The weekend after Ethan had fled her cottage, she had sent him a text to apologise and three days later he had replied, as if he’d had to take the time to think about how to respond. He’d told her she had no need to say sorry then apologised for leaving as he had and asked if it was okay to pick up his ladder. He had come an hour later and Lila had opened the door, handed him the ladder and the picnic basket (that he seemed to have forgotten about) then they’d made stilted conversation. Ethan had looked awful. His skin had been pale, dark shadows sat under his eyes and she’d longed to invite him in for coffee and a chat but been afraid that he might think she wanted more.
So, instead, she’d wished him well and he’d left, hopefully to go back to bed for a few hours judging by how tired he’d seemed. Everyone had things to work through and Ethan seemed to be in that place right now. Lila knew from her own experience that the kindest thing she could do would be to give him space. If he wanted to speak to her, to be friends as he’d told her he did, then she’d be there when he felt ready to talk.
‘Come on then, Cleo, let’s strip the bed so I can get the sheets on the line to dry. It’s a beautiful day and there’s nothing better than line dried sheets, is there?’
Cleo meowed then jumped off Lila’s lap and they made their way upstairs. Simple pleasures like fresh bed linen, hot cups of tea, and food with friends were things that Lila was learning to treasure. She had always appreciated them but as she healed from her breakup with Ben, she was seeing things as if through new eyes and she liked valuing the things that really mattered.
‘Morning, Mum.’
Ethan carried the mug of tea to his mother’s bedside table and set it down on a coaster. The room was dark and his mum had slept in much later than usual, so he’d come to wake her up because he knew she hated missing what she called ‘the best part of the day’.
He opened the curtains and turned back to the bed, expecting to see his mother rubbing her eyes and yawning, but she was lying on the floor beside the bed and she was completely still.
The room was deathly quiet.
He held his breath and listened, strained to hear her exhale, shuffle or even emit a little snore.
Nothing.
‘Mum!’
He rushed over to her and gasped. Her face was grey, her lips blue and her hands were pressed to her chest.
‘Mum! Are you okay?’
He pulled his mobile from his pocket and dialled 999.
‘That was awful!’ Roxie bustled into Lila’s hallway, her eyes wide and face pale.
‘What was?’ Lila took hold of Roxie’s shoulders and rubbed them gently, hoping to reassure her friend.
‘Didn’t you hear the siren?’
‘What siren?’
‘Oh, Lila… An ambulance came hurtling through the village and stopped in front of Freda Morris’s house. The paramedics went inside and when they emerged they had Freda on a stretcher.’
‘What?’ Lila’s stomach dropped to her slippers. ‘Is she okay?’
‘I honestly don’t know. She had an oxygen mask on and Ethan was at her side, poor man. He got in the ambulance with her and it sped away.’
Lila tried to process what Roxie was telling her. Ethan’s mother had been taken to hospital. That was worrying, especially the fact that she’d been taken in an ambulance. She hoped with all her heart that Freda would be all right and that Ethan would too. Suddenly, the past few weeks of questioning his behaviour and her own, especially the kiss they’d shared seemed irrelevant. As far as Lila knew, Ethan had no one else and she wanted to be there for him.
‘I have to go to the hospital.’
‘What?’ Roxie frowned at Lila. ‘But why?’
‘I can’t leave him there alone. He has no one else.’
‘Lila… he’s not your responsibility.’
‘I know that, Roxie, but he’s a friend and… you’d help a friend in need wouldn’t you? Hell, you’d help anyone in need.’
Roxie nodded. ‘That’s true. I hate the thought of anyone struggling alone.’
‘Well I feel the same. Ethan might not be the man for me but he’s definitely a friend, and even if he decides that he doesn’t want that from me, I don’t care. I just want to let him know that I’m here if he needs me.’
‘Then go get him, girl!’ Roxie smiled. ‘He’ll be glad to have you there, I’m sure.’
Lila grabbed her bag from the kitchen and her coat off the hook in the hallway. ‘Will you feed the cats if I’m out all day?’
‘Of course I will.’
‘You have your key?’
‘I do.’
‘Good. I’ll let you know what’s happening.’
‘Please do. And Lila?’
‘Yes?’ Lila was already opening the door and she swayed with impatience, keen to get to Ethan as quickly as possible.
‘Please take care.’
‘Of course I will.’
She stepped out into the street.
‘Lila!’
‘Yes?’ She ground her teeth together.
‘One more thing.’
‘Yes, Roxie?’
‘You might want to change your footwear.’
Lila glanced down at her feet. She was still wearing her hedgehog slippers and they wouldn’t be great for driving in. Roxie was right; she had better put some shoes on.
Ethan paced the hallways of the cardiac intensive care unit. His mother had been rushed into surgery following their arrival at the hospital. The operation had been successful and the consultant surgeon had told him that his mum had a blocked coronary artery and it had caused angina. The pain had caused her to faint when she’d tried to get out of bed. They’d performed a coronary angioplasty to stretch open the artery then placed a stent there to allow the blood to flow more freely. Apparently, his mother could go on to make a full recovery, but she would need to watch her diet and to avoid stress where possible.
Ethan had been confused about why this had happened to his mother, because to his knowledge, she lived a healthy lifestyle, but the consultant surgeon had told him that it could happen to anyone, although certain factors could make it worse. In Freda’s case, one of the main coronary arteries had become narrowed and hardened, which had led to angina. It was likely that it had been triggered by stress or physical activity. Ethan was devastated at the thought that his mother could have been so stressed that it affected her health, but the consultant reassured him that it was most likely an accumulation of factors. It could also be hereditary, so the consultant had advised Ethan to visit his GP for advice and possibly some tests.
‘Ethan?’
He froze. He’d thought he was alone here, completely alone. He hated hospitals, found the clinical scents brought back so many awful memories of Tilly’s cancer battle. The sounds of hushed voices and beeping machines, of soft-soled shoes and scrubs swishing as medical staff moved around the wards all gave him chills. He was battling to stay strong, to keep his head above water but it was so difficult and all he wanted was someone to lean on.
‘Ethan?’
A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to find Lila standing there, her face etched with concern, her eyes glistening.