A Celtic Knot (27 page)

“Glad to hear it. I’ll let you know how many tickets you need to redeem for tonight’s ride. In the meantime, my mom and Ruth are waiting for us at Luigi’s Pasta Emporium and they’re starving.”

Olivia unlocked her office door. “You can tell me on the drive all about this close encounter of the third kind that led you to my patient and her daughter.”

Catherine smacked Olivia’s shoulder. “Stop making fun.”

“Are you kidding? I’m so proud of you I can barely stand it.”

Catherine followed Olivia into her office and closed the door behind them. She leaned back against the closed door and grabbed Olivia by the lapels of her crisp white lab coat. “Why don’t you just take a moment to show me how proud you are of me.”

Olivia crushed her lips to Catherine with raw yearning. Catherine’s raspy moans fueled Olivia’s passion as she pressed her hips between Catherine’s parted thighs. She trailed her moist lips along Catherine’s slender neck and suckled at the base of her throat. “How hungry did you say Ruth and Dana are?”

Catherine arched her neck against the door. “Damn.”

Olivia slid her hands along Catherine’s thighs and beneath her purple suede skirt. She gripped her hips and pulled her tight against her. “Whose bright idea was it to invite them to dinner, anyway?”

Catherine thrust against Olivia. “I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Olivia leaned her face against Catherine’s and laughed. “I’m going to tell your mother you said that.”

“Not if you know what’s good for you.” Catherine brushed her lips along Olivia’s full lower lip and kissed her softly. “Let’s skip dessert, okay?”

“Deal. Just remember where we left off.” Olivia’s cell phone chimed at her waist. She flipped it open. “It’s Echo. Hóla, chiquita.”

“Hey, Olivia. I hope you guys are ready because your niece looks like she’s ready to make her grand appearance.”

“What? Where are you guys? What’s happening?”

“Zoë had her first contraction about thirty minutes ago and it was a whopper. She needed to pee once it settled down and when I got her to the bathroom her water broke. We’re on our way to the hospital now.”

“We’ll meet you there, Echo. Please drive carefully.”

“I will. See you soon, Olivia.”

“You sure will.” Olivia ended her call. “Zoë’s in labor.”

Forty

O
L
IVIA STOOD LOOKING OUT
at the dawn sky. After little Chloe had been placed at Zoë’s breast—with Catherine and Echo watching in exhausted awe—Olivia had touched Catherine’s hand, whispered, “I’ll be right back,” and slipped out of the room. For some reason she didn’t want anyone seeing the emotion she was feeling, not even Catherine.

It had been a long night and a difficult labor. She remembered feeling this same fatigue when she’d been an intern, except then her patients had been battling disease or recovering from crippling injuries. She felt no heavy-heartedness this morning, only exhausted joy. Zoë had wanted to be a mother ever since she was a little girl. Olivia was only now recognizing how truly powerful and irrepressible that longing was. At the end of this long night, Zoë’s pain was gone and a miracle had come into the world.

Olivia’s mind went back to the hours they’d spent in the cheerful birthing room. She and Echo and Catherine had been at Zoë’s side the entire time, breathing with her, joking with her between contractions, massaging her neck, bringing ice to quench her thirst. In that room, Olivia had felt the power of family in a new way, and especially the bond between Echo and Zoë. This child would complete and deepen their love.

Toward the end it had become a blur, Zoë’s yelling out unabashedly as Echo and the doctor urged her to push, and finally the boisterous wail as the baby made her entrance in the world.

“It’s all right, little Chloe,” Echo had said when the nurse placed her wailing daughter in her arms. “You’re here now. We’ve been waiting our entire lives for you. I know that was a bit of a rough ride, but imagine how your mom must feel.”

The sky outside was growing lighter, promising to be a beautiful spring day. Olivia took a deep breath and rubbed her own neck. She needed to let all this settle in her heart and mind, but something was changing inside her as this new day dawned. Her understanding of Catherine was deepening, her love deepening. She felt so grateful that Catherine had faced her issues and doubts, allowing them to be together. She knew she needed to address fears of her own—ones she’d barely acknowledged—if she was going to embrace their love to the fullest. Already she felt those fears melting away.

She walked back down the hall and into the joy-filled room. Catherine looked up, her beautiful face questioning where Olivia had been, but also fully absorbed in the scene in front of her. Zoë was propped up in bed, her daughter cradled on her knees as she took in every detail for the first time. She touched her daughter’s face, each tiny finger, her smooth chest.

“You’re so beautiful.” She kissed Chloe’s head then looked up beaming at the three women surrounding the bed. “Our baby’s finally here.”

Olivia secured Chloe in her baby carrier. Catherine covered her in a thick pink receiving blanket and tucked it along her sides. “There you go, precious. You’re ready for your ride home. Your honorary grandmas Ruth and Dana are on their way up with your stroller. Your grandpas Brady and Austin are parked at the main entrance to take us all home so we can show you your beautiful nursery.”

Olivia slipped her finger into Chloe’s tiny fist. “Prepare yourself, kid. This is what it’ll be like all the time. I hope you knew what you were doing when you chose those two as your parents, and this family as your family.”

Echo stared at her daughter in awe. “I still can’t believe she’s here.”

Zoë skimmed her hand across Chloe’s thick crop of dark brown hair. “She certainly made her appearance known to the world.”

Echo kissed Zoë’s temple. “Like mother, like daughter. Before we leave, there’s something I want to give you.” She pulled a long slim package from her purse and handed it to Zoë.

“What’s this, sweetheart?”

“Just something I’ve been waiting nine months to give you.”

Zoë tore the wrapping paper off the package. She lifted the lid and a smile lit her face.

Echo took the necklace from the box and linked it behind Zoë’s neck. The gold pendant depicted two parents and a child linked in a circle of love. “This is a symbol of all of us in this room. I had the jeweler place each of our birthstones in the link that joins the parents and child. It’s the love in this room that made this child possible, and that same love will raise her.” Echo held Zoë’s face in her hands. “I feel so blessed to have you and there is no greater gift you could ever give me than our daughter.”

Catherine felt the tears stinging her eyes. So many blessings had come into her life in the past two months, so many changes. Her beloved Olivia, first and foremost, and the wonderful family she brought with her. Her mother’s five years as a survivor; Cocoa Cream’s ten years of success. Kayla was back in her life bringing so much energy and enthusiasm, and she felt closer to Laura and her family than ever. Her life was unfolding, not entirely in the ways she envisioned, but with more fullness than she ever had dreamed.

Olivia slid her arm around Catherine’s waist, leaned in close, and spoke softly so only Catherine could hear. “One of these days it’ll be
our
little one we’ll be bringing home, into this big family.”

Catherine turned to Olivia, her beautiful eyes surprised and bright. “Are you sure?”

“As sure as I’ve ever been of anything in my life. As sure as I am of you.”