‘Sure, Mom, be there in about ten minutes.’ Putting the phone down, Vanessa thought that her mother had sounded a bit… funny. Frazzled, maybe. Vanessa wondered what could be so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow when she dropped Ty off before work. A knot of worry began to grow in her stomach. What could it be? She wondered if maybe she’d done something to offend her mom and that’s what she wanted to talk to her about, but it was no good guessing.

‘Mom?’ she called as she used her key to unlock the front door.

‘In the lounge, honey.’

She walked into the lounge and saw her mom sitting on one end of the couch, her dad on the other. She frowned. ‘What’s he doing here?’ Vanessa asked, striving and failing for neutrality.

Her mom sighed as if she’d rather be having any other conversation. ‘I invited him.’

‘So what, he’s back in your life now, just like that?’

‘It’s not like that, Ness, and even if it was, it’s none of your business.’

Vanessa was taken aback by her mom’s stinging words but had none of her own with which to retort.

‘I’m sorry, honey, it’s just, I’m going through something and your dad has been helping me through it. Actually, he’s been a huge help and support to me, but now it’s got to the point where I need to tell you.’

‘Tell me what?’ she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. ‘Mom, you’re scaring me.’

Her mom looked at her dad, who covered her hand with his own. That gesture alone filled her with fear. ‘Mom?’

‘I… I… have breast cancer. Stage four. They’ve given me six months.’ She stopped talking, giving Vanessa a minute to process the information her mother had just dropped on her like a ton of bricks. Her mom had breast cancer? How, when did this happen? Her eyes filled with tears that sped down her cheeks, coating them in glistening droplets in a matter of seconds.

‘Six months till what?’

Her mom sighed. ‘To live.’

Vanessa was stunned into silence for a long time. ‘How long have you known?’ she finally asked, her tearful eyes meeting her mom’s calm and accepting ones.

‘Two months.’

‘Oh, Mom, isn’t there anything they can do for you?’ She hiccupped back her tears, covering her mouth.

‘No, they caught it too late and I’m not spending what little time I have left in a hospital being poked and prodded. I’d rather be at home with my family.’

‘Mom! You’ve been looking after the boys this whole time!’ she said in dismay. ‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I would have found someone else to take them.’

‘That’s exactly what I didn’t want. I want to spend as much time with my family as I possibly can. Your dad is moving back into the house to care for me until…’