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  Doc was silent for long moments.

  "Daddy?"

  "I'm here," he replied, followed by another short period of silence. "Maybe you're right, Cat, but she'll be worried sick until we know for sure."

  "She's stronger than you think, Daddy. After all, she survived four daughters," Cat pointed out.

  Doc chuckled slightly. "Okay, you win. I'll tell her," he said. "But you need to be prepared for lots of phone calls and 'mother henning'," he warned.

  "Right now, that's just what the doctor ordered, Daddy, but I think I should be the one to tell her. It's not fair to dump that on you," she offered.

  "No, Kitten, let me do it. She's bound to be less emotional that way," Doc replied.

  "Daddy..." Cat began.

  "I insist, Caitlain."

  When Doc used her given name, she knew he was serious. "Okay, Daddy. Tell her she can call me any time, okay?"

  "Don't worry, she will. I'll talk to you later, daughter. I love you."

  "I love you too, Daddy."

  ***

  The alarm sounded as usual at five a.m. on Tuesday morning. Cat reached for the alarm and shut it off and then sat up in bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and threw the covers back. As she attempted to climb out of bed, Billie captured her with an arm around her middle and pulled her back into the warm comfort of her embrace.

  "You're not going to work today, are you?" Billie asked.

  Cat snuggled into Billie's neck. "Yes, I am."

  "Honey, why don't you stay home until we hear from the doctor?"

  "Now you sound like my mother. Billie, I want to go to work. It will help to take my mind off things," Cat explained. "There's no reason why I can't work. I feel fine. And besides, if I stay home, I'll be on the phone all day with my mother or Jen assuring them that things will be fine. I swear they're more worried about this than we are," Cat said.

  "Well, I don't know about that," Billie said. "I've been sick with worry myself over the past few days."

  "Look, sweetie, I'm fine. And besides, you have a lot of work to do yourself to prepare for Shannon and Julie's hearing tomorrow. Go to work, and I will too. Trust me, it will be fine. I will be fine," Cat pleaded.

  Billie chuckled. "Trust you. I guess I haven't been doing a very good job of that lately, have I? I'm sorry for hovering, Cat."

  Cat sat up. "Billie, I love you. I'm not sure I've said that often enough over the past few days. I've been pretty self-absorbed. Thank you for caring so much. I don't know what I'd do without you, my love."

  "Well, I don't plan to give you a chance to find out," Billie said. "Now, I suggest you get that cute little butt of yours out of bed before I do something that will make us both late for work."

  Cat raised her eyebrows. "Late? My first surgery isn't until 9 a.m."

  Billie grinned ear to ear and pulled Cat down for a kiss. Cat splayed herself directly on top of Billie so that they were nose to nose, breast to breast. Cat traced her tongue around Billie's mouth, delving deep inside when the opportunity arose. Billie wrapped her arms around Cat, mindful of not crushing her sore breast. She placed her hands on the small of Cat's back and pulled her closer as she lifted her own pelvis in response.

  The closeness and intimacy of the movement drove Cat wild. She pressed herself into Billie and took Billie's ear lobe between her teeth.

  "Make me late for work," she breathed huskily.

  And she did.

  ***

  Cat stood before the sink and scrubbed for her third procedure of the day. Her mind once more returned to the test results. Physically, she felt fine. The biopsy had gone exceptionally well, with so little pain from the procedure that the only reminder was a slight tenderness when she leaned into the operating table while adjusting anesthesia or when she reached across a patient to check vital signs.

  Mentally, she was a nervous wreck. Now more than ever, she understood why patients were so vocal about how slow their doctors were in responding to health issues. She also understood that even doctors fell into the bureaucracy when they became patients. The amount of work lab technicians had to do was overwhelming. Cat marveled that the average response time wasn't even longer than it was. What weighed more on her mind was not the response time, but the level of accuracy. She sighed deeply, shook the excess water from her hands and headed into the operating room.

