A Celtic Knot Read online

  Copyright © 2010 Ana Corman

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1451593457

  ISBN-13: 9781451593457

  E-Book ISBN: 978-1-61550-971-3

  Acknowledgments

  BREAST CANCER HAS TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES. It’s an experience that has terrified, challenged, strengthened, galvanized, and united us. So many women have stood strong and proven we will not be defeated. I dedicate this book to all breast-cancer survivors and their loved ones who walked that difficult road together. Triumphantly.

  My mother is a breast-cancer survivor, and her experience sparked the creation of this book. Mom, I love you and celebrate your life.

  This story was created with the undying support and encouragement of my partner, Catherine. Your unconditional love feeds my imagination and fuels my desire to write. I cherish the intricately woven life I share with you. You fulfill me and make me complete. The Celtic knot symbolizes eternity—the eternity I plan to share with you. I love you with all my heart.

  A Celtic Knot would not be what it is without the guidance, creative input, and patient teaching of my editor, Lydia Bird. You challenged me and opened my mind to so many possibilities, allowing the story to take its final shape. You’ve made me a better writer. I thank you for that gift.

  Also by Ana Corman

  Tender Heart

  Bradley Bay

  Love Light

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty One

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Chapter Forty

  One

  CATHERINE CAREFULLY BROUGHT THE HOT MUG of latte to her lips before gently blowing away the steam. She held the mug in both hands and leaned her hip against the customer-service counter. She looked up to the second level of the bookstore and saw several dozen customers browsing the well-stocked aisles. Her eyes followed the child gripping tightly to her mother’s hand with her Dora doll safely tucked under her other arm. They slowly descended the wide staircase and headed for the checkout counter, then joined the four other people in line as the little girl looked back at Catherine and smiled. Catherine winked at her.

  A heavy book hit the floor with a dull thud and Catherine looked across the bookstore to the coffee shop. Two collegeage students scrambled to collect their scattered papers and textbook. The lunch-hour crowds were slowly clearing out of the coffee shop, but half the tables were still full of patrons. Crystal and Summer worked fluidly and swiftly behind the counter serving the customers with their usual bubbly charm.

  This year would be their tenth anniversary, and Catherine couldn’t believe they’d been open that long. Cocoa Cream was her vision. She’d always dreamed of a combination coffee shop and new-and-used bookstore. Its success spoke clearly in the steady stream of regulars who came in for a cup of specialty coffee or tea and to browse the rows of bookshelves.

  Catherine took a sip of her latte before setting her mug down on the counter. She frowned as the St. Patrick’s Day banner across the front of the customer-service desk bounced once then twice. She moved her coffee mug aside and looked over the edge. A clawless paw gripped the edge of the decoration as a pair of deep sea green eyes looked up at her. “Maya, cut that out. You’re going to ruin the decoration. Now get up here right now.”

  Cocoa Cream’s resident snow white Persian leapt gracefully onto the countertop and rubbed herself against Catherine’s belly. “You’re such a little imp. Now behave yourself, before I introduce you to the coffee grinder.” Maya dropped down onto her belly with her front paws curled under her chest like a royal kitty as Catherine massaged her face and neck. She heard a loud crash of several books and a long hushed curse from the mystery section. “Are you all right, Laura?”

  A tall, slender woman poked her auburn head around the antique timepiece that proudly stood guard between the horror and mystery books. “I’m fine. I didn’t need that toe anyway.”

  “Do you need a hand?”

  “No. I’ll be done in a minute. Don’t you have to get going to that doctor’s appointment?”

  Catherine glanced at the grandfather clock. “Pretty soon. Mom’s appointment’s at two. She’s in the back room organizing the new shipment of romance books. She’ll come get me when she’s ready. It’s probably a good way for her to burn off some nervous energy.”

  Laura grabbed an armful of books and made her way to the customer-service desk. Catherine took the books from her and eased them onto the countertop. “We do have carts you can use to haul these books around, you know. You’re liable to give yourself a hernia, and then that lawyer husband of yours will sue me for every last penny I have.”

  Laura’s laughter filled the air. “If my pregnancies didn’t give me a hernia, nothing will. Besides, Kevin loves you as much as he loves me. Your piggy bank is safe from him.”

  “There you both are.”

  Catherine turned as her mother approach. Dana O’Grady had just turned fifty-five and looked at least ten years younger. Her dark flowing hair and creamy Irish complexion were flawless. She exuded boundless energy and a fighting Irish spirit that awed and inspired Catherine.

  Catherine noticed the frown creasing her mother’s forehead. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  Dana gently rubbed Maya’s chin. “I just got off the phone with Ruth. Her mother fell and broke her hip this morning. She’s flying out to Phoenix to be with her. We’ll be seen by her partner Dr. Carrington this afternoon.”

  “How awful. I hope she’ll be all right.”

  “Me, too. I’m worried about both of them. I told her to call and let us know what’s happening.”

