The Two Amys by Esther Minskoff

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Amy decided to have Teri sit in while she shared her experiences. Although
Teri had gleaned a lot from conversations she overheard between Amy and Keith
and from media coverage, she hadn’t been directly told what had happened. Amy
and Keith felt that now was the time to treat Teri like the responsible adult she was.

The adults went into the yard where Keith had arranged lawn chairs in a
circle and put snacks and drinks on folding tables.

After everyone was seated, Amy took the lead. She looked at each person as
she started her remarks.

“My beloved friends and daughter, it’s time for you to know everything
that’s happened in the last week. I can’t believe that it’s only been a week. It seems
more like a whole lifetime.

I’m going to read the statement I gave to the police, so you’ll know exactly
what happened. Keith helped me with this as soon as I got home on the night I
found out what happened to Ashley. Then I’ll tell you what the police have done.
And I’ll tell you about my visit with David, Courtney, and Jeanette, David’s
mother. If you have any questions or comments, jump in and ask at any time. I
need two things from you. One, emotional support, and the other, any input or
advice you can give me since you know the people involved.”

When Amy gave the statement about Ashley saying bu, Joe stopped her.

“Amy, I know you’re a rational person. If fact, you’re one of the most
rational people I know, so I’m finding it hard to believe that you heard a woman
who hasn’t spoken in months, actually say something.”

“I’m going to tell you something even more shocking, even harder to
believe. Remember on Good Friday when we had that violent storm, Ashley
talked to me then for the first time. The time she said bu was the second time she
spoke to me. That first time she said help me and then she said help me Amy She
actually said my name – Amy. How did she know my name? I don’t think she said
my name even when she first came to Shady Oaks and was verbal. But it was like
when she said bu. We sorta communicated on a mental level. I can’t begin to
describe what it was like, but it wasn’t regular talking. She didn’t move her lips,
but I heard the words she said. Somehow. It was like I sensed them. I didn’t tell the
police about that. I haven’t told anyone except Keith. I don’t want anyone to know

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about that because then people won’t believe that she said bu which I think might
be a clue about who the rapist is. I don’t want people to think my communication
with her was a figment of my imagination because of stress.

After Ashley asked me to help her, Keith and I talked about what she wanted
me to do. Did she want me to help her get out of Shady Oaks? Did she want me to
help her kill herself? Was this just a general call for help because of her situation?
This wasn’t related to the rape because this happened before the rape. We don’t
know. We’ll never know. But I think that Ashley talked to me because she knows I
love her and would help her if I could. And I think there’s still something going on
in Ashley’s head. Her brain isn’t completely dead.

You know I’m not into science fiction or the supernatural, but these two
times when she spoke were bizarre. They were eerie. They were like mind-to-mind
communication. She didn’t move her lips when she spoke. She sorta radiated the
words and I sorta absorbed them. Sounds absolutely crazy, but I’m positive that’s
the way it happened.”

She loudly and emphatically said, “I did not imagine it!”

She continued in a conversational tone. “When I first told Keith about this,
he tried to explain it by talking like a ventriloquist to show me how he could talk
without moving his lips. But it wasn’t the same. I’m even more certain now when I
think of how that was compared to how it was with Ashley.”

They all looked at Amy skeptically. How could rational Amy have had such
an irrational experience?

Sylvia said, “That must mean that on a certain level, Ashley is aware of what
happened to her. That’s the most horrifying part of all of this. If she didn’t know, it
would be horrible that she was raped. But in a way it wouldn’t be that that bad
because she didn’t know what happened to her. Her dementia would have
protected her. But if she did know, it would be catastrophic. Imagine being locked
in a body that can’t move and being violated like that and being unable to say or do
anything to stop it. And being unable to identify the rapist other than by saying his
name - bu. Buddy, Bob, Bill, Ben. Any name starting with the /b/ sound. And we
have to consider that bu might not mean anything. It might just be random. It might
just be babbling.”

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Lois said, “It wasn’t random that she called you Amy. It wasn’t babbling that
she called you Amy. She knew what she was saying then and I think she knew
what she was saying when she told you who raped her.”

Amy took Teri’s hand, and asked, “Teri, are you okay with hearing all this? I
know it’s scary.”

“I’m fine Mom. I really knew most of this from watching TV. I’m not a
child. I understand everything that happened. I really wish I could be with Ashley
and just hold her and comfort her.”

Everyone looked at Teri knowing that she had inherited her mother’s
compassion. She was truly her mother’s daughter.

Keith said, “We wanted you to sit in on this conversation because you’re a
competent, caring adult who deserves to know everything.”

He blew her a kiss. Teri glowed with pride for being included as a “normal”
adult.

