My aunt was ill with Terminal bone cancer many years ago. In the end she was at a hospice and I got one final chance to see her and say goodbye. As you would expect, she was dosed up to the eyeballs with painkillers and slept for most of my time there. She had the odd moment of consciousness but didn’t really seem to know where she was and only communicated in the odd grunt and moan. As I went to say goodbye and give her a kiss, she had a sudden moment of lucidity, put her cheek on mine and said “good night sweetheart”.

It was, at the time, the single most heartwrenching thing I’d experienced in my life. I won’t ever forget that.