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  Then three days later, Debbie and Gini were stepping out of the elevator to take their daily walk. Howard came running toward them with his arms spread out. “Stop. Go back up. In front of the building is a crowd of reporters. They want to speak to Mrs. Young. I told them they couldn’t come into the building, so there they have stood out there all morning.”

  Debbie peeked around Howard’s head to see out the front door. Two people had their hands on the glass and were looking in.

  She put her arm around Gini’s shoulders and turned her to reenter the elevator.

  Gini was thrusting her tongue. “No, be… uff, walk?”

  “No, baby, not today.”

  “Be… uff, rain.”

  “No! We’re just… we’ll bake cookies for Robert. Yes, that’s what we need to do, bake.”

  “Need… uff, walk, ever… day.”

  “Gini.” Debbie squeezed her tight as the elevator went up. “Not today, please, not today.”

  Gini could tell Debbie was upset about something and, confused at what Howard was trying to tell them, she decided to try to make Debbie happy.

  That evening Robert told Debbie the media had been all over the hospital asking questions.

  “Did you talk to them?” she asked.

  “No, John and I lay pretty low all day.”

  “This is crazy, Robert, being all penned up in our home, and you in your office by some stupid news-hungry paparazzi.”

  “You’re right. I’m going to talk to Gini. We need to speak about this; it’s time.”

  It was decided they would hold a news conference at the hospital in a controlled environment. When Catherine emailed Robert about the story, she requested she be a part of the news conference. He agreed.

  The meeting was in a small classroom used for training. Long tables went from wall to wall, so Gini would be protected behind them, separated from the media.

  Debbie was concerned about Gini being so visible, but Gini seemed to understand what was happening, and she wanted to be with Robert when he talked to the reporters.

  The day arrived, and Robert led Gini in from an office only accessible from behind the tables. Debbie and Catherine followed them in. There were only six reporters.

  “Hello, my name is Dr. Robert Young. And this is Virginia Anderson Young.”

  Gini looked up at him. “Be… uff, hus… ban.”

  There was a quiet gasp in the room when she spoke.

  “How bad is your brain damage, Ms. Anderson?” a reporter asked.

  Gini smiled and leaned into Robert. Then slowly spoke, “Bain… uff—”

  Janet had seen the story on Gini’s accident and wanted to watch the press conference. She and Ric were sitting on the couch. As he listened, he leaned on his arm on the sofa end. His other arm was around Janet, his fingers gently rubbing up and down the side of her head.

  Robert interrupted Gini and told reporters—using appropriate medical terms—what exactly had happened to her and how it affected her speech, mobility, and sight.

  “We are happily married and expecting our first child.”

  “Jess… eeca.”

  Ric lowered his arm, putting his hand on Janet’s small baby bump. She laid her hand on top of his, loving the feel of his long warm fingers next to her skin. Being so interested in the streaming news event, she was unaware of Ric’s emotions.

  “Mrs. Young is having a good life,” Robert concluded.

  “Will she be going back to Washington DC and working with Ms. White?”

  Debbie shook her head. How stupid could that guy be, she thought. After what Robert had just described, wasn’t it obvious?

  “No, she will be raising our daughter with me here. Thank you so much for your time,” Robert said. He turned with Gini, and they left the room. Debbie followed.

  “Ms. White, will Ms. Anderson be working from here on the children’s health bill?”

  “As you can see, Virginia is living a different life now. Please, I beg of you, leave her and her family alone. She is very happy.”

  “Where are Ms. Anderson and Mr. Santini’s twins? Does he have custody?”

  “The babies were killed in the accident,” Catherine said.

  Ric moved to the front edge of the couch and put his face in his hands.

  “Oh, babe,” Janet said, putting the tablet down.

  He stood when she touched him. “I have to get out of here.” He rushed to leave, his motions frantic.

  “Ric, where are you going? I’ll go with you.”

  “No.” He slammed the door behind him.

  “Please, let them have their peace. Mr. Santini is living in Florida with his new wife. This story is over.” Catherine turned and left the room.

