Cora was still in bed, when Oliver walked in. "Are you feeling alright, mama?"

"I am, it is just my back. Nothing to worry about. Did you talk with your father?" Cora tried sitting up in bed but needed Oliver's help. He stuffed some pillows behind her back and sat next to her.

"Dad isn't home, I came to talk, but I couldn't find him. I made a big mistake."

"No, you haven't. You like Patricia and you want to be together. Of course, I would have preferred it if you introduced us to her earlier. But you didn't, and that is alright. Your father will calm down eventually." Cora squeezed Oliver's hand. "Now help your old mother up, so I can start the day."

"Mum! You are not old."

"Darling, I am turning 71 next week."

"70 is the new 40." Oliver smiled and helped his mother out of bed. "You need to go to a doctor for your back mama." He said with a worried voice.

Cora called Robert. "Where are you darling?"

"I am just outside the building, I….." his voice trailed off.

"Darling, I am coming down, we will go for a walk." Cora got in her shoes and took the elevator down. She found Robert on a bench watching the boats on the river Thames. She rested her hands on his shoulders, he put his hands on hers and she stood a while behind her husband. Stiffly she bent down to kiss him. Robert noticed how hard it was for her to bend down.

"Darling, you really need to get a look at your back." He said while standing up.

"You sound like Oliver. Darling, I am just old."

"Then I am already dead, please can you go to a doctor?"

Cora took Robert's hand, "only to reassure you. It will turn out to be nothing. Come, we will walk." She hooked her arm in Robert's and they walked along the Thames.

"Why do you think, Oliver did what he did?" Robert asked after a few moments of silence.

Cora raised her shoulders. "I really think he is madly in love with Patricia and didn't think about it. They have lived together for the last 4 months. And darling, he is like you. He acts before he thinks." Cora leaned in on Robert.

He took a deep breath. "I thought we had raised him differently."

"But, darling, is this really so wrong? He asked her father for her hand, so he did everything else according to your book." Cora looked up at Robert. He had a deep frown on his forehead. "Darling?"

Robert stopped walking. "I guess I overreacted?" His frown got deeper.

Cora chuckled. "Maybe a little bit. Oh darling, don't frown. Oliver will be happy. All four of our children are happy, what can we ask more?"

"You are right, as always." He kissed her.

Oliver and Patricia had a big wedding. The wedding venue was at The Shard. The day was filled with lots of love. It started early in the morning, with Oliver picking up Patricia at her parent's house.

The ceremony was at The Shard and afterwards they went to the same church, Cora and Robert got married. The reception, dinner and party were also at The Shard.

Robert had danced with all his daughters and ended the evening with Cora in his arms. She was still like butter in his hands on the dance floor, so smooth. But at the end of the evening, he felt Cora's movements weren't as smooth anymore.

"We could sneak out and just go home." He said softly in her ear, and he felt Cora relax.

"Could we really do that? I have to admit, I can hardly stand on my feet anymore."

Robert felt stupid for not noticing how tired she was. They said goodbye to Oliver and Patricia.

Back at home, Cora had troubles getting up the stairs. Each step clearly hurt her. Robert helped her and had put his warm hands on her back.

With one hand on the rail and one on her back Cora smiled at Robert. "I enjoyed myself today, but I am really worn out."

"Darling, you can sleep downstairs. I will get everything you need."

"I am afraid going down, will cause the same problems. No, up it is." And she slowly carried on dragging herself up.

Once Robert helped Cora to lay down and put a warm water bottle on her back, he went down to call for a doctor. This pain was worrisome.

When the doctor arrived, Cora was still awake. She was surprised to see her. "Robert? I would have called in the morning. This isn't necessary."

"Mrs. Crawley, it is alright. I suggested myself to come and take a look right now. Where is the pain?"

Cora described where she was having troubles.

"I will do some quick tests , can you sit on the edge of the bed?"

"If you help me, I can." Cora got up with her help, but her face was in a grimace.

She needed to do some exercises and all the time Robert looked at her with a worried look. Everything Cora needed to do clearly hurt her.

"That lump on your back, have you always, had it?"

"Not that I know of." Cora answered.

"No, you never had a lump on your back." Robert said.

"I am scheduling an MRI for you. We need to know what is going on inside your body."

