“Tally, my darling. How is the holiday going? Anything to tell me?”

Rachael’s voice held a tinge of excitement, clearly signposting the proposal. Despite all the mental preparation, Tally couldn’t force the words. No matter what she did, they wouldn’t come. A sob broke from her throat.

“Tally.” Rachael’s voice was harder now, full of concern. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Cash,” she finally managed to force out. “He’s… he’s… oh, Rachael, he’s in hospital. Please come.”

“Hospital?” Rachael said, her voice sharp and shrill. “What hospital? What’s happened?”

“In P-Paris.” Tally sobbed harder, trying desperately to keep it together yet failing miserably. “He got hit by a car. We’re at the American Hospital in Paris.”

“I’m on my way.”

Without another word, Rachael hung up, and relief hit Tally hard. She’d be able to share the burden and the pain. His mum was on her way, and Tally wouldn’t have to manage alone any longer.

She hurried back inside, unable to bear the thought of something happening to Cash while she wasn’t there, but when she opened the door to the ICU, nothing had changed. The nurse stood up as she walked inside.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t even know your name.”

“Evelyn,” the nurse replied.

Tally nodded. “His mum is coming. She’s in Belfast. I don’t know how long that will take her. How long do you think it will take her to get here?” She was rambling, but Evelyn didn’t react to her incoherence.

“Why don’t you go and get something to eat and drink?”

Tally shook her head. “How long have we been here?”

“Since about ten thirty last night.”

She glanced at the large clock on the wall. “Eleven hours.” She frowned. “Is that all? It feels like longer.”

Time seemed meaningless as she sat and stared. She lost track of how long ago she’d made the phone call, but when the door opened and she lifted her head to see Cash’s mum standing in the doorway, she swallowed back a sob and threw herself into Rachael’s outstretched arms.

“Shush, darling. I’m here.” Rachael clutched her hand, and they walked over to Cash’s bedside. Tears filled Rachael’s eyes. Her face was pale and wan. She took a deep, shuddering breath and gently caressed his face.

“My son is strong. The strongest person I know. He won’t let this beat him.” She turned to Evelyn. “Can I speak to the doctor?”

“Of course.”

Five minutes later, the neurosurgeon arrived, and Rachael stepped outside to speak with him. Tally didn’t know whether to follow her or stay put. She decided on the latter. Better to let Rachael handle this side of things. It was easy to see where Cash’s strength came from.

“Cash,” she said, closing her fingers around his. “Your mum’s here. Don’t give up. She can’t lose you. Not now.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Neither can I.”

When Rachael returned, she pulled up another chair and sat next to Tally.

“What did the doctor say?” Tally asked.

“Not much other than he’s stable, but it’s a waiting game. There is nothing to be done while he’s in the medically induced coma. We have to wait and see.”

Tally choked back a sob. “I can’t lose him.”

Rachael held Tally’s hand in a firm grip. “You are not going to lose him. We are not going to lose him. I refuse to let my son go. I missed thirteen years of his life. I will not miss another second.”

Rachael’s gaze fell on the large diamond on Tally’s left hand, and a smile spread across her face. Her expression was out of place yet also fit perfectly. “He did it,” she said, her eyes bright with happiness. “And you said yes.”

Tally nodded as she twiddled the ring around her finger. It felt heavy and unfamiliar. “It was the most romantic proposal. He was buying flowers when he… when he…”

Natalia McKenzie, I love you more than I ever thought possible. You’re my light, my life, my heart and soul. My everything. Will you marry me?

Fresh tears fell, and Tally pushed her chair backwards, the resultant screech zipping through her. “Won’t be a minute,” she mumbled, stumbling into the hall. She was losing it. Her chest was hollow, her skin numb, and she could barely see through her tears as she staggered into the bathroom. She pressed her hands against the wall and forced herself to take slow, ragged breaths.

Leaning her forehead against the cool mirror, she closed her eyes. Get a grip. She’d be no use to Cash if she continued this downward spiral. He’d always been the strong one, and now he needed her to be strong for him. It wasn’t fair to put all this on Rachael. She’d barely recovered from a long illness herself, and who knew what stress like this could do to her long-term recovery.

Rupe!

His name slammed into her, and she gulped air through lungs that burned with every breath. She needed Rupe. Oh God, she hadn’t even called him. What was wrong with her? Surely, a normal person would want their loved ones around them at a time like this to offer strength and support, to spread the burden, and yet, it had taken her hours before she’d even called Cash’s mother. To think he could have died, and Rachael wouldn’t have been there.

Tally lurched towards the bathroom door as the room began to spin. She raised a shaky hand to her clammy face as a wave of nausea washed over her. Her legs buckled, and she sank to the floor.