“I pray every day. We’ll pray together.” Daniel took her hand.
Debbie was so relieved when she heard Robert was somewhere close and was okay, at least physically. And she agreed with Daniel, Robert needed to work through the situation as he needed, to find his answers. But she really wanted him back at home as the loving husband and father he’d always been.
The days just seemed to drag by, and still no Robert. Debbie asked Daniel to tell Robert to call her the next time Daniel saw him, but Robert never contacted her.
The following Wednesday, Jessica was at a friend’s house, and Alyssa had taken Robbie to the park for a walk. Debbie and Gini were done with her morning therapy and were in the master bedroom changing Gini’s shoes.
Debbie looked up at Gini sitting on the bed. She had a big smile on her face, and her eyes were open. She’d been opening her eyes more and more, and the day before, for the first time, she held and drank from her handled mug.
“Oh, baby, you look beautiful.” Debbie stood and kissed Gini on the forehead.
“Rob… ber.”
Debbie smiled back. That was the first understandable word Gini had said since her stroke.
“Yes, Robert. He loves you.”
Debbie took her hand, and they walked out of the room toward the great room. And there standing in the kitchen was Robert, his suitcase next to him on the floor and his doctor’s bag on the table.
He walked toward them. Gini let go of Debbie’s hand and went on alone with a slow pace and a slight limp. They embraced, and then he helped her walk to the bedroom.
Debbie had started toward her room so they could be alone. When she went inside, she closed the door and leaned back against it. Kensy was sitting on the couch near the front window, reading, when Debbie came in.
“Dee…” she said, seeing the emotion on Debbie’s face.
“He’s home.” Debbie put her hand near her mouth. “He’s home to stay.”
After many hours talking with Maggie, Robert had found the peace he was seeking.
In the months to come, Gini went to physical therapy every weekday. She was soon walking with no leg brace and had started using her right hand. The words were finally coming back to her, and she was signing proficiently. The household was happy once again with the sounds of children playing and baby giggles.
Chapter 17—They Grow up so Quickly
It took Gini a full two years to completely recover from her stroke, but she never stopped being with her family. Raising her children with Robert was both fun and adventuresome, the most important thing to her. Both the kids were intelligent, athletic, and personable, and they both adored their mother.
Gini saw her life through snapshots. With her eyes still open only part of the time, and her brain/eye communication limited to brief moments, she rarely saw movement. But that was the way she knew seeing, so it was very natural for her. Each visual frame was all she needed to get around and see her beautiful family’s faces.
Over the years, she had learned to feed herself with a spoon in her left hand. The day she found the mashed potatoes on the plate, worked to get them in the spoon and then to her mouth was one of the greatest accomplishments she had ever felt. She could also bathe herself and put on simple clothing without help, like a nightgown or pullover blouse, but her disabilities still required that she have someone with her at all times.
Every morning was the same. It took her a few minutes to figure out she was Gini. Then, through the process of smells, sounds, and touches, she would know where she was. Robert or Debbie, whoever was with her when she woke up, was her first memory of her surroundings, and it would progress from there. Her sight was the last to come online. She would begin to see familiar things.
She never got over the vagueness she felt when she was in a new environment, or in a large group, or hearing loud noises. But she had overcome her fear of confusion. She knew someone would always be there to take care of her.
She wanted to take in every waking minute of each day. Every night she was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep, then it started all over the next day, all fresh and new.
Debbie and Robert never ceased to be amazed at her accomplishments. As with most severe brain trauma patients, Gini would require physical and occupational therapy the rest of her life, and she’d always be learning new things.
Debbie and Kensy continued to take first place in local, regional, and state tennis tournaments, with Debbie taking many in singles. Gini never could get the gist of how tennis was played. Robert had her hold the ball in her hand and explained it was hit with a racket. Gini’s vision was not good enough to see distance, but she heard the thump of the ball on the court and the ting on the racket. Every time Debbie made a point, Robert would squeeze Gini’s hand, and she knew to cheer.
Robert and Jessica played a lot of golf, both together or with Jessica on teams. Gini enjoyed riding in the cart with the breeze in her face and the sounds of nature. She also heard the whiff of the club and the ping of the ball being hit.
Put a golf club, baseball or bat, or football in Robbie’s hands and he was proficient at them all, but basketball was his passion. Robert installed a backboard and hoop off the back driveway. On weekend
