Althea Dove

My sister, Althea, was there when I had my accident. Now, our bond has grown stronger than ever.

I’ll do anything for Althea. She has proved she’ll do the same for me

Althea was with me when I fell. She was jogging by my side, chatting and smiling as we headed home, our minds on breakfast and the day ahead. She saw me trip over, watched me writhe in agony on the ground. She heard me scream but kept me calm and conscious, waiting for the ambulance. She never left my side.

We’re just two years apart in age and we’ve always been close. But when something like that tears your world apart, the shockwaves of trauma pull you one way or the other. Althea could have distanced herself, and hid in a cocoon of her own protection to shelter from the grief. But she didn’t.

Instead, my little sister faced tragedy head-on. She came to see me every day, brought me treats and played silly games for hours to distract me. When my tears refused to stop, she climbed into my hospital bed and held me close, her head resting gently on my shoulder. Knowing that she was the only person who had been there on the path that morning when my life changed for ever bound us in a profound, impenetrable way. Our friendship deepened beyond anything I’d imagined possible.

I know I can never truly understand what went through Althea’s mind when I fell. For me, those early days

in hospital are a blur. For her, they remain searing and vivid. I’m aware that being a witness to my pain has had a deep impact on her, and this knowledge fills me with an overwhelming protective instinct. I will, quite literally, do anything for Althea. And she has proved she’ll do the same for me.

Being sisters is one thing; being friends is another. Eight months after the accident, Althea and I moved in together, and we’ve just bought a flat in London. When I am having a particularly bad day, she cooks me dinner and makes me smile. She knows me better than anyone else. My debut novel, Five Steps To

Happy, is dedicated to Althea. ‘For Althea,’ it reads, ‘who has always been there to catch me, even before I fell.’ I can’t think of truer words to sum up our connection, because Althea is more than a sister. She is my best friend.