Green Stone Ring Read online

  When Catherine and Gini finished their business talk, she told Catherine about her fainting spell.

  “Gini, you aren’t pregnant, are you?”

  “Pregnant? No; Virginia Anderson does not get pregnant, not even with in vitro. How many times have Franco and I tried? I’m not pregnant. I probably just have a bug or something. I feel fine now and have all day since the episode.”

  “Did you ever think that maybe your problem was Franco, not you?”

  “Oh, no, his little guys are very plentiful and active. The tests all showed it was me. Sporadic ovulation and my uterus won’t accept the embryo. It’s totally me. I don’t think it will change with Ric.”

  “Well, I’m glad you are going to the doctor.”

  Chapter 12 – Stormy Weather Ahead

  After the call, Gini sat thinking. Could she be pregnant? She and Ric had certainly had a lot of sex lately. She smiled a slight smile and put her hand on her abdomen. A baby would be wonderful. She had wanted one for so long—she and Franco—from day one of their marriage, they wanted to start a family. But sometimes life really stank. If they’d had a child or children by this time, he’d probably be there right by her side. The marriage was in trouble because she couldn’t get pregnant. She’d known that for a long time but didn’t want to admit it to herself. It was her fault; she couldn’t give him what he wanted. She quickly removed her hand and changed her expression. Having Ric’s child—oh no, no, no; that would complicate her life to a level so high she didn’t even want to think about it. Absolutely no pregnancies now, not with Ric. She had to figure her and Franco out first.

  She called Dr. Nelson and made an appointment. She told about the fainting spell and her suspicion she could be pregnant. The doctor asked her to come in the next day without eating so they could take a blood test.

  The next morning, Ric had an early meeting and couldn’t go with her. She decided to take the train, so if she were weak, it wouldn’t affect her driving. She put a nutrition bar and small bottle of apple juice in her bag to eat after the test.

  The nurse sat her up on the examining bed in the blood lab room. She stuck the needle into Gini’s arm. Gini immediately got dizzy and started to sway.

  “Okay, let’s lay you down.”

  “Sorry,” Gini mumbled.

  “Not a problem, we’re almost done.”

  When all the blood was taken, Gini took the nutrition bar out of her bag. The bite just balled up in her mouth. After drinking some juice to get it down, she immediately felt better.

  “You can lie here on the bed until Dr. Nelson is ready for you.”

  “I’m okay now. I can go to the waiting room.”

  She texted Ric and told him they had drained all her blood.

  Ric could feel his phone vibrate, but couldn’t read the message until the meeting was over.

  About thirty minutes later, she was called back to the examining room.

  “So you think you’re pregnant?”

  “I don’t know. I just feel so light-headed sometimes.”

  “We’re going to check you out.”

  The doctor checked her heart and lungs and did a complete well-woman exam. Then she helped Gini sit up.

  “Honey, everything looks good.” Her computer dinged. “Let’s see what your blood test tells us.”

  After looking at the screen, she called over the intercom. “Liddy, can you come in and get another blood test from Ms. Anderson?”

  Gini got a lump in her throat. What was wrong? There was something terribly wrong.

  The doctor went to her side. “Honey, you aren’t pregnant.”

  Gini put her head down.

  She took Gini’s hand. “I’m sorry. You still have a few frozen embryos. I can give you a list of potential surrogate mothers if you like.”

  “No, that isn’t going to work for us now.”

  She ordered two more tests. “Liddy, after you take the blood and Gini is dressed, will you please take her to my office.”

  Ric texted her:

  We’re taking a short break. How is it going?

  Fine. Taking more blood.

  That doesn’t sound fine.

  It’s okay. Have to go. We can talk when we get home.

  I’ll be there at one. I love you.

  He was worried. Drawing more blood meant the doctor was looking for something.

  Linda walked into her office and sat across the desk from Gini. “I had them put a rush on the blood work. Honey, you had very low blood sugar when you had your first blood drawn. The condition is called hypoglycemia.”

  “I have hypoglycemia?”

  “Yes. But after you had something to eat your blood levels went back to the normal range. So I think we can control this with diet. You need to keep your blood sugars as even as possible. Always have something you can grab and eat, like some fruit or juice, even a cookie or candy bar. If you feel light-headed, eat something. I also suggest you have a bottle of juice on your bedside table. Drink it before you get out of bed. I don’t want you fainting when you stand up.”

  “Okay, that seems easy enough. Will I always have the blood sugar problem?”

  “Probably, but as I said, it’s easily controlled with diet. I would like to see you again in a couple of weeks. I want to make sure the diet is working.

  “Please, say hello to Franco for me. Whenever you two are ready for a surrogate, just let me know.”

  “Thank you, Linda. I will eat better, I promise.”

  Dr. Nelson walked around the table and hugged Gini.

  On the way back to her flat, Gini thought about Linda’s comment about a surrogate mother. Then her thoughts went to Franco. He was so far away. She should probably be with him. There was a strong pang in her heart. She had loved him all her life. What was happening to them? Their love had always been so strong. Did he still love her? And what was she doing with Ric? She felt another flutter. He made her feel so comfortable. She didn’t need anyone to protect her, but she felt safe with him and knew he would never let anything happen to her.