After Amy told them about her visit to David’s house, Sylvia said, “I’ve
worked in David’s law firm for as long as David has. Eleven years. He was so
different back then. He had this perfect life – great job, gorgeous, talented wife,
and adorable child. He was always joking with the staff. And he was so
considerate, never forgetting anybody’s birthday or asking about the health of a
sick person. Very easy going except when he was in court defending a client. Then
he turned lethal.

But he changed before our eyes. Once Ashley started showing signs of
Alzheimer’s, he got sadder every day. He didn’t talk about his problems, but we
sensed what was happening. Finally, at a meeting arranged by the senior partners,
he told all of us about her diagnosis and placement at Shady Oaks. He said that he
couldn’t care for her at home even with a help of a home health nurse. He said that
he would continue working since his mother had come to live with him to help
with Courtney. There were no dry eyes in the room. We all volunteered to help in
any way we could, but of course, there was nothing any of us could do. We were
aware that Courtney was having problems, but I don’t think anyone knew the
severity. He never talked about what was happening in his life. He always acted

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professionally and continued to show an interest in everyone else. What a special
man he is.”

Sylvia gulped air to hold back tears.

Lois then moved the conversation to Ashley.

“Of all of us here except Amy, I probably know Ashley best. I had the
honor of knowing her when she was undamaged, when she was whole. When she
was a different Ashley. I’ve worked at Franklin since she started there as a science
teacher and then became assistant principal. What a star she was. Everyone knew
she was on her way to becoming a principal someday and maybe even moving up
to the central office. She worked well with students and staff. Everyone liked her.
She was smart, creative, and had a great sense of humor. She had it all.

I think all the kids loved her because she made learning science fun. She
used lots of interactive experiments that involved the kids. The kids joked that
they hid cow eyeballs they dissected in science in the principal’s office so they
could spy on him.

The boys loved Ashley because she was gorgeous. But she was beautiful in
an unassuming, modest way. I don’t really think she cared much about her looks.
Her curly dark hair, her light blue eyes, her turned up nose, and her perfect figure,
including naturally large breasts. She had a perfect figure because of her running.
When I heard you describe how there were bites on her withered, small breasts I
couldn’t help thinking of her breasts before all this. It makes me sick to think of
what that animal did to her. And it makes me wonder if he knew her before she had
Alzheimer’s, when she was beautiful. Maybe he was raping the beautiful Ashley
from the past, and not the withered, damaged Ashley. This wasn’t a random rape.
He chose her. I firmly believe that he knew her.

It wasn’t only the boys who lusted for her, there was this maintenance man
who had to be fired because he harassed her. He would go to her room even if
something didn’t need fixing. He’d gape at her and occasionally ask her what she
was doing after school. She reported him to the principal who warned him not to
have any contact with her.

After that, there were always bulbs going out in Ashley’s room and he
would go in to change them. Everyone said he used defective bulbs so he would

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have a reason to go to her room. He usually went when she had a free period or
when the kids were finished for the day. He wanted her to be alone, but she left the
room as soon as he came in. We called him Bulbs as a nickname. Everyone would
say, ‘Have you seen that pervert Bulbs lately?’”

After school, he’d wait for Ashley by her car and try to talk to her. Finally,
she told him that she would report him to the principal if he continued. He did, so
she reported him, and he was fired. We never saw him again.

After he was fired, some of the other teachers reported that he’d bothered
them too. They’d just shrugged it off. They hadn’t reported it because they didn’t
want him fired. They knew he had kids who he had to support.

Amy stopped the conversation, “Wait. Let’s talk about him more. This is
someone who must have held a grudge against her because she got him fired so he
had reason to get back at her. Maybe he raped her to retaliate.”

Teri had an intense look on her face. She said, “Bu is the beginning of Bulbs.
Maybe she was trying to say his name.”

Everyone stared at Teri. She had zeroed in on this critical clue.

Ira said, “Teri, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. You’re right.”

Teri beamed at receiving such recognition.

Ira asked Lois, “What was the janitor’s name?”

“I don’t remember. It was a foreign name, and it was hard to say so that’s
why we called him Bulbs. I remember that he had a thick foreign accent.”

Ira continued, “What country did he come from?”

“I don’t recall.”

“What did he look like?”

“You know, I can’t remember. But I don’t think there was anything unusual
about him.”

Keith said, “When did this happen? It was years ago, wasn’t it?

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Sylvia replied, “It must be about five or six years ago. And maybe he stalked
her after he left Washington and found out where she lived and then he found out
when she went to Shady Oaks.”

Keith said, “That sounds too far-fetched. I don’t know how he could have
found out that she was at Shady Oaks. Anyhow he would never recognize her. And
why would he want to rape someone who looks like her – emaciated, almost like a
corpse? And how would he know when the electricity was out and the cameras
wouldn’t pick him up and he’d be able to get into the memory unit? How would he
even get in? Too many impossibilities.”

Joe said, “Let’s not reject anything. It’s a possibility, however remote.”

Amy said, “Should I tell the police about this?”

They all responded with yeses and nods of the head.