  ***

  Billie sat at her desk and leaned on her elbows. Her fingers formed a teepee in front of her as she stared out the window at nothing in particular. She'd tried hard all day to concentrate on Shannon and Julie's case, but her thoughts repeatedly returned to Cat. She was very proud of how Cat handled the biopsy the previous day, although she supposed being a doctor and understanding the clinical aspects of the procedure helped her to look at things more objectively. What really surprised her though, was Cat's attitude since the biopsy. She seemed less worried and more hopeful. At least it seemed that way.

  A beep on the intercom returned her to reality. She blinked rapidly and quickly composed herself before she pressed the call button on the telephone. "Yes Deb?" she asked.

  "Billie, John Mercier on line three. He says he has something very important to discuss about tomorrow's hearing," Billie's secretary replied.

  "Thanks, Deb. Tell him I'll be with him in a moment."

  Billie sat back in her chair and stared at the phone for a moment. She reached for the receiver and pressed the number three. "Hello, John. What can I do for you?" she said so sweetly, she even made herself sick.

  "Billie!" he replied like she was his best friend. "Billie, I'd like to come over to discuss the details of the Nash case with you. Do you have some time this afternoon?" he asked.

  "Hold on and let me check my calendar," she said. She put the defense attorney on hold. She knew full well her afternoon was free of meetings. She sat back in her chair and picked up the Nash folder to skim through the contents once more and to re-familiarize herself with all the aspects of the case before she spoke to the Crawford's attorney again. Several moments passed before she picked up the phone again. "John, thank you for waiting. It looks like I have three o'clock open. Can you make it then?" she asked.

  "Three sounds fine. I'll see you then."

  Billie sat back and propped her elbows on the arms of her chair, once again making a teepee with her fingertips. She tapped the tips of her fingers on her chin and narrowed her eyes in contemplation. What have you got up your sleeve, John? Better yet, what has Gary Crawford got up his sleeve?

  ***

  Cat gave herself a pep talk as she entered the operating room. "Okay, Cat, last one of the day. You can make it." She sat down at the head of the table and looked into the face of a young woman who could not have been but a year or two older than herself. She glanced at the chart hanging in front of her and looked for the woman's name.

  "Hi, Gwen, I'm Cat, your anesthesiologist. I'm going to be your best friend for the next hour or two. You see, it's my job to send you off to dreamland while the docs here fix you up. I'm going to put this mask over your face and ask you to take several deep breaths and to count backward from one hundred. If you feel sleepy, don't fight it. The less you fight, the more comfortable you'll feel. Okay, sweetie?" She saw the woman nod slightly.

  This was the one part of her job that Cat enjoyed the most. Nearly every patient, no matter how young or old, strong or weak, lay there on the operating table with such raw, intense fear in their eyes, it hurt to look at them. But when Cat started to administer the anesthesia, she would talk to them soothingly, sometimes joke with them if their condition wasn't too serious, but most importantly, she would watch their eyes as the anesthesia took effect. Without exception, even the most intense fear would fade away into peaceful slumber. She understood how important it was to keep the surgeons up-to-date on the patient's vital signs. She understood the importance of keeping the patient as safe and comfortable as possible during surgery, but the part she liked the most was easing the fear.

 
Cat watched Gwen closely until she was completely anesthetized. She checked her vitals and relayed the information to the surgeons as they prepared for the operation. She looked up from the woman lying before her and watched as the OR nurses opened the front of Gwen's gown and started prepping her skin. Suddenly, the importance of this operation struck Cat. She caught the surgeon's gaze and whispered breast cancer, to which she received a silent nod. Cat closed her eyes, sat back in her chair and took a moment to compose herself and then once more donned her professional manner and focused on her job.

  ***

  At three o'clock on the dot, John Mercier stepped into Billie's office and smugly sat himself in front of her desk.

  Billie looked up from the file she was reading. She removed her glasses and placed them on the desk in front of her. "John."

  "Billie, I'm here to save us both a lot of trouble tomorrow," he started.