  The first thing she saw when she entered her condo was the cloisonné box on the mantel. She took the ring off, held it in her fingers, and looked at it; her eyes filled with tears. She put it in the box and closed the lid. Pulling her legs up to her chest on the couch, she cried. She was sad she wasn’t pregnant, she missed Franco, and she wanted to be in Ric’s arms right then so he could comfort her.

  The door opened, and Ric walked in. She quickly wiped her eyes.

  “Gins,” he said with sympathy.

  He got down on his knees in front of the couch. “Tell me what the doctor said.”

  He was worried but didn’t want her to see his concern.

  “I’m not pregnant,” she sobbed.

  “Pregnant! You thought you were pregnant? Oh, sweets.” He reached over and hugged her.

  “No, not really. Fainting is a symptom, though. I’m hypoglycemic.”

  “Low blood sugar, Gini, that could be a serious condition.” He pulled up on the couch and sat next to her. “What did the doctor say to do?”

  “She thinks I can control it with diet. I just need to keep my blood sugar levels from going too low. She said to drink juice before I get out of bed in the morning.”

  “Good, we’ll get plenty of small juice bottles and have them by the bed. That’s all? You feel okay now?”

  She smiled, put her legs down, and got up. “I feel fine and kind of stupid.” She walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water.

  “Why stupid?”

  “Thinking I was pregnant and then crying because I’m not.”

  He pulled her around to the chair, sat down, and put his arms around her.

  “What if I had told you I was pregnant?”

  “I would be the happiest man on earth. Having a baby with you would be absolutely terrific.” Just saying baby filled his heart with love. Since his family had been torn apart by this father’s death, he longed for a family again to call his. An
d as an adult, that family would be his own flesh and blood, someone belonging to him. After the shock of finding out he was going to be an unexpected dad, he couldn’t wait. The death of both of Margarita’s fetuses had been almost more than he could bear; it was loss after loss. If Gini told him she was going to have his baby, oh… that would make his life complete. Then they’d have a true bond forever connected by a child who was a part of both of them, a testament to their true love.

  “What about Franco?”

  His happy thoughts dipped. “Sweet Gins, you know I have been in love with you for some time, but you have to figure you and Franco out. I can’t interfere, that’s your decision to make. Just know I want you and I love you.”

  She pulled into his body and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’ll never be pregnant; it will never happen.”

  He smoothed her hair with his hand.

  Once the new year started, Ric’s and Gini’s lives became very busy. She immediately went to Washington to work with Catherine, and he went to Florida. Two weeks passed quickly.

  Ric was back in Boston. From a phone call, Gini informed him she would be returning in two days. They both were looking forward to seeing each other.

  It was January, and Franco was still dealing with problems in China. He decided he needed to go to Shijiazhuang and find out why he was not getting his parts. He was going to be stern with the government agent he was working with. The project should have been completed months ago. Somehow he had to get the issues cleared up. One last water well was all that needed to be done. It was the deepest of the three drilled on the project.

  Gini and Catherine finished up work about eleven o’clock. She looked forward to a good night’s sleep and then one more day before she could go home to Ric. When she came out of the bathroom after her shower, her phone was blinking. There was a voicemail and an email from Franco.

  She held the phone, almost frozen. The screen showed an overseas number. She took in a deep breath and listened to the message.

  “Babe, I know it’s late there, but I’m in Shijiazhuang trying to get things straightened out. Oh, by the way, Happy New Year. I hope you had a super holiday. I’ll email you. Sleep well, my love.”

  Tears immediately filled her eyes. She hadn’t heard his voice for so long.

  “Gini, what’s wrong?” Catherine ran into the room. “Why are you crying?”

  She said nothing, just stood looking at Catherine.

  “Oh, honey.” Catherine hugged her. “Come on, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Franco.” Gini held up her phone.

  “Oh…”

  In the email, he told her he was glad to be back in civilization, at least where he had access to the internet and cell service. He commented on seeing her in pictures on the Globe website and stated how good it was to see Michael and his good friend Ric. He wondered why Margarita wasn’t in the picture. He said it made him homesick. At the end:

  I don’t know how my time will be spent the next couple of days, but I’ll try to call you again, maybe during your day. Love you.

  Gini tossed and turned all night. Her head was spinning with thoughts of both Franco and Ric. She wanted to run away—hide, mostly from herself.

  They had just started working Friday morning when her phone rang. A chill shuddered through her body. She picked up the phone; it was Michael.

  “Gini, are you in Boston?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I guess I’m just a little nervous about the election. I need you to hold my hand and tell me everything’s okay.”

  Gini let out a laugh. Catherine turned and looked at her. Good, whoever was calling was making her happy, not sad.

  “Michael, honestly, no one needs to hold your hand. I’ve seen your interviews on TV and the internet. You’re doing great. Everyone’s predicting you as the winner.”

  “I hope so. Can we meet when you get home?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll be home tomorrow.”

