to discuss it with the boys?”
“I don’t think so. They won’t understand the implications and it might just frighten them. I think… I think I’ll go with the gene therapy.”
I feel a rush of relief that he’s going to go with my father’s recommendations. “Okay. I think you’re making the right decision.”
He takes a deep breath and blows it out. “I feel better now I’ve made my mind up, anyway.”
“So you’ll be moving Summer to Auckland?”
“Yeah. By ambulance I guess.”
“No, no, get hold of Leon. He’ll fly her down.”
“In the helicopter?”
“Yeah. He can land on the hospital’s helipad. They’ll be able to send a nurse with you to monitor her.”
“Yeah, right. Okay, I’ll give him a call.”
“What about the boys, do you want them to come with you?”
“I think it’s best if they stay with you, Albie, if that’s okay. I’ll call them tonight and explain everything, and obviously if Summer’s situation changes, we’ll get them down, but for now I think it’s best to wait.”
“Of course, no worries. You ring when you’re ready and I’ll organize it.”
“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”
“Give Summer a kiss from us.”
“I will.” He says goodbye and hangs up.
I slide my phone into my pocket. My mouth has gone dry at the thought that my sister is so ill. Will my father be able to turn things around for her? If anyone can, Charlie King can. But maybe she’s too ill and the new gene therapy won’t take.
There’s no way of telling. For now, I’ll have to put on a brave face for the boys. And we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Remy
Mon Dieu, this is turning into the most emotional few weeks of my life. First I met the father I’ve been wondering about since I was old enough to wonder why I didn’t have a daddy like other girls. My relationship with Albie seems to grow deeper with each passing day, which is something I really didn’t expect—I thought we’d have a bit of fun and part with a few tears and remain a wistful memory. I didn’t expect to feel this way about him.
And now not only do I have to deal with that, but the situation with Summer is incredibly hard for everyone at the Ark, and it’s ramping up everything I’m feeling by several hundred percent.
On Tuesday, the day that Summer is moved to Auckland hospital, Albie gets a phone call mid-morning from the primary school. Simon fell over in the playground and, when another boy teased him because he cried, Robbie pushed him over, and they got into a fight.
“This is about Summer,” Albie says as we drive down to see the principal. “I get why Zach wanted to try to keep them at school, but there’s no way those boys are going to be able to forget about their mother. They idolize her.”
He parks outside the office block and we go inside. The boys are sitting together outside the principal’s office. When they see Albie, Robbie jumps up and runs over to put his arms around him, while Simon bursts into tears again.
“All right,” Albie says softly, hugging Robbie tightly as I go over to his brother and sit beside him. Simon flings his arms around me, which immediately brings a lump to my throat.
The principal comes out and gives us a sympathetic look. She’s an older lady, probably in her sixties, with white hair in a tight bun. “I’m sorry to call you in,” she says, inviting us into her office, “but I thought it best.”
“Of course.” Albie takes a seat and gestures for Robbie to sit beside him. “I think their father telephoned you about their mother’s situation?”
“Yes, I’m so sorry to hear. Is there any news?”
Albie shakes his head. “I know there’s no excuse for fighting, but I think Robbie’s probably not quite himself at the moment.”
“I understand,” she says. “We’ve had a talk, haven’t we, Robbie? It was kind of you to stand up for your brother, but you can’t resort to violence just because someone says something you don’t like.”
Robbie mumbles under his breath.
“We won’t take action this time,” she states.
Albie gives a relieved sigh. “If it’s okay with you,” he says, “I think it might be best if the boys come home with me.”
Both boys immediately brighten.
The principal nods and surveys Albie with a smile. “You haven’t changed much since your school days, Albie King.” She glances at me. “I was Albie’s principal, too.”
“Was he in trouble a lot?” I ask, and she laughs.
“Not at all. His cousins occasionally came through this office, Leon especially. But Albie was a kind and courteous boy.”
“He still is,” I say, earning myself an amused look from Albie.
The principal grins. “Well take care of yourselves and let me know when there’s news about Summer, okay?”
“Of course.” Albie rises, and I follow suit. “Come on, boys. Let’s go.”
We leave the room and head out into the sunshine, and wait for the boys to grab their coats and bags from their classrooms.
“Are you going to take them home?” I ask Albie.
“I thought we could take them to the Ark. Robbie could help me—he’s pretty good with computers and I’m sure he’d find it interesting. And maybe Poppy or Ryan could see if Simon would help with the animals.”
“He could come with me,” I say. “Help me groom the dogs. He would probably enjoy that.”
“Are you sure? He won’t get in the way?”
“Not at all, and I would like to be able to help.”
He studies my face, then bends and presses his lips to mine.
“Careful,” I scold, “you will get a detention.”
He laughs. “It would be worth it.”
“So you were not a
bad boy at school, then?”
“Not at all. I was a nerd. And a geek. Still am. I know that’s not super sexy. I’m sorry.”
I just smile. He has no idea how much I love him for being like that. Gone are the days when I found men exciting for being arrogant and aggressive. I can’t think of anything I’d dislike more now than being with someone who thought only of himself. I adore Albie’s generous, warm spirit, his teasing sense of humor, and the way he so rarely reacts with anger to anything.
I love him. The realization hits me like a sledgehammer.
Putain de merde. Holy fucking shit. I’ve only gone and fallen in love with him.
He’s still watching me, and his eyebrows rise at the look on my face. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss it. But I know I’m right. It doesn’t matter that we haven’t been together that long. There’s no other word to describe the way I feel about him.
I feel a surge of helpless anger and resentment. Why did it have to happen in the last week of my visit? If I’d met him when I arrived in the country, we could have had a year for our relationship to develop, to see if it was something worth pursuing. Okay, I might be in love with him right now, but I don’t know if it’s reciprocated.
I think it is. But I can’t be sure.
And I can’t be certain we’d still feel the same way about each other in a month or a year.
I think I would. But there’s no guarantee.
Are there ever any guarantees in love, though?
Albie opens his mouth to say something, but he’s interrupted as the boys run out, and we walk them back to the car. Albie explains they’re coming with us to the Ark, and Robbie’s excited at the thought of helping with the computers, while Simon looks thrilled at the idea of helping to groom the poodle I’m seeing at eleven o’clock.
Albie glances at me as he takes the turnoff for the Ark, and I can see the relief in his face. He’s helping Summer and Zach by looking after the boys. He loves Summer so much. He has a deep affection for her and her family.
For the first time it occurs to me that Summer might not survive her chest infection. She could actually die from it. A bad chest infection is a danger to any person, but especially so to someone with CF, and even more so now she’s older.
My Roommate, the Billionaire (The Billionaire Kings Book 3) Page 19
