Gini always enjoyed him being around, and patches or no patches, she continued to beat him at braille cards.
Debbie and Gini arrived early for Gini’s fourth-week appointment. Gini sat on the couch in the waiting room while Debbie filled out some paperwork at the reception counter.
“Gins! Oh, my gosh, I’m so glad you are in the hospital today.”
Ric sat down next to her and squeezed his arm around her. “What’s wrong with your eyes, sweets?”
Gini sat straight with her hands in her lap. “No… uff… know. Be… uff… buge.”
Debbie turned and was shocked to see Ric with her.
“Ms. Anderson, we’re ready for you,” the nurse called from an open door.
Debbie walked to Gini and helped her get back in the wheelchair. “Ric. Come on, baby, they’re ready for us.”
Ric stood when Debbie approached, and he helped her with Gini. “Can I call you, Debbie?”
“Yes… yes… that will be fine.” She started to push Gini toward the door. Ric leaned down and planted a kiss on Gini’s lips and softly ran his hand down her cheek. “You look beautiful, sweets, beautiful.”
Gini turned her head around toward him as Debbie pushed the chair forward.
Robert was running late and was just about to enter the room when he saw Ric lean over and kiss Gini, and then her reaction. He quickly walked back down the hall so Ric wouldn’t see him.
Ric walked out of the door and went the opposite direction down the hall.
The exam report was encouraging. Dr. Adams wanted one more week of the treatment, and then they would slowly introduce light back to Gini’s eyes. Neither Robert nor Debbie said anything about Ric’s mysterious appearance.
That evening late, Ric called Debbie. He told her he had gone to Florida vowing to never return and had hit rock bottom. His friend Val saw his deep despair and depression and insisted he see a therapist, actually threatening to lock Ric in the house if he didn’t see one.
“Good for him,” Debbie said in a brisk tone. “I’d say he’s a good friend.”
“Debbie, I would like your permission to visit Gini. She looked so pretty sitting there. I was so surprised to see her. I have moved back to Boston, for now, and I’m seeing Maggie weekly. Please, give me another chance.”
“Well, Ric, it’s not up to me. I’ll ask Gini if she wants to see you, and we’ll go from there.”
“What’s wrong with her eyes?”
Debbie told him about the glasses and the treatment, but she didn’t mention Robert.
“I’ll call you after I talk to Gini.”
“Thank you. That’s all I can ask.”
From the tone of Debbie’s voice and her ice-cold reaction, Ric knew he was once again out of her good graces. But he didn’t care. One thing he knew, he wanted to be with Gini. He wanted to learn how to take care of her so they could be together. He would do anything, even get down on his knees and beg both of them for his forgiveness. And he would keep trying until Gini agreed to be his wife.
When Debbie had a conversation with Gini the next day about Ric, Gini said she’d like him to come visit. Using signing, she told Debbie she wanted to make sure he was okay.
“Reek… be… uff… fren.”
“Yes, baby, he’s your friend.”
Two days later, Ric came after lunch. They sat on the couch and talked. He told Gini how sorry he was for his weakness, and that he had been in denial the whole time. But his love for her had never changed. He was thinking much clearer and wanted Debbie to teach him how to take care of her. Gini sat silent, listening to him with little reaction. She signed a couple of times and Debbie translated. One of the statements: “I’m sorry I don’t talk correctly.”
“Gins, that doesn’t matter, really, it just doesn’t matter. I love you just the way you are, and I always will.”
“No… be… uff… goo… tink. No… goo… uff… bain.”
He took her hand in both of his and kissed her fingers. He was emotional. “I love you,” he whispered.
She slowly and gently put her other hand on the side of his face. He broke down and cried. After a few minutes, he stood up. “I’m…” he cleared his throat. “I’ll be right back.” He went in the bathroom.
He sat on the toilet with the lid down and cried from deep inside. How could he have been such a fool? How could he have walked away from the woman he loved, for better or worse; wasn’t that the vow? He would never leave her again—never!
Debbie went to Gini to take her to the bedroom for her nap.
“Be… uff… saa.”
“Yes, he’s sad. He has had to deal with a lot. Just as you have, baby. I’m glad he got help; I was worried about him.”
“Oh… yes…”
When Debbie came back out, Ric was sitting on the couch rubbing his long slender fingers on his lips.
“She’s doing exceptionally well.”
“Yes, she is. It took her about a month to be comfortable here, but since then she has been very happy. We walk to the park and go grocery shopping together. So, you don’t have to worry about her. She’s having a good life.”
He took a deep breath. “Debbie, I’m so sorry for walking out on you. I… I just…” he buried his mouth in his fingers.
“Ric, you were in a bad place. But quite frankly, I didn’t care at that moment. I was trying to help Gini get through her troubles, and
