Over the next week he was discharged from hospital and was allowed to come back home. He had started radiotherapy and he had persuaded her to get some air with Sophie whilst he had another radiotherapy session. He came home and found the house seemed quiet without her and his daughter. Betty sat next to him on the floor, by the sofa and he lay down as he felt an increasing amount of nausea. He flicked through photographs on his phone, a smile on his face as he saw a few of him and Connie. She had shown him more human decency than he thought was possible from one person, and he knew he would never have got he same level of support from Bex.
"Hi sweetheart," she smiled as she got home with Sophie. She placed their sleeping daughter onto the opposite sofa, surrounded her with pillows, before turning and walking over to where he lay.
"Hi Con," he smiled, watching as she kneeled beside him and kissed his lips,
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay," he told her, albeit not very convincingly,
"Tell me the truth Jacob, I know you remember," she smiled gently,
"I feel awful... Like I've been hit by a truck ," he admitted,
"There isn't a part of me that doesn't ache,"
She ran her hand over his cheek, before running her thumb over his lips. She kissed his cheek softly, "move over, I want to curl up with you,"
He held her too him, "I'm sorry... We started as fun and lust and sex and I can't do any of that at the moment,"
"I love you Jacob Masters," she smiled, "we will be back to sex and lust and fun once you're through all of this,"
"I can't even look after our daughter, or walk our dog," he uttered and she cuddled into him as tears rolled down his cheeks, "I know you're tired, looking after everyone... Sophie, Betty, the house and now me is making you tired,"
"I don't mind," she told him honestly, "if it means I can fall asleep with you every night I'd do this and more,"
She caught the glimpse of tears in his dark eyes and she kissed his forehead softly,
"Sweetheart," she whispered, "please don't cry,"
"You deserve better than this," he told her, and she shook her head,
"Stop it Jacob... I want you,"
She burst into tears and he held her to him, "now I've made you cry," he smiled, holding her tightly, "I'm sorry... Once this is over I'm going to take you away and show you just how much I love you,"
She sobbed into his chest, holding onto his t-shirt, "I love you so very much," he told her and she cried even harder,
"I love you too..." She uttered and he held her as she cried, "just made sure you keep fighting this... I can't live without you."
He pulled the blanket up over them and cuddled her gently, "you're the love of my life Connie Beauchamp," he whispered against my hair, "I will fight forever for you,"