“I don’t want to get him in trouble if he’s innocent.”

“What if he’s not innocent? You’ve got to go the police. They’re the ones
who have to decide if all this is a possibility,” said Joe emphatically.

Amy looked at each of the people in the circle of lawn chairs, and said,
“This is why I shared this with you. I was hoping to get your help on what to do.”

Just then Tommy and Tammy ran into the yard. The video was over and so
was time for adult conversation.

Amy, Keith, and Teri warmly hugged each of their friends as they were
leaving. They knew that this conversation had brought them closer as family and
friends, and maybe even closer to finding the rapist.

After they left, Amy asked Keith if she should call Phil then or wait until
Monday. He said to call him now and ask to see him first thing in the morning. She
planned to leave a message for Mike that she’d be late because she had to see Phil.
Her heart quickened as she anticipated the steps she was about to take. Maybe she
was taking the first step in getting justice for Ashley.

Amy dialed Phil’s number and got his answering message. She asked him to
call her back.

A few minutes later, Phil called. There was a lot of noise in the background.

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“It’s hard to hear you.. We’re having a birthday party for my daughter so it’s
a bit noisy here. We have 10 eight-year olds dancing and singing. It’s wild!

What’s up?”

“I think I have some important information. Can I see you first thing in the
morning?”

“See you at 9 in my office.

Chapter 15

Amy arrived at the police station at 8:30 and waited for 8:55 to appear on the
car’s digital clock. She then entered the station and asked for Phil. The clerk said
that he was waiting for her and pointed to the interview room where they had met
previously.

When she entered the room, she was glad to see that Phil had included
Helen. They both had eager looks on their faces because they knew that Amy must
have come up with something important. They made small talk about Phil’s
daughter’s birthday party and the challenges of parenting a five-year-old son as
well as an eight-year-old daughter. Although he verbally complained, the pleasure
of parenthood was apparent from the look of joy on his face. Amy had been
unaware of his family life. She looked at him differently now, seeing a man whose
joyous home life somehow made it easier for him to counterbalance the evils he
faced on his job. She knew nothing about Helen’s life and felt it would be
inappropriate to ask about it.

“What’s up Amy?” Phil switching to the intended topic of the conversation.

“Yesterday, I got together with a group of friends, including my friend Lois
Silver, who’s the school secretary at Ashley’s former school. She’s known Ashley
for 11 years. She described what Ashley was like in the good days when she was a
gorgeous, popular teacher.

She told me about a guy who harassed her so she had him fired. This was
about five or six years ago. He was a maintenance man who was foreign. She
couldn’t remember his name. He was always going into Ashley’s room, especially
when she was alone, to change bulbs that had mysteriously blown out. Everyone
called him Bulbs as a nickname. When we were talking about this, my daughter
said that bu could be a way that Ashley was trying to say Bulbs. I know everyone

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doubts that Ashley could talk, but it does make sense. It’s too much of a
coincidence for her to say bu. I’m positive it wasn’t random babbling.

This happened years ago so it may not be relevant. But I think we have to
consider that somehow this guy found out where Ashley was and got back at her
for having him fired. Maybe he wanted to have sex with her even after six years
and this was his chance to do something about it.”

After discussing this for 15 minutes, Phil asked Amy for Lois’s information
so they could interview her. Amy was elated that they were following up on this.
Helen said that after she got his name, she’d see if he was on the sex offenders
registry. Amy thanked Phil and Helen profusely. Although she knew they were
doing their jobs, she felt that they had a special commitment to solving this case.
And most importantly, they respected her opinion.

After Amy left the police station, she called Lois who was unavailable. She
left a message summarizing her visit with Phil and Helen and telling her to call her
back after school.

Amy got to work at 11:00. She checked in with Mike and gave him an
update of her visit with Phil and Helen. At 3:00 when she went off duty, she visited
Ashley. She told her about the information she had gotten from Lois and her visit
with Phil and Helen. She was going to update Ashley on everything that happened
just in case she understood her on some subterranean level. And even if she didn’t,
she felt that she owed it to her. When Amy shared her experiences, Ashley was
her usual unresponsive self. She showed no glimmer of understanding.

At 4:30, Amy’s cell phone rang. At last, it was Lois calling her back.

“Amy, I have so much to tell you. Can I drop by on my way home?”

“Of course.”

Amy drove home in record time. As soon as the doorbell rang, she whipped
the door open and ushered Lois in. She didn’t offer her anything to drink or eat as
she always did. She just wanted to hear what Lois had to say.

“What happened?”

“Well Phil and Helen came to my office. They asked if my principal, Hal
Daniels, could be present for part of the interview. When Hal came in, they

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explained the reason they were there. Phil told him about Ashley’s rape, which he
already knew of from the media and the school grapevine. Then he told him that he
needed information on a maintenance man who was known as Bulbs and who was
fired for harassing Ashley six years earlier.