  From their Lauderdale-By-The-Sea condo balcony, Janet saw Ric walking the beach.

  He had slipped off his shoes and was slowly strolling at the water’s edge, trembling—his emotions totally out of his control. His children had died in that horrible accident on that horrible day when his life changed forever. He stopped, leaned forward, and put his hands above his knees. He felt he couldn’t breathe. The grief was so deep, so real all over again. He wanted the whole memory to go away, but it kept resurfacing, always little things bringing back that gut-wrenching pain and the despair that made him want to die.

  Janet’s heart kept telling her to go to him, but he had said no. She loved him; he was hers now. What more could she do for him than love him with all her heart and bear his child, Virginia Elizabeth Santini?

  Picking Virginia was not hard for either of them. And he had suggested Elizabeth for Mama Elizabeth. Janet agreed she was a great woman.

  After a few minutes, she found her sunglasses and hat and went to him.

  He was still bent over, gagging on his sadness, the tears drowning his face.

  “Babe…” She pulled him into her arms. “I’m so sorry, sorry for all that has happened. You will soon have a daughter, our child conceived from our love for each other. You will finally find your peace and the happiness you deserve. I love you.”

  Janet was surprised at his reaction to the news conference. Now she questioned why she had insisted they watch it. Ric hadn’t mentioned anything about losing his babies for some time. And when they discussed they would name their daughter after Gini, he was calm and seemed very pleased that Janet had brought it up. Gini and Janet had been close friends their entire youth. She’d had many sleepovers at the Anderson house, and Elizabeth and her mother were good friends.

  Janet was sad to see what had happened to Gini, but Gini had always been driven, so Janet wasn’t surprised that she was determined to have a good life in spite of her disabilities, or that she had found a wonderful husband to take care of her and share her life. That’s what Janet wanted with Ric, a loving, sharing relationship. She felt she had the perfect man.

  Ric was not the type of man she thought she would marry, however. She’d always been attracted to “bad boys.” None of those relationships lasted because the men were all about themselves, and she tired of them quickly. More recently, she had decided she didn’t want to be attached to a guy. She needed her space. But Ric changed all that; he was so giving and totally hers. His life was fun, and she couldn’t wait to get back to him when they were apart. She’d never been so happy. And having a child, again so different than what she thought she wanted. Being a mother had never been a dream of hers. Children would cramp her style and interrupt her career. But she knew Ric was going to be a wonderful hands-on daddy. And she really wanted to give him a child, a big piece of his puzzle that was missing—obviously, being a father was something important to him. They were going to be the perfect family.

  He continued to cry, squeezing her tight, running his hand down her long red strands of hair, over and over and over. She would never understand his great loss or how much he loved Gini. Janet would never know…

  Franco, listening to the press conference, put his cell phone on the table after Catherine had walked out of the
room. The grief was still sharp, as was the anger at the world that had taken so much from his Gini. He could remember her as she had been before the accident so perfectly—her sass and brains and style. But he was used to these thoughts. He crawled back down on the floor with his daughter.

  She had just learned how to roll up into a sitting position. Every time she did, she giggled, filling his heart with her adorable smile. Her big round eyes and soft dark curls brought him joy every single day. He would always have a part of his beautiful Gini with him as long as he lived—Virginia Elizabeth Legotti, the girl he would always love.

  Parts of Robert’s statement ran on the local news that evening. The TV anchors all commented on how sad it was that Ms. Anderson’s life had been altered, but they were glad to see her happily married and wished her well. That was the last any of them heard about it. Disabled women rarely make the news.

  Chapter 7—Jessica

  The C-section was scheduled for July fifteenth, and Robert made sure everything would properly fall in place by setting up nanny interviews.

  They were spread over two evenings in a row at the condo, with two women each night.

  The first night, Gini and Robert went to answer the door together. The lady was older and plainly dressed.

  Gini immediately turned away. “No… be, one.”

