EPILOGUE - ROSA
‘How’s that?’ Rosa asked.
‘Very comfortable, thank you.’ Christopher smiled at her.
‘Are you sure you’re warm enough?’ Henry asked, a small line marring the space between his brows.
‘Plenty. Now please, the pair of you, stop fussing.’
‘Anyone would think they’d never taken an old man out in a wheelchair before.’ Vinnie winked then he knelt down and checked Bobby’s winter coat was properly fastened for the tenth time that morning.
A week after being admitted to hospital, Christopher had been allowed to return home.
The diagnosis was not good, but they were all coming to terms with it.
Tests had found that Christopher had lung cancer, and it seemed he’d had it for some time.
He’d attributed his tiredness and occasional breathlessness to his age and not wanted to bother anyone by telling them he had some discomfort when lying down flat.
He had passed out that morning in the kitchen because he was dehydrated, a symptom that the cancer had caused.
The medical team listed a range of possible cancer treatments, but Christopher insisted on only palliative treatment, including symptom and pain management, and rejected invasive surgery or gruelling chemotherapy.
He said he felt lucky to have reached his nineties and if it was his time, then it was his time.
Henry, Rosa, and Vinnie had spoken at length about the diagnosis, but knew that it was Christopher’s choice and that they had no right to dismiss his feelings on the matter.
And so they had agreed to support him for as long as they could, and that was what they were doing.
Persuading him to use a wheelchair had taken some doing, but he’d been out in it a few times now and he was happy that it would improve his quality of life.
He’d admitted to struggling to walk far recently but told them he hadn’t wanted to lose his independence and so he had kept it quiet and carried on.
This morning they were heading up to The Garden Café for a little celebration, but they were stopping at the beach first so Bobby could have a run.
Rosa and Henry had decided that now Christopher was home, it was time to make the most of every day.
While they walked, Henry pushed the wheelchair, and Rosa walked at his side.
Vinnie and Bobby were ahead of them, but Bobby kept stopping to turn and check that Christopher was right behind them.
His devotion to Christopher made Rosa’s heart ache, and she hoped that the small dog would be OK.
She’d promised Christopher that, no matter what, she would love and care for Bobby, and that he would always have a home with her.
Henry glanced at her and smiled, and it warmed her right through.
Following a discussion with the doctor at the hospital, they’d been allowed to see Christopher, and they’d sat with him for an hour and held his hands.
He’d been so pleased to see them and very grateful that they had found him when they had.
His primary concern though, had been for Bobby and how stressful it must have been for the dog when he had passed out.
Rosa, Henry, and Vinnie had agreed that Christopher was not be left alone for long and they’d devised a timetable between them to ensure that one of them was always with him or at least nearby.
They were conscious of wanting to be supportive but also to allow Christopher to be independent because he valued that highly, and had been stubborn in his refusal when they’d broached the subject of having carers come in too.
He’d said he was well enough to wash and dress himself and would do so for as long as he was able and they’d had to agree that he was.
When they reached the beach, Henry parked the wheelchair next to a bench and put the brake on. Vinnie took Bobby down to the sand and unclipped his lead, then he threw the ball he’d brought for Bobby.
‘Ahhh … Look at him go!’ Christopher said as he watched Bobby’s joy. ‘I love watching him play like this.’
‘He’s adorable.’ Rosa nodded.
‘Tea?’ Henry had got the flask out of his rucksack, and he poured them all a drink, then handed Christopher one.
‘This is the life.’ Christopher sipped his tea and gazed out at the beach.
Rosa shuffled across the bench so she was sitting right by Henry, and he took her free hand and held it tight. She loved it when he did this, as naturally as if he’d been doing it his whole life. He was such a kind man, and he was, day by day, restoring her faith in love and giving her hope that she could look forward to a future with him.
After half an hour of playing, Bobby, and Vinnie returned to them and they gave Bobby some water, then walked up to the café. The air was fresh but they were all wrapped up in hats, gloves, and warm coats, and Christopher had three blankets around him to ensure that he stayed cosy.
‘There you go,’ Rosa held open the gate so Henry could push the wheelchair through, then she waited for Vinnie and Bobby to follow before going through herself. They were like a family unit, she often thought, looking out for one another with love and support.
Inside the café, Rosa went to the counter and Pearl greeted her with a smile, then she came around and hugged her.
‘Everything ready?’ Rosa asked.
‘All ready, my dear.’ Pearl gave an exaggerated wink, then she went through the door to the kitchen and Rosa joined Henry, Christopher, Vinnie, and Bobby at the table by the green leather sofa.
They removed all their layers and then Rosa handed Christopher a menu. ‘See what you fancy,’ she said.
When Ellie and Pearl came through the kitchen door, Henry nudged her and she said, ‘Oh my goodness! Whatever have you got there?’
They all turned and Pearl said, ‘One. Two. Three!’
She walked towards them holding the birthday cake with lit candles and frosted cream icing.
‘Happy Birthday to you!’ They all sang along as Christopher gaped at them, his mouth open and eyes wide. When he realised what was happening, tears filled his eyes and Rosa got up and hugged him tight.
Pearl set the cake down on the table just as they finished singing.
‘How did you … How did you know?’ Christopher asked, wiping at his eyes with a tissue Rosa had given him.
‘I saw it on the calendar in the kitchen,’ Rosa explained. The calendar was from three years ago, but Christopher had kept it because it was from the year he’d lost his wife. Dolly had filled in all their significant dates on it so Rosa had known Christopher’s birthday was coming up. ‘Happy 93rd Birthday!’
Christopher looked at the candles and said, ‘I don’t think I have the capacity to blow them all out.’
‘I’ll help you.’
They blew them out together and then Pearl cut the cake into slices and handed them around on the small plates Ellie had brought from the kitchen.
As they ate the cake and drank tea, Rosa looked at her new family. Her heart brimmed with happiness and love and she knew that from here on, everything would be OK.
She had friends. She had her dream bookshop. She had Henry’s love. And she had a new beginning in Cornwall.
She’d been to rock bottom, and now she was on cloud nine. When you have love, you have everything, she thought, as Henry took her hand and kissed the palm.
And here she was after a wonderful autumn, celebrating with her family at The Cornish Garden Café, and looking forward to extending that family with Henry.
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