Vicki Gunvalson Opens Up on Mom's Death and BF Brooks Ayers' Cancer Battle

"The Real Housewives of Orange County” star Vicki Gunvalson sat down with “Extra's” Renee Bargh to discuss how she is coping after her mom's death.

“I just had a prayer garden built out there for me. I go out there every morning and the chimes are chiming right now, which means she's talking to me… I miss her a lot. I'm one of five children… we're all not doing well, it's kind of a big void," the 53-year-old reality star said.

Vicki also recalled the moment she got the phone call about her mom's passing. “I kind of blacked out when that happened… I'd just talked to her, she had dinner in the oven, she laid down on her bed, must have not being feeling well. She was dead. My brother found her a couple hours later.”

She continued, “Makes you realize, too, how precious life is, and when I said goodbye to her, I never really thought it was gonna be the last time I said goodbye. I always told her I loved her.”

Vicki has become a household name from the reality show, but her mom was not a big fan. “She always told me to get off the show, that it was ruining my life, and I'm like, 'Mom, I'm fine, it's good.' She was not a believer in the show. She thought it destroyed relationships," Vicki revealed.

Now she is trying not to lose another loved one — her boyfriend Brooks Ayers, who is battling cancer. "We are hopeful, promising on his health. He had a recent scan last week. The lesions are decreasing and his blood work is coming back better, so everything we're doing is working.”

She is currently taking care of Brooks at her Coto de Caza home, where they are becoming stronger as a couple. “We have a great relationship. I like being with him. He's a great companion, he's a great person. Unfortunately, the show hasn't portrayed him that way.”