  "Trouble?" Billie pretended she didn't know what he was talking about.

  "Yes. You see, my client is the biological father of Kaleigh Crawford, and without him agreeing to terminate his parental rights, your client doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning."

  Billie propped her elbows on the arms of her chair and clasped her hands in front of her. "John, your client deserted his daughter more than seven years ago. Why, all of the sudden, does he care about her welfare?"

  "Well, my client was incapable of taking care of himself, never mind a child, but we'll get into that in more detail tomorrow," he said, "that is, unless you want to cut a deal."

  "A deal?" Billie raised her eyebrows into her hairline. Jimmy, you old son of a gun, you were right!

  "Yes, my client is interested in negotiating a deal with the two Mrs. Nashes."

  Billie feigned interest in his proposal. "Go on."

  "He is willing to forego his parental rights, for say, a monetary payment of $500,000," he said.

  Billie smiled. "$500,000? A half-million dollars?"

  "Yes, that is what I said," Mercier replied condescendingly.

  Billie sat back and pretended to consider the proposal. "A half-million dollars, huh? I'll have to approach my clients before I can give you an answer. But, if you would, I'll need this request in writing so the price doesn't mysteriously rise for some reason," she replied. "If you see Deb on her way out, she'll draft the documentation for you."

  Mercier's eyes flew open as if in disbelief that Billie was actually taking the bait. He quickly jumped to his feet. "No problem. You'll have the proposal on your desk before I leave this building. You won't regret this, Billie." He extended his hand to Billie, who remained seated behind her desk.

  Seconds later, the phone rang. "Billie, Mr. Mercier said..." Deb began.

  "Don't ask any questions, Deb, just type up his dictation. Trust me on this one," she said.

  ***

  Cat arrived home that evening to find all three children home and lounging around the living room watching TV. It was rare that all three were home at the same time. She entered the living room, kissed each one gently on the head, and asked about their day. As usual, their answers consisted of one word responses like, 'okay', 'fine' and 'good'. None of them wanted to draw their attention away from the television long enough to have a real conversation with her. Such was the life of a mother. The only thing that managed to get their undivided attention was her question about what they wanted for supper. After several suggestions, they all happily agreed to goulash and tossed salad, which Cat headed to the kitchen to make.

  Seth poked his head into the kitchen while Cat was retrieving an onion from the refrigerator. "Ma, Mom called a little earlier and said she'd be late tonight and not to wait dinner for her."

  Cat looked up, disappointment all over her face. "Oh. Did she say what time she'd be home?"

  "No, just that she'd be late."

  Cat nodded. "Okay, sweetie, thanks." Heaviness settled over her heart as she began to fix dinner for the children. She had been looking forward to seeing Billie this evening. She needed to see her. Needed to be held and comforted as she recalled her last surgery of the day. Gwen had died on the operating table. Terminal breast cancer had taken her life.

  CHAPTER 19

  Billie struggled to get herself out of bed the next morning. She'd arrived home late from work the night before and it was midnight before she finally lay down to sleep. She called Cat late in the evening to apologize for the long hours and promised to make it up to her when Shannon and Julie's case was closed. She spent the evening cursing John Mercier repeatedly as she did research and prepared a reaction to his client's last minute offer to negotiate an out of court settlement with the Nash's. She would have much rather curled up on the living room sofa watching an old movie with Cat.

  Billie rubbed her face vigorously to help her wake up and then looked at Cat who was still asleep. Billie marveled at how she could sometimes sleep through the alarm. She noted the peaceful look on Cat's face and the smoothness of her brow that seemed chronically crinkled with worry of late. She longed to soothe Cat's fear and relieve the burden of sadness she had been carrying around with her for the last several weeks. I need to reschedule the appointment with the counselor, she thought. Billie placed a delicate kiss on Cat's cheek and then got out of bed to take a shower.