"What are you thinking of?" Robert asked.

"It can be so many things, so we will have to wait for the MRI results. I will give you some painkillers, they will help you sleep, Mrs. Crawley."

"Oh no, that is not necessary. As long as I lay still, I am alright."

"I will prescribe them anyway. It is up to you to take them. I will call tomorrow."

Robert got out to get the painkillers, when he came back, Cora was asleep. He put the painkillers on her nightstand. And crawled in bed on his side of the bed.

Robert woke up from Cora who got back in bed. He looked at his alarm clock, it was 9 in the morning. He scooted over to Cora and kissed her collarbone. "Did you sleep?"

"I did, do we have plans today?"

"Not that I know off. Why?"

"I will stay in bed, getting up to go to the toilet worn me out already." She rested her head against Robert's. "Do you think it will be something bad?" She asked Robert.

"I really don't know, but that something is wrong, is obvious. I will make some breakfast, so you can eat here in bed."

"Thank you, darling."

The doctor had called and Cora got her MRI the upcoming Friday. To get through her day, she used the painkillers. She didn't want to stay in bed. She was exhausted, but could go on with her day as long as she took the painkillers.

That same afternoon she got a phone call, she needed to come in. Cora looked at Robert. "I think I am scared."

Robert wrapped his arms around her. "Whatever it is, we will face it together."

The news the doctor had wasn't very good. There was a tumour growing near her spine. She would get a puncture test to see what kind of tumour. But she needed an operation as soon as possible. The tumour was growing towards her spine and the doctor wanted it to be removed before it could attach to it.

That same evening they had called Mary, Matthew, George, Sybil, Tom, Sybbie, Edith, Bertie, Marigold, to come over. Oliver and Patricia were present via a video call, they were on honeymoon. They were all sitting in the living room with worried faces. They knew something was wrong. Why else would they all be here? Cora was sitting in a relax chair Robert had bought for her. She wasn't able to get up from the couch herself, but from this chair she could, although it was still hard.

"Darlings, I have to tell you something. I went to the hospital today for my back pain." Her eyes started to fill with tears. "They found….." She couldn't say anything, her voice strained away.

Robert filled in "You mother has a tumour near her spine. She needs an operation, to get it removed." He took Cora's hand in his.

"What kind of tumour," Sybil asked.

"We don't know that yet, they took a puncture this afternoon and we will get the results next week." Robert said

"But it is operable? Is it very close to the spine?"

"The doctor thinks she can remove it, but they need to act fast." Robert answered while rubbing his thumb over Cora's hand.

Sybil wanted to ask more questions, but Mary interrupted. "How is your pain level mama?"

"As long as I sit still, I am perfectly alright. I am just so incredibly tired all the time."

"Grandmamma, are you going to die?" Marigold asked. She stood next to Cora.

Cora cupped her cheek. "One day, I will. But we don't know when. We have to wait for the results darling."

"Mama?" Oliver's voice sounded out of the phone. "Do we need to come home?"

"No, no darling. No really, you and Patricia need to enjoy your honeymoon. I will be alright, I promise."

"She can't promise that." George whispered to Sybbie. Cora just smiled at them, pretending she didn't hear it.

Robert saw how tired Cora was. "We will know more soon, for now, let us enjoy everything we have. But I need to ask you all to leave. Your mama and grandmamma needs rest."

"Of course, you two had a long and stressful day." Edith said, bending down to kiss her mother.

Cora tried to get up, Matthew and Tom got up to help her. "Should we help you upstairs, mama?" Matthew asked.

"I will manage. Thank you. You can stay and talk with dad, I will go lay down." She started walking towards the stairs, but stopped at the first step. She turned around and looked for Robert. He was talking with Sybbie. Bertie saw her looking and stepped towards her. "Do you need a hand."

"Mama, wait, we will move your bed downstairs, you should not walk up those stairs anymore." Mary said.

Matthew, Tom and Bertie got upstairs, to move the bed downstairs to the guest bedroom.

Later that evening Robert got in bed next to Cora. He carefully slid his arm under her neck, so her head rested on his arm. "We will fight this together, darling. You are not alone"

A tear ran down her cheek, follow by many more. Robert kissed them away, talking in a low voice to her. He kept talking until Cora had fallen asleep.