  Catherine laid her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “These appointments are stressful enough for you when we see Dr. Ratcliff. Why don’t we change your appointment till she gets back? We don’t know this Dr. Carrington, and he doesn’t know your history.”

  “The he is a she, Dr. Olivia Carrington, and I do know her. I’ve met with several of her patients in the Comfort Program. I really like her.”

  Catherine was proud of the work her mother did with other cancer patients, but it wasn’t something they talked about often.

  “Anyway, there’s no way I’m prolonging this appointment for another day. All Dr. Carrington has to do is tell us the results of my mammogram. Hopefully it’ll all be good and we can run out of that office and not return for another year.”

  Catherine saw that determined look in her mother’s light blue eyes and knew the subject was settled. “All right. I’ll grab my purse if
you’re ready to go.”

  Dana inhaled deeply. “I hate this feeling.”

  Catherine reached for her mother’s hand and held it gently. “I know you do, Mom.”

  Dana squeezed her hand and forced a smiled. “Let’s go get this over with.”

  Laura stepped around the counter and hugged Dana close. “Good luck. I’m praying for you. I’ll call you later to hear the good results.”

  Dana kissed her cheek. “I appreciate your prayers, Laura. Thank you.”

  Catherine took Maya’s furry little face in her hands and touched her nose to the beautiful squished face. “Be a good guard kitty and keep the store safe from mean people and dangerous lesbians.”

  Two

  THE CLICK CLICKING OF THE PEN shattered the quiet of the examination room. Dana peered over her Better Homes and Gardens at her daughter sitting in a chair a few feet away. Catherine’s legs were crossed and her right leg was swinging to the clicking rhythm of the pen. She was holding a pamphlet on breast-cancer research and Dana knew she was not absorbing a word. This cold room had the same nerve-shattering affect on both of them as it had five years ago.

  The clicking continued as Dana placed the magazine down on the examination table beside her. She wrapped the flimsy, scratchy hospital gown tighter around her. “Catherine, please stop.”

  Catherine glanced up surprised, then looked at the pen and tucked it in the inside pocket of her jacket. “Sorry, Mom.”

  “I don’t know which one of us is more nervous, me or you.”

  Catherine tossed the brochure on the counter and stood up. “I hate this place. I just hate that you have to come back here year after year for your checkups only to be reminded of what you went through.”

  Dana slipped her hand into her daughter’s. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  Both women turned as they heard hushed voices outside the door. A sharp, loud knock sounded before the door opened and two men and two women in lab coats with stethoscopes draped around their necks entered the room. A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, a long greasy ponytail, and a receding hairline stood before Dana.

  “Mrs. O’Grady, I’m Dr. Snyder. I’m the new resident in the surgical oncology service. As you heard, Dr. Ratcliff felt she needed to tend to a family situation. Behind me are three medical students who will be observing my techniques. We’re on a very tight schedule today, so I’d like to begin.”

  Dana hugged the gown tight across her chest. She looked over his shoulder at the scrubbed young faces of the bewildered medical students. Catherine stood ramrod stiff at her side.

  Dr. Snyder sighed heavily as he thumbed through her file. He licked his thumb and flipped through several more pages without even looking up at her. He slapped the file closed and tucked it under his arm. He turned his back on Dana and Catherine and faced the medical students.

  “Mrs. O’Grady is a fifty-five-year-old patient of Dr. Ratcliff’s. She was diagnosed five years ago with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the right breast. This type of breast cancer is found in seventy percent of the women diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer cells originate in the ducts and start invading the surrounding fatty tissue. The prognosis depends on how fast the cancer is growing, if it has spread to any organs and which ones, and the response to treatment. Mrs. O’Grady had a lumpectomy and radiation therapy and is currently on Tamoxifen. If there are no questions, I would like to proceed to the examination of the breast.”

  Dr. Snyder dropped the file onto the counter beside Dana and looked at her with beady eyes. “Mrs. O’Grady, will you take off your gown?”

  Dana wrapped the gown tighter across her chest. “I’ll do no such thing. Where’s Dr. Carrington? She’s the one we expected to see today.”

  Catherine stepped in front of her mother, forcing Dr. Snyder to take a stumbling step backward. “Who the hell do you think you are? In five years we’ve never been seen by anyone but Dr. Ratcliff, and we’re not about to tolerate this kind of treatment. As for your precious tight schedule, we’ve been patiently sitting in this freezing-cold room for forty-five minutes—if you think your time is any more valuable than ours, you’re sadly mistaken.”

  Dana wasn’t sure if she should stop her daughter or applaud. And Catherine wasn’t finished with Dr. Snyder. “My mother is not just another breast. She’s a breast-cancer survivor who’s endured countless physical examinations that have left her feeling completely stripped of her modesty. I will not stand here and let you treat her like just another patient who you need to rush along on an assembly line. So, no, she will not take her gown off. I suggest you take your king-size ego and pathetic manners and go find yourself a breast implant and see if it wants to play your macho games.”

