Families Read online

  Gini couldn’t believe she was holding a baby. Her heart was pounding with joy. The weight of the child, the scent, the movement of the little body… all of it was familiar and yet brand new.

  It was difficult for her to keep many thoughts in her head at a time, and it seemed she didn’t know about a lot of things. But there were memories and things that she knew, and they would always be with her. She didn’t remember if she’d ever held a baby before, but she remembered her love for Robert and Debbie and knowing there was a baby growing inside her. It was as if the tiny morsel was already communicating with Gini the very morning after she was conceived. And Gini would never forget how frustrated she had been trying to tell Robert about Jessica. She tried for a couple of days to form the words in her mouth as she thought them. But they would never come out right, always broken and sounding wrong. Debbie constantly told her not to be frustrated—she bet Debbie would be upset if she couldn’t talk right. The parasailing and the lovemaking would always stay with her, but she knew there were other things she had not remembered—not the accident everyone talked about, not living in the condo before, and not much about the two men, Franco and Ric. She recalled Ric reading to her—and being sad—but her recollection of Franco was fading daily. She didn’t really understand how he was a part of her life. That’s why every night when she went to bed she tried to press into memory what she wanted to remember. But the next morning, her mind was a clean slate, and she had to concentrate to figure out how to get out of bed and where and who she was. Almost immediately she remembered Debbie and Robert, and as the day went on, more things came into her head, usually triggered by something that was said or what she smelled.

  It had been another long day for Robert. All he wanted was to be with Gini. But he was committed to his doctor’s oath and was compelled to do the job. Luckily, he got home in time to spend an hour or so with Gini. She insisted they play braille cards. He wasn’t sure why he played with her—she always won. Maybe it was the joy in her face, her amazing smile, and the flicker in her eyes each time she won, like it was her first.

  The last few times he’d been home in time to take her to bed, he ended up falling asleep next to her fully dressed. He didn’t want to do that tonight. He needed to talk to Debbie.

  “Robert, why aren’t you in bed sleeping?” Debbie said when he reappeared from the bedroom.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “About?”

  He took in a weary breath and let it out slowly, then sat back comfortably on the couch. “I want to move back to New Haven. The commute here is really getting to me, and the long days.”

  “Maybe you should cut your hours!”

  One thing Robert always loved about Debbie was her directness. There was never any doubt as to how she felt about things—she never rode the fence on any issue.

  “Okay, I assume you mean we all move to New Haven?”

  “Debbie! Of course, all of us.”

  “Umm…” Debbie said. She’d love to live in New Haven again. Boston was interesting, but she loved the family feel of the smaller town.

  “Have you talked to Gini about this?”

  “No. I wanted to run it past you first. I remember you told me how hard it was on her when you moved her here from the unit. I don’t want to put her through that again if you think it might happen.”

  “That could be a concern, but Robert, she is so different now than she was then. I think she would do fine if we talked about it a lot and she was part of the process. Where and when?”

  “I found a nice lot on the golf course. The rest of the neighborhood is built out. There are lots of kids and families there.”

  “So, build a house?”

  “Yes. It wouldn’t be ready before the baby comes but soon after if we get started now.”

  “How did you find this lot?”

  “I have an hour here and an hour there. That’s just it, Deb. If we lived so close to the hospital, I could go home and be with my family in my downtime. I’ve contacted a real estate agent. She has told me of properties available. I have even looked at resales, but none of them meet our needs. I want you to have a comfortable space you can call your own, and we need a place dedicated for medical supplies so we are equipped for minor emergencies.”

  Debbie was impressed Robert had put so much thought into the move. And only a doctor would think of a medical area. She sat back and thought how great it would be to be so close to Lisa and Timmy. He and Jessica could grow up playing with each other.

  “I think that’s a great idea. But you must talk to Gini. And you have to listen to her. It’s important.”

  “I will, I promise. If she really doesn’t want to leave her home, I’ll make it work for me somehow.”

  The next day, Robert took the afternoon off so he could be with Gini and talk to her about the move.

  “Sweetheart, I want to discuss something with you.”

  “Oh… yes.” She opened her eyes and smiled her bright smile.

  He couldn’t help himself, he leaned forward and kissed her, then put their foreheads together. “You know how much I love you.”

  “Oh… yes.”

  “Remember, I told you we could not have any secrets between us.”

  Gini took a deep breath and let it out. “I, re… mem… ber.”

  He sat back quickly, cupping her face in his hands. “I’m so proud of you.” He kissed her again. Lately, she had been saying words correctly and using pronouns and proper sentences. She was determined to learn more every day.

  He went on to tell her how the drive to the hospital was really getting to him, and even though he was working on not spending so much time at the med center, it would be much easier if they lived closer to his work.

  “Be… uff, how, fah?”

  “It’s not the distance; it’s the traffic and the time I spend on the road, keeping me away from you. But Guiney, if you don’t want to leave the home you own and have lived in for years, I’ll understand.”

  Gini sat quietly. What home did she own? She tried to say the words, but as usual they came out quirky.

  “Be… uff, ome, on?” She raised her voice at the end.