  Although Gilda was a nice woman, it was clear to all of them she was not a good fit.

  Robert and Gini went to the door together about an hour later. This woman looked to be about Debbie’s age. And again, Gini proclaimed, “No, be… one,” and walked away.

  There was a tension in the air through the interview. Corina made it quite clear that she didn’t do housework or cooking, would only do the baby’s laundry, and staring right at Debbie, she declared she certainly was not going to be a nursemaid to Gini. With those words, Debbie stood and walked out of the room.

  “I’d like to thank you for coming,” Robert said, getting up when Debbie left. He led Corina to the door alone.

  The next night, the first applicant was a young woman in her mid-twenties. At the door, Gini looked up at Robert and smiled. “Be… one.”

  Alyssa was pleasant with a perky personality. She talked to Gini as she talked to the others, asking her questions about how she wanted certain things done for the baby. It took Gini some time to get out the words with Robert helping her, but Alyssa didn’t seem to mind and understood.

  When she left, they were all in agreement: Alyssa was the one. But out of courtesy for the other woman coming, they would speak to her as well.

  Gini looked at Robert and shook her head even before he opened the door. He leaned down and kissed her.

  Even though Sandra was nice and clearly qualified, Alyssa was their choice.

  The cool weather in Massachusetts had passed, and it was full-blown summer with some days offering searing heat. Only a few weeks to the C-section.

  Gini continued to be her lively self until the third week in June. Each day she slept a little more. Linda wasn’t alarmed; with the heat and Gini’s advanced pregnancy, it was not unusual for a mother-to-be to require more rest. Lisa tried to ease Debbie’s fears, telling her how tired she had been the last few weeks when she carried Timmy. Sometimes she felt like she had heavy weights on her legs. She had ended up taking maternity leave much earlier than planned because all she wanted to do was sleep.

  Robert loved the mounded ball protruding straight out in front of Gini, and putting his hands on it, feeling the baby move, brought more and more love into his heart for both Jessica and Gini. It was more real, now that Jason had been born and he saw the joy in both John and Vicky for their first grandchild. He looked forward to the two children growing up together.

  Debbie and Micky had gone out several times over the last several weeks. The dates all depended on whether Robert would be home to be with Gini. It seemed Micky was okay with juggling her schedule to meet Debbie’s, and she was okay if Gini was with them when they met.

  Debbie, on the other hand, if she was going on a date, wanted it to be just her. She knew Micky said it was okay for Gini to be there, but was she really? Debbie stressed every time because she was not sure how she felt about their relationship. She guessed there was some bitterness from how it had ended before, and then Micky showing up at her door with her arm around another woman—a slap in her face. But she was willing to give it another try, on her terms.

  “Bunny, I need a break. Are you available?” Micky said over the phone on a Wednesday afternoon.

  “I’m here with Gini. You’re welcome to come by.”

  “God, that would be wonderful. The AC has gone out in the med lab, and they have canceled class. I just want some lemonade or something cold.”

  Debbie laughed. “Come on over. I’ll have lunch ready when you get here.”

  “Thank you… thank you.”

  Debbie brought Micky into the living room on her arrival. It was one of those slow days for Gini: up late, a little disoriented, and tired. Such days were not common earlier, but with the pregnancy, they seemed more prevalent.

  “I’ve made a big pitcher of lemonade with blackberry,” Debbie said. “Sit. I’ll bring you some.”

  Micky sat on the couch next to Gini. “How are you? I think that baby will be here soon.”

  Gini moved awkwardly, thrust her tongue, then nodded her head.

  Debbie put a glass in front of Micky and helped Gini grab onto the handled mug.

  “Drink,” Debbie said, lifting her own glass.

  Gini seemed confused and tried to put the cup on the table, but it tipped over, spilling on Gini’s lap, all over the tabletop and onto the floor. Debbie immediately grabbed the mug and ran into the kitchen for a towel.

  “No, be… uff,” Gini wailed, over and over until Debbie returned.

  “It’s okay, baby. I’ll clean up the mess.”

