Page 52 of Captiva Book Club

“Yes, you did. You cared.”

Chelsea patted Ciara on her arm, and then walked over to listen to Christopher talk about his job.

Ciara looked back at the two women, now smiling through whatever conversation they were having. Maggie’s hand rested on Becca’s arm, offering the silent support that only a mother could give. And Ciara, standing on the sidelines, realized that she might always be the outsider looking in when it came to her stepdaughter.

But she also knew that she had her place in this family, even if it wasn’t the one she had imagined. It was time to accept that and be grateful for the connection she did have, however limited it might be.

With a deep breath, Ciara released some tension in her chest and allowed herself to simply be present, knowing that that was enough.

“Oliver Laurier, meet my son, Christopher, and his wife Becca. Becca is Ciara’s stepdaughter. Oliver is our new chef.”

“Oh right, I remember you saying Riley left. I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m glad Oliver has joined the Key Lime Garden Inn family. Nice to meet you, Oliver.”

Oliver shook Christopher’s hand and looked at Becca. “Nice to meet you both.”

Sarah interrupted the introductions.

“Well, I best get to my wrapping. I’ve got tons of boxes to wrap for the kids,” Sarah said. She turned to look at her brother and Becca. “Mom is hiding the kids’ Christmas presents upstairs in the carriage house. I’m going to wrap them there so they won’t peek before Santa gets here. I’m so glad you guys are home. We’ve missed you so much.”

“Thanks, sis, we feel the same,” Christopher said.

She was almost out the door, when Maggie said, “Oh no!”

“What is it?” Sarah asked.

Maggie held up her cellphone. “It’s the doctor. I’m putting him on speaker phone.”

Everyone quieted down and moved closer to Maggie. Paolo put his hand on the lower part of her back for emotional support.

Her heart was beating so fast, she thought she’d faint.

“Dr. Renolt, calling on a Sunday…that can’t be good. You must have bad news,” she said, her tears starting to form.

“Hello Maggie, I told you that I’d move heaven and earth to get the biopsy results as fast as possible. I know how anxious you are to hear the results. Now that I have them, I couldn’t let another minute go by without calling you.”

“I appreciate that,” she responded.

“Your margins are clear. There are no cancer cells in the tissue,” he said.

The tension in her body had built to such an extreme level that there was nothing else to do but cry. As the tears fell, she asked once more, “Are you sure? Absolutely no cancer?”

The doctor laughed on the other end of the line right along with everyone else in the kitchen of the Key Lime Garden Inn.

“Maggie Moretti, I am nothing if not thorough. I wouldn’t call you one week before Christmas to give you this news if I wasn’t completely certain. Merry Christmas,” he yelled into the phone, "to you and your family!”

Everyone yelled back at him in unison. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas Dr. Renolt, and thank you so much,” Maggie said.

“Maggie, I’ll have the nurse send you the literature on Lymphedema. I’m still going to want to see you in here after the holidays, but in the meantime, follow the instructions on how to care for the lump.”

“I’ll call to schedule it right after Christmas,” she promised.

Maggie hung up the phone and looked at Paolo. She hugged him and then did a group hug with Christopher, Sarah and Becca. Chelsea and Ciara hugged each other until Maggie joined them, and when the rest were done, her mother approached her with wet eyes.

She put her hands on Maggie’s face and then pulled her close. The fear had a hold on everyone in her life. Every day she’d been waiting to hear her fate. It never occurred to her that so many others were keeping themselves busy with distractions, waiting for the same news.

She looked across the kitchen at Oliver.

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