Hal said he had to check the back files to find out who this man was and
then he would share whatever information he had on him. It took him a while to
locate his file in storage since he hadn’t worked at the school for six years. Hal told
us that he was a maintenance man at the school for two years. His name was
Evgeniy Kalashnik and he was a legal Russian immigrant. He even had a picture of
him from when he started working at the school. There was nothing distinctive
about him. He had thick dark hair and regular features. Phil asked Hal to make a
copy of the picture as well as everything in the file. According to his job
application, he was married to Svetlana and they had four children. He had
immigrated to the US in 1999. He shared his phone and address but cautioned that
these probably had changed since then. He read from a handwritten note saying
that people called him Bulbs because Evgeniy was too hard to say, and because he
liked to change light bulbs, especially in Ashley’s room. However, no one called
him Bulbs to his face because it made him mad. It was reported that he had a
temper and would yell when angry. There were formal reports of his sexual
harassment of Ashley and two other teachers and the decision by the school
superintendent to fire him. Now that they had his name, Phil and Helen planned to
check on any past involvement he may have had with the police.”

Then Phil asked Lois to leave so they could question Hal privately. When
they finished, he asked Hal to leave so they could question Lois alone. Helen asked
Lois about Evgeniy’s history of harassing the other teachers who had reported him.
Both were no longer at the school. Helen would have to track them down through
the school system central office.

Lois couldn’t remember anything about Evgeniy other than he was creepy.
When Helen asked her to explain creepy, she said that he made her feel
uncomfortable, like he was looking her up and down, and he usually stopped for a
long look at her chest. She tried not to be alone with him when he came into the
office.

Lois had shared her concerns about him with Hal. She even wondered if he
was harassing any of the girls in the school. He told her that Evgeniy had a

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daughter in the school so he might be hesitant to come on to any of her female
classmates. Helen looked skeptical and said that this was unlikely to stop him. She
asked if Lois recalled anything about his daughter. She couldn’t recall the father or
the daughter. She didn’t think any of his other children ever went to her school, but
this could be easily checked.

“Did Phil and Helen say what they were going to do next?”

“Yes. They were going to try to find Evgeniy and interview him. They also
wanted his fingerprints and DNA. I think they feel that this guy might be a
possible suspect. So do I. But then I think about how hard it would have been for
him to do this. I don’t know. How did he get into Shady Oaks? How did he know
Ashley was there? Too many unanswerable questions.”

After Lois left, Amy googled Evgeniy Kalashnik. She didn’t get any hits, not
even from the phone book. Unlike most people, he had no digital identity.

After dinner, Amy told Keith about Bulbs’s real identity. He said that he
would ask around in the groups of maintenance men, plumbers, electricians, and
others he knew in related fields to see if anyone ever heard of Evgeniy Kalashnik.
He also knew some Russians that he’d worked with who he planned to question.
Amy had started her parallel investigation. She felt good doing something related
to her goal of tracking down the rapist. She had no concerns that she might be
interfering with the police because she planned to share whatever information she
had with them.

The next week went smoothly. Amy adjusted to her new schedule and
patients. She felt herself relaxing and hoped that she was on the road to healing,
especially because of the progress being made by the police.

But on the following Monday, everything changed – again. She bumped into
Elvis in the hallway. She hadn’t seen him since the time they met after the power
outage.

“Hi Elvis. Has life settled down for you since everything exploded here?”

“Yeah, in a way. Except the police keep questioning me about the Russian
electricians who came in to repair the electricity when I was sick with the flu.”

“I didn’t know they were Russians. What were their names?”

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“Well, I always use this guy Mischa Orlov. He’s really good and he always
comes when I need help. I called him Friday night when I knew how sick I was
and wouldn’t be able to work. I really wanted to work because Mike was going to
pay me time-and-a-half for working overtime on a holiday weekend.

When I told Mischa all that had to be done, he said that he would get another
guy to help him. I didn’t ask the guy’s name. But the police wanted to know so
they contacted Mischa. After the police talked to Mischa, he called me and said
that he told them his name was something like Jenny Kashnik.”

“The man’s name was Jenny?”

“No. It was some Russian name that sounded like Jenny?”

“Could it have been Evgeniy?”

“Yeah, maybe. I think that was it.”

“Did they say anything else?”

“No. But Mischa told me they couldn’t find him. His family moved away a
while back and he was living with some Russian woman. And he didn’t have a
phone, or at least one that anyone knew of.”

“How did Mischa contact him about the job?”

“All these Russians hang out at this bar. Whenever he wants to contact him,
he finds him there or leaves a message for him there.

Mischa doesn’t like working with him, but he had to because it was Easter
weekend and he couldn’t get anyone else. He found him at the bar Friday night. He
was drunk so he told him to sober up and meet him at Shady Oaks at 8 the next
morning.

