A month later, Janet told Ric she was three months pregnant.
Chapter 6—Three Girls
Debbie and Gini often went to Lisa’s house to wait for Robert until it was time to go to either the builder’s office or walk the property. Timmy was just starting to scoot himself from one place to another. Debbie always spent some time on the floor with him when they were there. She loved his smile that lit up the room, his red hair—darker than Lisa’s but thick and curly like Lenny’s. And when he looked at her adoringly with his light brown eyes, or took her finger in his chubby little hand, it melted her heart.
Lisa was proud of her son. He was a happy child, energetic and full of curiosity. She wondered if she’d ever been so joyous. She remembered feeling insecure in elementary school, not sure she was smart, not sure the other kids liked her, and was determined Timothy wouldn’t feel that way—or if he did, he wouldn’t go through it alone.
It filled her heart to see Debbie playing with him. She had often thought back to the day she and Debbie had talked about arranging for an embryo implant and having Lisa carry the child they would raise together. She had to admit she had wondered more than once what their lives would be like now if Gini and Lenny hadn’t walked into their world. It would be a different child, for one thing. Impossible to imagine loving another one as much as she loved Timmy, but of course she would have. She would always love Debbie. But she was very happily married, and she loved Lenny—in a completely different way. The most important people in her life were Debbie, Lenny, Timmy, and Gini. She knew she couldn’t live happily without any of them.
Most of the outside of the new house was up and done, and the inside was taking shape.
Robert wouldn’t let Gini get near the place without proper protection. Debbie snapped off a picture on her phone of Gini in tied-up, sturdy boots; black-rimmed, wraparound protective glasses; gloves; and a bright yellow hard hat. She found it quite amusing with Gini’s baby tummy sticking out front.
With each visit, Robert walked with Gini, leading her where they could go in the house on the first floor only, making sure she knew exactly which room it was.
Gini felt like the mountain climber on one of Debbie’s adventure shows when she journeyed through the new house. The boots were heavy, and the clothing hot. But she knew Robert wanted to protect Jessica from harm. It was confusing to her how there was only one house but two places to live, one for Robert and Gini and one for Debbie. Gini shared her fears with both of them that Debbie wasn’t going to help her anymore. But nothing they said could convince Gini that was not the case until one day Debbie said the small separate quarters, or ‘Dee… bee, haus,’ was just a bedroom like the bedroom in the condo. A light went on in Gini’s head, and she finally understood, her uncertainties gone.
There was one bedroom in the back of the house Robert had no description for. Each time Gini asked, he told her it was an extra room. Soon, Gini started calling it, “Rob… ber, roo.” He just laughed it off. Debbie teased that the room was his “doghouse.”
One morning in the last part of June, Robert came out of his bedroom and met Debbie holding her electronic tablet for him to see. “Robert! There’s a picture of Gini in the news!”
He took the tablet. Gini and Debbie were standing in a food checkout line. Gini had a brimmed hat on and dark glasses. Debbie was holding her hand. He read the story:
It’s been a while since we have reported anything on Ms. Virginia Anderson. Many stories have floated around about what had happened to her and Mr. Santini. Ms. Anderson had become a popular figure in the Boston area for her politics and charity work. And when she connected with Ricardo Santini, a local, dashing young bachelor who managed high-profile events, they became a power couple of the city, drawing a lot of attention. Many think she is in Florida raising their twins. Imagine what I thought when I spotted her in Salumeria Italiana Market near the waterfront in North End, on Friday afternoon. When I called her name, there was no response from her, but the woman next to Ms. Anderson, holding her hand, turned in my direction. I could tell right away there was something very wrong with Ms. Anderson’s movements. Disabled, I’d say describes it best. So, I went on a hunt to find out the real story…
The article went on to tell of Gini’s accident, her brain damage, and stay in New Haven Medical Center under her then married name Virginia Legotti.
…now married to the renowned brain surgeon Dr. Robert Young.
This is not the end to my story. I will keep gathering more information on her, on what happened to her first husband, Franco Legotti, and on where Mr. Ricardo Santini and Virginia’s twins are.
Mary Lou Statton, Boston Globe
“Did you speak to this lady?” Robert asked, handing the tablet back to Debbie.
“No. I did hear someone call what I thought was Gini’s name, but no one seemed obvious. I had no idea she took our picture. Is that legal? To just snap off a picture and then tell the story to the whole world without permission?” Debbie dropped her tablet on the breakfast bar and huffed into the kitchen.
“Deb, you knew this day would come.”
“So what are we going to do about it?”
“I’d say, just let it play out. Keep your eyes open when you are out