  Hurrying down the hall, Olivia Carrington could hear the barrage of furious words from inside the examination room. Could this day possibly get any worse? She was worried about Ruth and her mother, and hadn’t had a chance to call and check on them. She’d worked right through the lunch hour and was in dire need of a bathroom break. She felt pulled in a million directions. The argument spilling from the examination room was clearly one more fire she would need to put out.

  She opened the door and entered the crowded room. To her right, Dr. Snyder stood cowering with his medical students. Dana O’Grady sat nervously on the edge of the examination table. Next to her stood the young woman clearly responsible for the angry words. Dana O’Grady’s daughter was stunning, despite the talons ready to strike—slim, with short auburn hair and eloquent eyes. Her protective stance exuded her profound closeness to her mother. Olivia forced herself to look away from this high-spirited beauty and moved next to Dana. She gently took her hands. “Hello, Dana. It’s a pleasure to see you, as always.”

  “I’m so glad to see you, Olivia. However, we’re not so happy with your choice of residents.”

  “So I heard.”

  Dana smiled and gestured to Catherine. “Dr. Olivia Carrington, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Catherine.”

  Their eyes locked. A myriad of intense emotions swirled in Catherine’s sea blue eyes. Olivia cautiously extended her hand. “Hello, Catherine.”

  Catherine folded her arms across her chest. “How nice of you to take the time to join us, Dr. Carrington. Who the hell gave you permission to let that idiot resident see us? We realize you must be busy, but your decision to send in this buffoon shows very poor judgment. If you don’t have time for my mother, then we’ll just get our things and come back when Dr. Ratcliff returns to her practice.”

  Olivia slowly pulled her hand back and tucked it into the pocket of her gray slacks. “That won’t be necessary.” She looked over at Dr. Snyder and the medical students standing against the far wall. “I never gave anyone permission to enter this room without me. I told you to review Mrs. O’Grady’s file and wait for me outside so I could ask her if you could join me in her appointment.”

  Dr. Snyder grabbed his belt and hiked it higher against the underside of his heaving belly. “I thought I’d come in and get started so we could speed things along. We’re already behind in our schedule.”

  Olivia took a slow measured step closer to Dr. Snyder. “Don’t think, Dr. Snyder. Do exactly as I say. You have obviously offended the O’Grady family, and that upsets me terribly. You disobeyed what I said. You came in here of your own accord without Mrs. O’Grady’s permission, and that is a direct violation of her patient privacy. Now, I want you all out of this examination room and I want you to wait for me in my office. Don’t touch another file, don’t go near another patient. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”

  Dr. Snyder had a look of pure shock on his face. “Yes, perfectly clear.” He slowly backed out of the room and was followed by the three medical students.

  The door closed quietly behind them as Olivia turned to Dana and Catherine. “I don’t know how to begin to apologize for Dr. Snyder’s behavior. No woman who comes to our practice should ever be treated like that, and I’m s
o sorry it had to be you.”

  She ventured a glance toward Catherine and was met with a withering look.

  “I’m not impressed by anything I’ve seen in this office so far, Dr. Carrington,” Catherine said. “See what you can do to change that.”

  Olivia raised her eyebrows and turned back to Dana. “I think we better get started with your appointment. Otherwise your fiery daughter is liable to disintegrate me with that look in her eyes.”

  Dana laughed. She knew very little about Olivia Carrington, but had liked her the moment they had met. She was fiercely dedicated to her work, leaving Dana wondering how much energy she had for a personal life. She cared deeply about her patients and their success. Ruth had been thrilled to bring the talented young oncologist into her practice.

  Olivia gestured to the file on the counter. “Let’s get to the wonderful news of the day. Your mammogram looks perfect.”

  Dana felt the relief wash through her. “Oh, Olivia. That’s just the news I wanted to hear. That means we can go home now.” Dana started to ease off the examination table.

  Olivia laughed and placed her hands on Dana’s knees. “Nice try, but not so fast. I need to do your breast exam before you go anywhere. I wouldn’t want Catherine calling me an incompetent buffoon.”

  Catherine narrowed her eyes. “Since we’re on the subject of competence, how long have you been working with Dr. Ratcliff, anyway?”

  “I’ve been a board-certified surgical oncologist for four years. I went to med school here in San Diego. Dr. Ratcliff recruited me from my residency in New York, and I feel blessed to be a part of this oncology team. I’m particularly glad to see how well your mother has done with her recovery. I know how much you’ve been through.”

  “Without Catherine, I often wonder how I would’ve survived,” Dana said. “She was there with me every step of the way. We’ve grown closer because of my cancer.”

  “I’m so glad you had each other. And I’m so appreciative of the work you’ve done the past couple of years with women in the Comfort Program. You’ve been a huge help and inspiration to them.”