  “I know you’ve lived here a long time. You can think about it and give me your answer when you are ready. I found an empty lot near the hospital and in the same neighborhood as John.”

  “Ock…tore, on, my, be… uff…” She stopped and swallowed. “Grand… fadder.”

  “Yes, yes he is. They are having a grandson, Jason. He will be born a couple of months before our baby.”

  “Jess… eeca.”

  “Yes,” he sighed. “Jessica.”

  The name Jason immediately put a thought into Gini’s mind. Her son’s name was Jason. She had a son? It wasn’t clear why she thought she had a son. She rubbed on her tummy. No, it was a girl, her daughter.

  She looked at Robert, puzzled. It was the first time he had ever seen an expression in her eyes when they were open. But as always, they slowly slid closed.

  “You think about the new house and tell me when you want to talk about it again.” He kissed her on the forehead.

  She felt her thought—Jason—drifting away and didn’t want to get it back. It confused her—a son, a daughter.

  “Guiney, go, wit, Rob… ber. Be… uff, move.”

  “Really, sweetheart? I want you to be sure.”

  “Oh, yes, no, be… uff, seek… it. Be…” She stopped and opened her eyes again. “I… love… you.”

  Robert became immediately overwhelmed with emotion. She had never said those words so clearly to him. He grabbed her up into his arms.

  I love. Love. There was so much there, more than she could hold. She let go and buried her face in his neck.

  There were a couple of other discussions over the next few days about the move, with both Robert and Debbie involved just to make sure Gini knew exactly what it meant. Each time, she said she wanted to move, she wanted to be with Robert.

  The
lot was bought, an architect was hired, and the project began.

  Finally, the cold month of February was over, and the sun shone for several days in a row.

  Debbie was standing in front of the big windows looking out over the harbor. She was drying her hands on a kitchen towel. Her phone vibrated.

  Hey, bunny, it’s me, Micky. I was wondering if you are free for dinner sometime. I’d love to see you.

  Debbie ran her finger over the top of her phone. She hadn’t heard from Micky since the lunch at the condo several weeks earlier. Was she really up for spending a few hours with Micky and Reba? It would be nice to get out of the house for an evening, but with Reba? She shook her head.

  “Dee… bee, were, meek?”

  Debbie turned to see Gini in the kitchen with the refrigerator door open. “I’ll get it, baby. You want some cookies with your milk?” She set her phone on the coffee table.

  When she got to the kitchen, Gini looked up at her and smiled, putting her chin on Debbie’s chest.

  “Cutie,” Debbie said.

  “Re… mem… ber, milk?” Gini pulled back and put her head down for a second, then faced Debbie. “Re… mem… ber, milk… uff, breast?” She giggled.

  “Oh, Gini, listen to you talk. And, yes, I remember when we learned about breast milk.” Debbie got a feeling in her stomach, the feeling she got back when it was just she and Gini living together, and Gini was always touching Debbie’s breast as she explained the body part to her. It was like sex before you knew what sex was. Maybe if she’d had a friend in childhood whom she’d played doctor with, it would have been like that. Not quite; Debbie wasn’t a child and was always aware of being a grownup—a nurse—around Gini. But it was innocent that way.

  “Bay… be, drink, mill.” She smiled again.

  Maybe Debbie should say yes to Micky’s invitation. Or maybe it was time to go out and find a woman she could go out with.

  She poured a glass of milk for both of them, and they drank it with cookies.

  A few hours later, Debbie called Micky.

  “When were you thinking about going out?” Debbie asked.

  “How about tomorrow? I have a study group until seven. We could meet somewhere.”

  “I’ll have to check and see if Robert will be home. It would be good to see you and Reba again.”

  “No, not Reba. She was just passing through, I guess. Once I got started in school, she decided to take a job in Georgia.”

  “I’m sorry, Micky.”

  “Not to worry. I’ve been so busy with school I haven’t had much time to think about it. I guess I knew it wasn’t too serious. I mean I did kiss you the last time I saw you.”

  “Maybe Reba didn’t like that.”

  “Probably not. Let me know about tomorrow night… how about the Legals there by you? You can bring Gini.”

  “My favorite place. I’ll get in touch with you after I talk to Robert.”

  Debbie confirmed the date after Robert told her he’d make sure he was there at seven.

  It was a bit awkward at first, but they started talking about school and their careers, comparing notes. Debbie was surprised she didn’t have the butterflies like she had the last time. She had thought now that Reba was gone, she would feel closer to Micky, but she didn’t. Just a friend talking to a friend.

  At the end of the evening, there was a quick hug, that was all.

  Debbie and Gini were making frequent trips to New Haven to meet Robert at the architecture firm to put a floor plan together. On one trip, he took Debbie and Gini to the lot. It was located where two streets ended in a cul-de-sac. There was a house to the west, the golf course in the back, and an open green area to the east. Following the path to the natural area, they passed tall trees, manicured bushes, and grass. Then they approached a pond with a water fountain.

  “Sweetheart, look at all the trees,” Robert said.

  Just then there was a small sound of a bird’s tweet. Gini looked up at him and grinned. “Bird.”