They worked all day on Saturday and Jenny went back by himself to finish
up a few things on Sunday morning.”

Amy froze. That might be the time Bulbs was alone with Ashley and raped
her. He had control of the cameras and security system so he could get in. He
probably came across Ashley on Saturday when he was fixing the lightbulbs in her
room and he recognized her name on the door. He certainly wouldn’t have
recognized her. But he realized what had happened to her and saw a chance to get

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back at her even though she wasn’t the same Ashley Bennett he knew six years
earlier. Amy felt that Evgeniy must have become filled with revenge and lust. He
didn’t see the withered, corpse-like Ashley of the present; rather he saw the
beautiful Ashley of the past. The animal was untethered to do his damage -
inflicting animal bites and violating Ashley.

Amy was exhilarated by her discovery of who the rapist was. She
immediately called Phil and told him she needed to see him as soon as possible. He
told her to come in at 5. She called Keith and told him about her conversation with
Elvis. She decided to wait at Shady Oaks until 4:45 and then go to the police
station.

Amy was taken to the interview room where she had last met with Phil and
Helen. She felt energized knowing that she was closer to getting justice for Ashley.

As soon as Phil and Helen entered, Amy told them every word of her
conversation with Elvis.

Phil responded, “Amy, I can’t get into all the specifics right now because
we’re actively searching for Kalashnik. We got his name from Elvis when we
interviewed him last week. We went to the bar to get information on finding him.
The bartender told us he never heard of him and refused to talk. We said that we’d
be back with immigration to check on the status of everyone in the bar. He didn’t
care. He’s really afraid of this guy.

When we saw Mischa again, we found that he’d been attacked by Kalashnik
at the bar. Evgeniy knew that Mischa had told the police about him so he assaulted
him. He broke a beer bottle and cut Mischa on the arm and face. The wounds
weren’t life threatening, but they might have been if he hadn’t been stopped by the
other guys in the bar. Mischa had to go to the emergency room to get stitched up.

The bartender threw Kalashnik out, but he didn’t call the police. Everyone’s
afraid of Kalashnik. The bartender described him like a bomb about to explode. He
takes out a knife whenever he’s threatened so people stay away from him. He has a
sharp stiletto knife.

We think he’s hiding with this Russian woman he lives with, but we don’t
know who she is. We can’t find Kalashnik’s wife. We heard that she moved to the

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Russian area of New York so we’re trying to track her down through the Brooklyn
police.

Amy, we’re concerned about your safety and would like you to stay at home
until we get him. We don’t want you going to work and maybe endangering people
there as well as yourself. We’re going to post a car in front of your house. We
think Evgeniy might go after you because you reported this, or he might go after
Mischa or Elvis. We’re going to protect them too. He’s out of control and we can’t
predict what he might do. His attack on Mischa shows that he’s capable of
extreme violence.

I know this is hard, but I suggest you send your daughter and granddaughter
away until we find him.”

Do you or your husband have any weapons?”

“Yes. We both have guns. But we haven’t used them in ages.”

“Have Keith contact me about defending yourselves.”

Amy’s exhilaration at finding Evgeniy evaporated and was replaced with
terror at the thought of him doing anything to Teri, Tammy, or herself. She
realized that this was the first time she felt physically threatened and for a minute
she was paralyzed by the thought of any harm coming to Teri and Tammy.

“I’m going to give you my private number and also Helen’s. Call us
whenever you need to talk. Go right home now.

Don’t worry, we’ll get this guy. But until we do, we have to make sure
everyone’s safe.”

Amy left in a daze and drove home. When she pulled up, a police cruiser
drove up behind her. The officer introduced himself and told her he would be there
until he was replaced in eight hours by another officer. He gave her his phone
number and told her to call if she had any concerns.

When Amy entered the house, she found Keith waiting for her. She told him
everything that had happened at the station. They decided that Teri and Tammy
would go to the Teppers since Joe was retired and home most of the time. He also
was a gun owner who could defend them if it became necessary. They prayed it
wouldn’t.

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They called Joe and told him what they planned to do. He said that he would
drive over and take Teri and Tammy to his house in case Kalashnik was watching
the house. He told her to pack for five days.

Then they told Teri. It was obvious she was terrified, but she knew she had
to look calm for Tammy and disguise her feelings. They decided to tell Tammy
that they were going to the Tepper’s house because there was a gas leak in the
house. They would tell her that they were going to the Silvers’ house. Everyone
proved to be good actors putting on a show that Tammy believed.

After Joe came for the girls, Keith retrieved his and Amy’s guns which he
had locked in a safe to prevent Tammy from finding them. He said he was going to
keep his gun on himself at all times. With the police presence outside and his gun,
he felt they were safe. Amy didn’t think so. This madman had overcome all odds to
rape Ashley and escape the police so far. He might be able to overcome even the
barriers placed in his way and get to her or her family.