  On the train home, she got an email from Franco. He apologized he hadn’t called her again. The story was too long to tell, but he was being taken back to the site by two government officials. He would contact her as soon as he could. Hopefully, the officials would get things right with the missing parts.

  She felt a little relieved.

  The next week, Massachusetts expected a winter storm by midweek. As the days went by, it was obvious it was going to be a major event. The governor warned everyone to be ready to be homebound for a couple of days. Ric and Gini decided to ride it out at her place. He could park his car in the Towers parking garage, out of the elements, since his garage was too small for a modern vehicle.

  Thursday afternoon at one o’clock was the target time for everyone to be sheltered. Gini shopped on Monday and Tuesday for food. She had plenty of candles if the power went off, and the gas fireplace would provide heat. Howard had a plan in place if there were any problems with the building. The great thing about Towers I—all the residents knew each other and were ready to help a neighbor.

  Thursday morning Gini and Ric were texting back and forth. He went to his office to make sure all was taken care of there, then to his house.

  David ran up to him as he was leaving. “You staying here?”

  “No, I’m going to Gini’s. I emailed Markus all my contact info.”

  “Good. I like her.”

  “I have turned off my water and drained all the pipes.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on everything. Take care, ole boy.”

  “You too. See you on the other side.”

  The two fist-bumped.

  His last stop was the seafood restaurant to pick up his order of clam chowder, bread, and salad.

  Gini had the TV on in the living room and bedroom as she finished the laundry. The low was working up the East Coast. Washington, DC, was already buried with snow. The storm was just edging into the Cape. New York had been hit with heavy wind, rain, and then snow. It was all heading straight to New England.

  Ric texted at twelve forty-five.

  One more stop.

  She smiled. He was going to make it by the lockdown. When her phone rang, it was Cindy, probably calling to make sure she was okay for the storm.

  “Hey, Cindy.”

  “I know you’re bracing for a big snow, but I had to call you. I’m sorry, baby sister; they found Mama not breathing when they went to check her this morning. She died peacefully.”

  Gini dropped to her knees. “No!” She was having trouble catching her breath.

  “You’re not alone?”

  “No,” she whimpered.

  “Good. We won’t make any arrangements until you and Franco can get here. I love you, baby sister.”

  “… I love you too. Thanks for calling.”

  She ran into the bedroom and pulled out her suitcase. She tore open drawers and grabbed at clothes. The TV reported the airport was closed to air traffic. It didn’t matter; she would drive. Yes, she would drive to California.

  Ric walked into the restaurant. “Mr. Santini,” the owner said. “Here’s your order. One more to go.”

  “I hope you weren’t waiting just for me. You need to get to your home.”

  “Oh, no. I live upstairs. We’re ready for the storm.” He pointed outside to stacks of sandbags. “You never know what that crazy water is going to do. Be safe.”

  “You too.” He took his bag and headed to Gini’s.

  The TV reports were blaring at her about the major thoroughfares being closed west of Boston. The snow was piling up fast. The driving rain in the city would soon be turning to snow, a blizzard. She had to get out of town. Her legs weakened. She fell to her knees near the bed.

  “Sweets, I’m here,” Ric announced, placing the bag on the breakfast bar and then taking off his coat.

  The TV was on, the mayor talking. “Please, heed our warning. We are dealing with a very dangerous storm. There’s no need for you
to be out on the streets. If you are near the water, go to one of the shelters. We don’t want to send our first responders out in the weather and endanger their lives. Take shelter and do it now.”

  “Gins,” he called.

  He walked to the bedroom where he could also hear the TV. Then he saw her on her knees near the bed; a suitcase was open with clothes piled on top.

  “Sweets, what are you doing?”

  She was shaking, crying, and looking at him with desperate eyes.

  He knelt next to her. “What’s going on?”

  “Mama,” she cried. “Mama. She died.”

  “Oh no!” He wrapped his arms around her, rocking her. “When?”

  “Cin… in… dee called me earlier. She… she died in her sleep. I have to go. I have to drive to Sacramento.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere. Gins, I’m sorry, so sorry.”

  “Ric, I have to go. It’s Mama. Oh, Mama!”

  His heart was aching for the loss of the woman he could call Mom.

  He continued to hold her, not knowing what else to do. She was shaking and seemed very warm.

  She took a deep breath and sat up straight. “Sorry, I’m…” She sniffed. “I’m okay now.”

  Her face was splotched red from crying. She used the bed to help her stand up, closed the suitcase with the clothes hanging out all around, and put it on the floor next to the lounging couch. He stood watching her, again not knowing what to do to comfort her.

  She walked to the kitchen. “I need to eat. No, I need—” She stopped. “I…”

  “Sweets, come here.” He wrapped his arms around her. “If you’re hungry, I picked up clam chowder.”

  “That’s good, yes, that sounds good.” She got a glass of water, then went and sat at the dining room table.

  He dished up the soup and placed the bowl in front of her. She moved the spoon around and around the bowl. Finally, she took a taste. Her mind was a million miles away. He sat eating, watching her.

  “I closed all the shutters except the living room.” She got up, walked past the fireplace, and showed him a box next to the shelves. “Here are the controls.” Then she shivered.