My final week was rushing by and I would soon be leaving. Life for Eleanor and the boys was slowly returning to something near normal. Eleanor had had her sessions reduced to three times a week and Oliver was looking much more relaxed. He assured me he could cope on his own now. Eleanor had started to cook the occasional meal. I was hopeful she would continue to improve once I had left. And she insisted on cooking the meal on my last full day. It was a typical English Sunday roast, even though it was a Thursday.
While she was cooking, it allowed Oliver and me to have a little quiet time together. We wandered into the garden. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said when we were out of hearing of any of the others. “I dread to think where we would have been without you. Both Eleanor and the boys would probably be in very dark places. I didn’t realize how much I was floundering. They like you a lot.”
“And you?” I asked myself. “Do you like me or do you feel anything more?” But I couldn’t ask the question aloud. I dreaded the thought that he would answer in the negative. Instead, I replied: “I think it was because I was a woman. I don’t think Eleanor would have allowed you to wash her hair or insist she changed her clothes. And I wasn’t close to her, at the beginning. I felt I could risk saying things. If she didn’t like what I said, I didn’t have much to lose. On the other hand, you had a great deal to lose.”
“But she thinks highly of you. I can almost believe she loves you,” Oliver interrupted.
“And I’ve come to love her. And the boys. I just hope everything comes good with Harold. Do you know what the doctors think now?” There was nothing other than what we had already been told. Shortly after, Frank was sent to fetch us for our meal. It was the first meal I hadn’t cooked myself since I’d arrived and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The next day I made my final visit to say goodbye to Harold before we set out for the airport. As expected, there was no change. For a few minutes I was alone with him and spoke to him. I knew he couldn't hear me, but I told him how much his family needed him to get better. I felt moved to kiss his forehead as I said goodbye. I really wanted him to get better.
They all came to see me off at the airport and there were tears aplenty as we said our goodbyes. Eleanor struggled to say how much she was going to miss me as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I hope you’ll come back and see us soon,” she said as she released me. I promised I would do what I could.
Oliver had bought me a webcam for my computer and provided instructions on how to use Skype so we could see each other as well as talk to each other. And then he took me in his arms and hugged me. How I wanted him to kiss me but he only kissed my cheek.
“I’m going to miss having you around,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed my cheek. “I won’t forget what you’ve done for my family.” And then it was time for me to go through passport control and out of their sight.