Amy experienced new emotions – terror and paranoia. Amy had approached
her role in finding Ashley’s rapist as if Evgeniy wouldn’t know about her. She had
been so naïve to think that the rapist would go quietly into oblivion or be readily
captured by the police. No, he had an ulterior motive – revenge fueled by intense
hatred. First revenge directed at Ashley for getting him fired and now revenge
directed at Amy for leading the police to him. Amy was overwhelmed with fear for
her safety as well as for those she loved more than anyone in the world.

Chapter 16

The five days of quarantine were beyond stressful. Amy jumped at every
noise. She kept looking out the window to make sure the police car was parked in
front. She couldn’t sleep. Keith wore his gun in a holster making him look like a
cowboy in a western movie. Teri and Tammy were doing well at Joe’s. Teri proved
to be a good actress successfully covering her anxiety. She acted like she and
Tammy were on vacation.

Phil called Amy every day to report their progress, or lack of, on finding
Evgeniy. No one in the Russian community, his family, neighbors, or people he
previously worked with reported seeing him. He had simply vanished. Some
wondered if he had somehow been able to return to Russia although there was no

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evidence of him traveling there. He didn’t have a passport, but there are illegal
ways to get out of the country.

After five days, Phil and Helen met with Amy and Keith and told them that
Teri and Tammy could come home and that they could go back to work. They
would keep a police car at their house even when no one was there. They had
issued a state-wide alert for Evgeniy and were in contact with the Brooklyn police.
There were several officers who worked just with the Russians and were confident
that they would find him if he was in New York.

Before Teri and Tammy returned home, Keith wanted to map out a plan of
protection. He would continue wearing his gun but conceal it. He wanted Amy to
get a small gun that she could carry at all times. At first, she was resistant. She felt
that unless she was willing to use a gun, she shouldn’t carry one. But then she
realized that she wouldn’t hesitate to use a gun if she saw Evgeniy. Keith also
convinced her that it was necessary for both of them to protect everyone’s safety.
He told her that they were the Peterson family guardians.

Keith took Amy to a gun store where they bought Amy a small gun that she
could wear concealed around her waist. Amy took lessons from the store owner on
how to use the gun safely and achieve its purpose – to stop Evgeniy. They told the
gun store owner why they were buying a gun for Amy. When he took Amy to the
shooting range behind his store, he told her to picture Evgeniy on the target.
Although she didn’t have a clear current picture of his face, she imagined hitting
the face of the man she had seen on his driver’s license. The more she practiced,
the better she got at hitting him in the face and heart. She realized that she would
have no qualms about shooting Evgeniy, even if she killed him. She didn’t want to
reflect on the significance of breaking another commandment – thou shalt not kill.
Not now. She would have to do that if she killed him which she doubted she would
do.

At work Amy locked her gun in her locker. At night she kept it in her
bedside table as did Keith. They were not worried about Tammy playing with the
guns. They talked to her almost daily about staying away from them. She was
curious about why her grandparents suddenly had guns. They told her that there
had been some break-ins in the neighborhood, and they wanted to protect the
family. They knew that Tammy was frightened, but they felt that was a small cost
to pay for vigilance on everyone’s part.

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At the start of summer Tammy was enrolled in day camp. Amy talked to the
director about being alert to any stranger who showed an interest in Tammy. Like
everyone in town, the director knew about the rape and Amy’s role in the case, so
she was aware of the need to be vigilant. Amy showed her pictures of Evgeniy, one
from. when he started work at Washington Middle School and one from his most
recent driver’s license. She gave her Phil’s phone number in case she saw him.

With the passage of time, security was gradually lessened. After three
weeks, the police patrol was changed to several daily drive-bys. Phil called Amy
several times a week to report on their progress or continued lack of progress
finding Evgeniy.

The Bennett family also gradually returned to a more normal routine. They
had been given police protection also. Courtney had greatly benefited from the
intensive therapy and the medications she received at Treetop where she had
stayed for six weeks. She was living at home and going to a soccer day camp. She
saw Elena twice a week and was closely monitored by Jeanette, who was her
shadow. David did not get a gun because he feared that Courtney would find it and
use it to kill herself. He knew the statistics – there are more gun suicides than gun
homicides.

Life was returning to a more normal pace for the Peterson and Bennett
families when there was another earth-shattering event. Ashley died suddenly. She
developed pneumonia and because of her weakened condition, died within a few
days. Everyone viewed it as both a tragedy and a blessing. Amy, ever vigilant
about the possibility that Evgeniy had murdered her, asked Phil if this was a
possibility. He assured her that it wasn’t. However, Amy felt that he was
responsible for her death. He hadn’t actually murdered her, but the rape had
contributed to her death. She was certain that after the rape Ashley wanted to die
more than ever.