  “Yes, there aren’t many here now, but in the spring, they’ll return, and I’ll bet these trees will be full of beautiful birds and sound. Oh, look! Do you see the ducks?” He pointed to the pond.

  See… what did he mean by see? Everyone kept saying to her to look and to see. What exactly were they asking her to do?

  They walked back to the car and went to Robert’s office. When they got there, a vision of ducks all huddled together slowly emerged in her brain.

  “Duck, be… uff, coe.”

  He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed. “They’ll be okay. They know how to take care of themselves.”

  Then tall trees faded in over the ducks, and a half-frozen water fountain came next. She remembered hearing the water when they were standing looking at the lot.

  Robert pointed everything out to her, the tenth fairway, the clubhouse in the distance. And as they walked the land, he indicated where he thought the rooms should be. All of it was coming to her in visions. It was like she was in Robert’s head picturing what he wanted: a large room with comfortable furniture with a view out big windows to her garden with roses and other flowers, a kitchen where she and Debbie could make cookies for Robert, and a roomy bed for her and Robert to make love. She felt his excitement about their new house.

  She went with him to all the appointments. He wanted her to be involved throughout the process. He helped her understand the floor plan, and as before, the visions came later of what he was talking about. It would be a sprawling home, mainly one-story, with a game room, one bedroom, and bath upstairs. A “mother-in-law” suite would be built on the front east side for Debbie so she could have a private place. Between the suite and the master’s retreat would be a room set up with a hospital bed and hookup for oxygen and other equipment, and cabinets for medical supplies. From Robert’s education and what he’d found in his research for recovering-head-trauma patients, he knew as Gini got older she would have more medical needs, and with a doctor and nurse on-site, it would be better for her to be at home rather than in the hospital.

  The other side of the house would be three more bedrooms and two full baths—the baby’s and nanny’s rooms.

  The middle of the house would be an open plan with a dining room and great room that flowed into the breakfast and kitchen area. The openness would make it easier for Gini to get around.

  Debbie was thrilled about the quarters for her and almost as excited with the medical room that joined hers to Gini’s bedroom.

  Each visit brought more vivid images in Gini’s head: Jessica playing with Robert on a swing, and Gini holding her in her lap listening to all the singing birds in the trees. Her sad thought was Debbie wouldn’t live with her anymore.

  Since Gini was progressing so well, Robert told Debbie they should play with a real deck of cards. He was sure Gini would learn the card faces easily.

  “I have a surprise for you,” Robert told Gini.

  “Oh… yes.”

  Those words were the only words Gini didn’t have to think too much about saying. She wanted to ask what the surprise was, and she could say the words in her head but, as was the case most of the time, she couldn’t even get them out wrong. Even her sign language was messed up. She knew both Robert and Debbie mostly interpreted what they thought she wanted to say rather than what she was actually thinking and signing. Sometimes it was frustrating, but other times, once they had said the words, what Gini had intended was a fleeting thought, and she didn’t remember what she’d signed. Her world was very confusing, but she knew Robert and Debbie would always take care of her. She was determined to learn until she could communicate correctly.

  She lifted her hands to sign, but they fell back to her lap.

  Robert tipped the card box and took out the deck. He took one card and helped her hold it in her hand. “These are playing cards.”

  She had no idea what he was talking about. She sat for a moment. “Car… uff, play?”

  “Yes, like your braille cards, bu
t since you can see so well, I thought you might like to play with real cards.”

  There was that word see again.

  “This is the ten of hearts. See the number ten and the hearts in the middle?”

  Gini laid the card on the table, then she pointed her index finger and searched for the raised dots.

  “Sweetheart, these don’t have the braille dots. Just look at the face of the card.”

  See, face—what was he trying to tell her? She pushed harder trying to find the dots and, with the pressure, the card moved and fell on the floor.

  She raised her hands to sign, but she couldn’t think what she wanted to say, so her hands were just flying around in the air.

  Debbie was reading a book and looked over when Robert leaned to pick up the card. “Baby, what is it?”

  “No, be. No, be,” she repeated over and over.

  “Okay, okay,” Robert said, taking her hands in his. “We’ll try another time. Sweetheart, all you have to do is look at the card face.”

  Gini burst into tears.

  “Hey, what brought this on?” He wrapped her tight in his arms and started to rock her. “I wanted you to see real playing cards.”

  “No, what…” she said the two words several times.

  Debbie sat tense. Something was happening. Gini was in trouble somehow. She wanted to go grab her, but Robert was quietly talking to her as he rocked. “Take your time and say what you want to say.”

  Gini took a big breath, then a gulp. “I, no, know, what, see, pease, tell, wha, see. Wha, see.” There was a pause. “Wha, see, is.”

  “Oh, baby,” Debbie said quietly under her breath. Gini didn’t know what “see” meant. All this time, she didn’t know what they were asking her to do.

  Robert put his hand on the side of her face, gently taking his thumb across her closed eye. “This is your eye. Do you remember this is your eye?”

  She nodded, still weeping.

  “Our eyes are how we see.” He stopped to think how he could better describe.