Fortunately, her full schedule at school kept Jessica busy so she didn’t have to think too much about losing both of her parents in two years. And she was determined to be the best she could be at whatever she did. She wanted to devote her career to helping people like her mother have long healthy lives after sustaining severe head injuries.
The following Saturday after receiving the internet links Debbie had sent her, she settled on the couch with a cup of tea and read the obituaries.
Riccardo Anthony Santini was born in Walnut Creek, California, an only child. He and his mother moved to Sacramento after his father was killed in a plane crash. He received a law degree at Harvard, and soon after graduating he bought a company, Greystone Entertainment. He was married twice and is survived by one living daughter out of four children. His surviving daughter, Virginia Elizabeth Santini, is President of Greystone Entertainment.
There was a picture of him in a business suit. Jessica remembered how handsome he had been at her mother’s funeral: dark hair, clean-shaven, olive skin, smartly dressed.
Franco Raul Legotti, was born and raised in Sacramento, California, by a single mother. With an engineering degree from MIT, he started his own company providing clean water to underdeveloped countries in South and Central America and China. He was married once, to Virginia Anderson, and is survived by their daughter, Virginia Elizabeth Legotti, 27, who runs Legotti Engineering.
After reading both obits, Jessica sat thinking how interesting it was that they had both named their daughters after her mother. And Franco’s information indicated his daughter was also Gini’s. But how could that be? She was a year older than Jessica. She knew her mother had been in rehab then, so there was no way she’d had anyone’s baby. And her dad had never mentioned it in all the talks they’d had about her past. He never said anything about her mom having a living daughter.
She put her computer on the coffee table and picked up the small photo album Debbie had given her. The first picture was of Gini in a navy-blue business suit. Her hair was pulled up and twisted in the back. She looked pretty much the same as Jessica remembered her, but more serious and mature. The picture was her professional photo as a lobbyist.
The next ones were from her parents’ honeymoon in Mexico. Her three favorites included Gini in a colorful flowered dress with an orange hibiscus tucked in front of her ear. With a smile, her dimples deep in her cheeks, her big blue eyes were open wide with happiness. The one of her dad dancing on the beach in sandals—he had red toenails—made her laugh every time she saw the picture. It was so out of character for him. He’d told her he’d do anything for Gini. She had wanted him to paint his toes to match hers, so he did. The third picture was of the two of them sitting in a fancy restaurant looking into each other’s eyes.
It was obvious all three men loved her deeply. She took the photo album to her chest and looked up.
“Watch out, Mama, they’re all wanting to be with you, the wonderful, amazing Virginia Anderson.”
Chapter 21—Sisters
Jessica laid the album back on the table and put her hand on top of her mother’s white Bible. She remembered the day so clearly when Reverend Gilbert gave the book to her mama, even though she was only three at the time. Pastor Daniel’s deep voice and beautiful singing seemed to wrap all around her and tell her not to be afraid. She smiled. Little did she know what a big part of her life he would end up being.
The leather edges of the Bible were frayed and soiled from her mother’s dainty hands. Jessica flipped through the pages—some wrinkled, others slightly torn. Gini often pushed her fingers through the verses to find one important to her. No one ever knew if she could read or even see the letters for that matter, but the pages left open in her lap always had guidance for the issue of the time. And Jessica often found her dad kneeling near the table the Bible rested on, with his hand on top, praying—more so at the end of their lives.
She put the Bible in her lap and sat back. Church had been such a big part of her growing up, so many great memories, so many great friends.
Jason and Jennifer, now expecting their first child, were both successful in their careers. Jason went to work for a big IT company in Cambridge, and Jennifer was a speech therapist in Roxbury. They had just moved into their new house in Brookline. Jessica remembered the pride in his face when she went to help them move. He could take good care of his family.
“Why Brookline,” Jessica asked, “why not Cambridge?”
“This is about halfway to both our jobs. Besides, it’s close to Gram and Pops in New Haven, and not that much farther to my folks and Jennifer’s family.”
Jessica let out a sigh. “You’re both so lucky to still have your parents and grandparents.”
Jason reached over and put his hand on her arm. “Listen, Jess, you know you are welcome to our Sunday dinner any time. And I’m sure Gram would love to see you whenever, just drop in.”
“I couldn’t do that. You still have dinner at their house every Sunday?”
“Yep, Gram said as long as she can cook, she