On the day before Ashley died, Amy spent time saying good-bye to her.
Ashley had been more than a patient to Amy – she had become a friend, and
Amy’s silent therapist. Amy hadn’t realized how important her one-way
conversations with Ashley had become. It was a time when Amy openly shared her
feelings about everything and everyone without the possibility of positive or
negative reactions. She shared more with Ashley than she even shared with Keith.

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“Well my beloved Ashley, it’s almost over. David, Courtney, Jeanette, and I
are so sad to see you go, but at the same time, we’re glad you won’t have to live
like this any longer. We know you wouldn’t want to live like this if you were
aware of your life, and now you won’t have to. God picked this time to end your
life. He knows best.

And what a crazy life you’ve had my Ashley. A life of extremes – an
exploding bright star and then a dying star. Like a supernova . You were such a
great teacher and wife and mother. Superwoman. Everyone admired and loved
you. But then the end was unbelievably tragic – first early onset Alzheimer’s and
then the brutal rape. I hope we’ll all remember the Ashley who was the star – who
enriched the lives of all around her. But maybe we should also remember the
Ashley with Alzheimer’s so we’re compelled to find a way to beat this enemy that
destroys a person’s very core, but in your case not completely. And we need to
remember that we have to stop violence against women, especially helpless
women. We have to stop all violence. Pretty lofty goals – huh?

I think David and Courtney will heal. It’ll take a long time, but I think it’ll
happen. You’ll always occupy an irreplaceable spot in their hearts, but they’ll be
able to move on with time, and I know that’s what you want.

I’ll keep pestering the police to find Evgeniy. I think they’ll find him
eventually, and we’ll get justice for what he did to you. I’ll make sure of that. I
won’t let him get away. I will be the avenging angel. People have always described
me as a good person – an angel. Now I’ve become a different type of angel – one
who must get justice which means getting revenge.

Good-bye my sweet Ashley. I can see God waiting to welcome you with
open arms. You will light up heaven with your beauty. I bet you get all the other
angels running in a marathon.”

She kissed Ashley and held her for a few minutes. With a tear-soaked face,
she left knowing this was the end.

Amy didn’t know exactly when the Angel of Death visited Ashley, but she
knew that he came in the middle of the night when no one was around. Maybe he
took her then because even he was filled with grief. Maybe, he, too, shed a tear on
his invisible face. Or maybe he was filled with a sense of completion and transition
– ending Ashley’s life on Earth and taking her on her new journey to heaven.

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Amy went to Ashley’s funeral along with 200 others – Shady Oaks staff,
school staff, David’s colleagues, church parishioners, friends, and well-wishers. In
addition to a moving eulogy from the minister, remarks were made by friends and
family. Amy had been asked to make remarks because of her close relationship
with Ashley. At first, she refused, but then she reconsidered. She had always been
nervous speaking in public. She recalled that in high school she would shake
violently whenever she had to make oral reports in class. But she felt that she
knew Ashley in a way no one else did so she finally agreed. Keith, Teri, the
Teppers, and the Silvers helped her compose her remarks.

Amy grew increasingly nervous as she sat through the service, the eulogy,
and the remarks by others. She spoke last because she knew Ashley at the end of
her life. Strangely, when she got up to speak, she was no longer nervous. She even
stopped sweating. She had words that she had to share with others. She couldn’t
think of herself. She could only focus of conveying her message. People had to
know another very special Ashley that only she knew.

“I’m honored to speak about my friend Ashley. We’ve heard about the
outstanding educator, wife, mother, and human being she was. I knew Ashley at
the end of her life when she was a different person from the woman we heard
described today. I knew Ashley when she was decimated by Alzheimer’s. I saw
how her brain was destroyed. I saw how she became closed off from the outside
world. But I saw something else too. Something that touched my heart and
brought me closer to God.

Ashley was like a dying rose bush. You all saw Ashley when she was in full
bloom, when she was a rose bush heavy with flowers in different stages of bloom.
Each rose brilliant in color, in fullness, and in smell. Each rose a work of
perfection. I knew Ashley when she was like the last rose of summer that slowly
shrivels up and falls to the ground, and when she was like the last leaf on the bush
that curls up and turns black, but still clings to the bush throughout the winter. I
saw those last remnants of Ashley and they retained the beauty of their earlier
times. Ashley was a prize-winning rose until the very end. And she will bloom
permanently in heaven.

When Ashley first came to Shady Oaks, I think she recognized me and
sometimes would even light up when she saw me. Do you know what that means
to make such a difference to someone? To be a tiny, lone candle flickering in a

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moonless, dark night. As she disappeared, I think she continued to recognize me,
but at a subconscious level. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I believe that. Even
toward the end of her life, when I squeezed her hand, sometimes she squeezed
back. I don’t think Ashley was ever completely gone. I think a sliver, a hint of
Ashley remained until the day she died. If you stood close to Ashley, you could
pick up the scent of the rose she’d been.

Good-bye my beloved Ashley. Thank you for enriching my life and
everyone you touched.”

