Page 135 of The Other Side

“How am I going to explain this to Fi, to our parents, to anyone?” Will huffed. “Oh God.”

“You can’t reveal what I just did,” Kit said. “There’s no explanation that will make sense. You’ll have to tell those who saw you with cerebral palsy that there was a misdiagnosis and a new treatment. Better not to go for anymore check-ups at the hospital. Tell them you’ve moved or something.”

“You can’t do this for anyone else?” Will looked at Kit.

“It takes something from me when I do this. I have to be careful. But I wanted to help Drum and I really wanted to help you.”

“I want to kiss you,” Will whispered.

Osian grabbed Drum’s hand. “Our cue to wait outside.”

Osian closed the door behind them, smiled then exhaled heavily. “Looks like Fi is just finishing. Let’s go and have a word.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“Not about Will.”

Parents were driving the kids away as they approached Fi.

“Are you two going to give me a hand?” she called. “And I thought you were injured, Drum?”

“Nothing serious.” Drum smiled at her.

Drum and Osian cleaned a couple of stalls while Fi untacked the horses that had been ridden that morning and let them out into the paddock.

“Want to ride?” Fi asked when she came back to the stables.

Osian shook his head. “Not today.”

“This place is too much work for me,” she said quietly as the three of them leaned on the fence and watched the horses run across the grass. “You’ve no idea how much I look forward to the one month a year that you’re here. I pay some of the teenagers from the village but it runs the margins so thin.” She sighed, then turned to look at them. “Noel’s asked me to marry him.”

“That’s great,” Osian said. “Is he still farming near Hayden?”

“Yes. He wants me to sell up, move in with him and shift the riding business over there. Will can come too.”

“How does Will feel about that?” Drum asked.

“He was genuinely thrilled for me.” She chuckled. “He asked Noel why it had taken him so long, but he straightaway talked about moving to a flat in High Burton. He doesn’t want to be a burden.” She tsked. “He’s not a burden. He’s never been a burden. I want him with me. I can help look after him.” She wrung her hands and looked close to tears. “I don’t know what to do.”

Drum shot Osian a look.

Osian took out his phone and made a call. “Will… Come out here a minute and talk to your sister.”

“He’s aching today. He needs to stay indoors.”

“Watch,” Osian said.

She turned to face the house. “I don’t… I… I…”

Will was walking towards them with Kit at his side.

“What the… Will! Will!” Fi set off running.

As Will ran towards her, she fell to her knees, so did he and they wrapped their arms around each other.

“We can go,” Kit said quietly when he reached Drum and Osian. “Will’s going to tell her what he can.”

“Are you all right?” Drum asked.