Professional Disaster

Chapter 28

"Yeah, my father is on the mainland working. Come over." It was late at night. Arabella was in the living room of her home, relaxing on the couch while eating a few chocolates. She decided to phone up her now-boyfriend for him to come to spend some time with her while her father was out.

Without hesitation, Ethan replied happily with a yes and swiftly made his way over in his comfy clothes. The moment he got into the home he wrapped his large arms around Ari's smaller frame, pulling her back onto the sofa and pulling the blanket over the two. They were watching something neither knew the name of but nevertheless enjoyed.

Ethan kept pecking small kisses along Ari's head leaving a permanent smile to be placed upon her lips. Seconds later Kimberly entered with a phone to her ear, rambling on about something the two had no idea about. She only gave the two one look, too busy to even say anything.

Ethan looked down at Ari with alert eyes but she simply shook her head knowingly. "She knows."

"Your mum knows?" He asked for clarification. She nodded her head with a hum. "Does your father know?"

"If my father knew we wouldn't be laying here, would we?" She cuddled closer, burying her face in his neck, and leaving a few kisses.

"You make a good point." He chuckled, running his hand up and down her back. But the moment was then interrupted by the sound of someone entering the home ringing through their ears. Arabella jumped up and sat at the opposite end of the couch to her boyfriend, still choosing to hide from everyone at the moment - Kim also agreeing to keep it a secret.

Savanna and Cole stepped into the living room and they did not look happy. They look exhausted, emotionally exhausted. Kim hung up the phone and asked her best friends what was wrong, but instead of answering the question, Savannah's reply only aroused more questions. "I've phoned Robert and the rest of the family, I need to speak to you all, we need to speak to you all." She looked to Cole who had his arm on her waist, pulling her closer.

"Well I know you aren't pregnant, so what's wrong?" Kim furrowed her brows.

"You'll find out at the same time as everyone else. They should be here soon." Arabella and Ethan looked at each other from the corner of their eyes, confusion plastered all over their faces.

As if on cue the younger generation of men entered the living room. Jenkin walked to the couch nearest his Mother, saying hello to her, asking if she was okay and then taking a seat. Jackson followed his friend and took a seat to his left. "What's going on?" He asked his big sister.

"Wait for Robert and Elijah."

And just as Savannah said those words Elijah's voice was heard. "We're here." Both the men's faces held worry, they had just been told to get back as soon as possible as the Ramsey's needed to tell the group something important and they wanted to do it with everyone present.

Everyone was in their seats waiting for the couple to speak up. "So, I've had some bad news today, which doesn't affect me, but it does if I decide that what my idea is now, is indeed the best one." Savannah begun.

Everyone stayed silent, waiting for either of the two to get to the point. Cole was quiet, he was giving his wife physical reassurance making everyone believe that what Sav was about to say was serious. "My dad called today," she took a moment to breathe. "Zoe has been diagnosed with cancer."

"Your sister?" Arabella covered her mouth with her hand.

"Zoe has cancer?" Jackson's eyes grew wide. His sister had cancer?

"Yeah." Savannah nodded, biting down on her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. Jenkin let out an audible sigh and scooched closer to his friend, patting his back in a supporting manner.

"S-so, what do we do?" Jackson asked. Everyone around the room was in shock. That was most definitely not what they were expecting to hear. They felt awful. Robert stared at the ground, barely blinking. He remembered watching as his kids played with Jackson and Zoe in their garden as babies. Now she has cancer?

Elijah was scratching the back of his head, staring at his little brother who was rubbing the balls of his hands together - something he did when nervous. He remembered the first time Savannah took Zoe to meet Ethan. Elijah needed to go somewhere and Ethan was only making it difficult. He came back to collect him to see his little five-year-old brother dressed up as a fairy princess with makeup all over his face.

Arabella wasn't as close with Zoe as she had been with Isabella or Jackson. Zoe hadn't come back from London when Jackson had. She couldn't blame her, she had built a whole life there. She just remembered seeing photos in the albums of them together as babies. But she had sympathy. Empathy. It was an awful thing. The worst news a family could hear.

"What did you think was the best thing to do?" Kimberly spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

Savannah looked at her husband. Cole opened his mouth to speak. "We think we should move to the mainland and become her main caregivers. Even though she's young, the cancer is bad and if it spreads to her brain she will most likely lose her mind. She needs to be taken care of."

Jackson was sobbing into his hands. He couldn't believe what he was being told.

Robert asked the question which was going through everyone's mind. "So does that mean you'll be-"

"We will be leaving the company," Cole confirmed with a sad nod. "And because of all the treatment she needs we won't be seeing you much. And the more diseases she's exposed to the worse she can get. Her immune system will be down. We can't risk it." Savannah spoke in complete and utter sadness. It was tough enough that she could lose her little sister, but to also lose her job, lose her home, lose her family.

"Why can't they do it?!" Jackson burst, feeling the tears keep escaping his eyes. "Why can't our parents do it? Why can't they look after their Daughter? It's as if it's not enough knowing I could lose Zoe, now I'm barely going to get to see you?"

"You know how they are. And they're getting old themselves, they can't be taking care of her." Savannah sighed, feeling tears fall from her eyes at her Brother's outburst.

"How soon will you be leaving?" Elijah spoke up for the first time in a few minutes.

"Not yet. A few weeks. She's starting treatment in London so she can spend more time with her friends, but once the chemo begins to wear her down she will be coming over. We just thought we'd give you time to get to grips with the fact we won't be around anymore. And if anything changes, if she suddenly gets worse then we will have to leave right away." Cole answered this time.

Jackson stood to his feet, mumbling incoherent words through his waterfall of tears. Savannah wrapped her arms around her little brother - even if he was now bigger than her with all the training he was going through - and comforted him. Everyone was crying, at least a couple of tears spilling from their eyes. A poor girl has cancer, a girl who deserves nothing but happiness.

Cole wrapped his arms around his wife and brother-in-law. "I love you all so much." Savannah sniffled. "I really do."