  Micky took the towel and started wiping the wet areas. Debbie excused herself and Gini so she could clean Gini up.

  A few minutes later, Debbie emerged from the master bedroom. “Micky, will you be okay while I take care of Gini? She’s upset, and I need to calm her down.”

  “Sure. Take your time.”

  Micky slowly drank the refreshing drink, eventually walking to the large windows and looking out over the harbor. She realized being Gini’s caretaker was a big job for Debbie. She loved nursing but realized she wouldn’t have the patience to do it 24/7. She needed her time off, needed to be able to keep an emotional distance.

  About a half hour later, Debbie came back into the room. She looked frustrated and frazzled.

  “Everything all right, bunny?”

  Debbie half smiled. “Yes, she’s sleeping. I’ll be so glad when this baby is here. Gini gets tired so easily, and then all hell breaks loose.” She let out a long breath and sat on the couch.

  Micky sat next to her and put her arm around her. “You can relax now. I’m here to help you. Just relax.”

  Help me, Debbie thought. Micky has no idea.

  Micky rubbed Debbie’s arm, and Debbie leaned closer and put her head on Micky’s shoulder.

  “There you go, just relax,” Micky said, still rubbing gently up and down.

  Memories of being with Micky in school flooded her mind. How exciting it had been—how eye-opening. Micky’s body, her strong kisses and delicious smell, her conversation, her easy acceptance. It was all overwhelming and wonderful. She had blamed Micky for the relationship ending because she thought of Micky as the one in charge, but it was no one’s fault. Debbie could have gone to Micky. Micky had wanted her to. She had arranged for Debbie to interview for a nursing position at a family practice. But Debbie had already taken the first steps for the team at New Haven Medical Center. As much as she wanted to be with Micky, the offer in New Haven was exactly what she had been looking for. And somehow, she guessed, she had thought Micky should come to her. Why was that? To prove that she loved her? Debbie shook her head at her own youthful cluelessness. She had
wanted to be pursued, but probably if Micky had pursued her, she would have felt scared or even guilty for taking Micky away from her life. But she hadn’t realized that; she’d felt hurt and not good enough, and the calls between the two happened less and less until there were none.

  “What do you have for lunch?” Micky asked, seeing Debbie needed to eat. “I’ll help you fix it.”

  Debbie was still comfortable lying close to her, not wanting to leave a place that felt like a safe zone where no one could get to her.

  After a few seconds, she said, “It’s in the fridge, salad and ham sandwiches. I’ll get it.” She immediately pulled away from Micky.

  “Hey, you’re not my servant; we’ll do it together.”

  The two put the meal on the breakfast bar and ate.

  “Why did you stop our calls after I got out of college?” Debbie asked.

  “It was obvious you were set on that team job at the med center. I couldn’t compete with that, and I was working hard to get where I wanted. I could see it wasn’t going to work. As women, we have to carve our paths first, then find our pleasure. So I had to let you go.”

  What an interesting statement, Debbie thought. We are both nurses, so we could have worked our careers together. But obviously, neither of us was committed enough to the other to try to work in the same place. She let out a sigh.

  Micky reached up and put her left hand at the base of Debbie’s neck. With her fingers spread out, she rubbed a couple of times, then rested her hand there. It was clear that Debbie was struggling with her job. Micky was glad she had come. Debbie needed some nurturing and she needed to know someone cared about what she was doing.

  Both women continued eating in silence.

  Debbie was grateful Micky had showed up. She needed some consoling, and Micky had made her feel much better just by being here. Now that she lived in the area, if it was just Debbie and Gini, Micky could move in with them. But with Robert in the picture, that wouldn’t work. Maybe when they moved into the new house? No, those quarters are too small, and would Micky feel comfortable there? I’ll wait until we get settled, and Gini is comfortable being a mother. Then I’ll work on my relationship with Micky. Debbie made a small laugh. Isn’t that exactly what Micky just said? Figure out your path, then find a relationship. She shook her head.