  Several moments later, and feeling much refreshed, Billie reentered the bedroom to find that Cat was no longer in bed…and in fact, she was nowhere in sight. She spent the next several minutes rummaging through her closet to find an appropriate suit for court and finally settled on the pinstriped skirt and jacket, white silk blouse, and a light gray scarf , the knot of which, when tied, settled just below the last open button of her blouse. She slipped nylon-clad feet into pumps, brushed her now-dry hair until it shone, applied minimal makeup and then went downstairs to find Cat in the kitchen making her breakfast.

  Cat stood at the kitchen counter dressed in her knee-length nightshirt. Her hair was all askew and her feet were bare. She reached into the cupboard for a second cup when she heard Billie approach from behind her. She finished brewing both cups of coffee, and then turned around to wish a good morning to her wife.

  Cat fought to catch her breath at her first sight of Billie. "My, God, you're beautiful!" she exclaimed. The impact of Billie in her business suit and with her shiny hair and long sculpted legs sent waves of heat to her abdomen. She felt woefully inadequate at that moment and reached up to smooth her disheveled hair and to straighten her nightshirt.

  Billie wrapped her arms around Cat and whispered, "And you, my dear are quite ravishing at this very moment yourself. You make it difficult for me to go to work when you look like you so desperately want to be made love to."

  All feelings of self-pity flew out the window as Billie's words turned her legs to jelly. "Keep that up and I won't let you leave," Cat purred seductively. She pressed herself into Billie, allowing her hands to roam quite freely over Billie's backside to reinforce her point.

  Billie groaned. "You are quite the seductress, Cat Charland."

  Cat laughed and slapped Billie's butt. "You'd better have your breakfast before I get too hot, and it gets too cold!" She handed Billie a mug of coffee and then grabbed her own cup and headed toward the table where a breakfast of cereal, bagels, fruit and juice awaited them.

  During breakfast, they talked of the upcoming day's events. Billie explained her court strategy for Shannon and Julie's case, and Cat described the full plate of surgeries she was scheduled to assist in that day.

  Cat walked Billie to the door when it was time for her to leave or work. She reached as high as she could on tiptoe and kissed Billie, and received a passionately probing kiss in return.

  As she pulled away from the kiss, Billie looked deep into Cat's eyes. "Promise you'll call if you hear from the Breast Center today, okay?"

  A wave of sadness washed over Cat when Billie mentioned the Breast Center. I reminded her of losing Gwen the day before on the operating table. Billie arrived home so late the previous e
vening that Cat never did have the chance to talk to her about it.

  A parade of emotions crossed Cat's features…sadness, fear, anxiety, and finally anger.

  "Cat?" Billie asked. "Honey, are you all right?"

  Cat forced a smile onto her face. "I'm fine. I promise to call you if I hear anything today, okay?"

  Billie smiled. "Okay. I'll see you tonight then. Wish me luck in court!" She gave Cat one last kiss before turning to go.

  "Good luck...and I love you," Cat called to Billie's retreating back.

  "Love ya back," Billie shouted and then disappeared into the interior of her car.

  Moments later, Billie drove away and left Cat to pull herself together to face the day.

  ***

  Tara was sleeping soundly with the covers pulled up tightly around her neck and an expression of peaceful slumber on her face...that is, until the phone on her night stand suddenly rang. She looked at the time and noted it was nine o'clock. She grabbed the receiver and brought it to her ear. "Karissa, this had better be good," she growled.

  "Ah, excuse me? Is Caitlain Charland there?" the voice asked on the other end of the line.

  Flustered, Tara stumbled over her words. "Oh! Sorry, I thought you were someone else. No, my mom isn't home right now. She's working. Can I take a message?" Tara replied.

  "Yes, please tell her to call Jenny at the Breast Center Oncology Unit for her test results," the woman replied.

  Tara fell silent.

  "Hello?" said the woman on the line.

  Tara suddenly had an intensely sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Uhm...yeah...yeah, I'll tell her. Breast Center...Oncology Unit. Thanks."