Amy went to Ashley’s closed coffin and kissed it.

There were few dry eyes in the church pews as Amy walked back to her
seat. She noticed Phil and Helen sitting in the last row. Even they looked moved.
She wondered if they had come to see if Evgeniy had secretly come to the funeral.
She knew there were cases where criminals went to their victims’ funerals. Amy
knew Evgeniy wasn’t there. She would have sensed his presence if he were.

Amy went to Ashley’s burial at the cemetery and wept when the coffin was
lowered into the ground. Then she went to the Bennett house. Many people came
up to her to thank her for her touching remarks. Some even cried as they spoke to
her. But Amy didn’t cry. She had emptied herself of all her tears at the cemetery.

Amy sought out Courtney who was sitting with Jeanette and Elena. They all
embraced.

Courtney said, “Amy, thanks for those kind words. Because of you, I’ll think
of my mother whenever I see a rose. This was a beautiful funeral if a funeral can
be beautiful. And with my two guardian angels here and my Dad, I think I’ll make
it.”

She hugged both Jeanette and Elena. Then she got up and hugged Amy
tightly. “She’s looking down on us now and saying, ‘Live your life fully for me.
Never forget me.’”

“Yes, your mother is looking down and she’s saying, ‘Let’s get on with
doing good things in the world.’”

Next Amy sought out David who was speaking to some people from his
office. He kissed her and thanked her for her memorable words. When she looked
into his eyes, she saw endless sorrow, but also relief that this horrid chapter of

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Ashley’s book of life was almost over. But the book wouldn’t end until her rapist
was caught.

On the way home, Amy and Keith didn’t speak. Teri had gone to the funeral
with the Teppers and returned just after they did. Tammy and Tommy had stayed
at the Silvers’ house with a babysitter and her football player boyfriend. When
Tammy got home, she was eager to show them the lanyards the babysitter had
helped her make.

That evening, the Silvers and the Teppers brought pizza for dinner. They
talked about the funeral and the remarks everyone made, especially Amy’s. Amy
thanked them for helping her. She said that she wouldn’t have been able to do it
without them.

Then they wondered where Evgeniy was and whether he would ever be
caught. Amy assured them that he would be caught some day and justice would be
served. She had to believe that. She couldn’t live with the thought that he would go
unpunished.

Chapter 17

Life steadily returned to normal, although a different normal than the one
prior to Good Friday, one that was more vigilant and tinged with underlying fear.
But in early November life changed in an unexpected way and became joyous. Teri
gave the family a surprise no one had envisioned. She had fallen in love. Although
Teri was a pretty young woman with a sweet, outgoing personality, Amy and Keith
thought that she was impervious to matters of the heart. How naïve they were.
They still thought of Teri as a young innocent child, and not a normal young
woman who had some weaknesses with academics and abstract thinking, but many
more strengths. But most importantly, she had the needs and desires of a young
woman.

Teri had fallen in love with Dan Curry, an EMT from the rescue squad
station down the street from the McDonald’s where Teri worked. He came in daily
for his lunch of a Big Mac, large fries, and milk, his attempt to balance junk food
with healthy food. At first, they chatted and joked with each other. But one day, he
came to her rescue when she was being harassed by a customer. She had given him
his order that contained a regular burger instead of the cheeseburger he had
ordered. He blamed Teri and called her a dumb ass retard who couldn’t get an

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order straight. He had no knowledge of Teri’s past diagnosis, but the word retard
still stung Teri. She became agitated and upset. She tried to explain that she would
gladly give him what he had ordered, but he threw the food on the floor. Dan ran
up to the guy and ordered him to pick up the food and clean the floor. Then the
manager intervened and told the man to leave the store and never come back.
Imagine being banned from McDonald’s. The manager apologized to Teri, telling
her not to be bothered by an idiot like that, especially since she hadn’t caused the
mistake.

Teri said to Dan, “Thanks for helping me.” She was visibly upset; her lower
lip quivering to ward off tears.

Dan replied, “Don’t let idiots like him get to you.”

He smiled brightly at her and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad to be your Prince
Charming.”

“What’s a Prince Charming?”

“Some guy in a fairy tale who rescues the pretty girl when she’s in trouble.”

Teri blushed a bright red, not knowing how to respond. She’d never had
someone flirt so openly with her before. She was overwhelmed and flattered.

About a week later as Dan picked up his order from the counter, he told Teri
that he’d like to see her outside of work. He asked her to meet him at 4:00 after his
shift was over.

She asked, “Is this a date?”

He replied, “Do you want it to be a date?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s a date. Let’s meet at the duck pond at Veteran’s Park.”

Teri had never been on a date before and this was especially intimidating
because of who he was – older, black, and an EMT.

Teri was at the duck pond at 3:30 and waited eagerly as she examined every
person who approached her. At 4:03 Dan arrived. “Thanks for coming.”

“Thanks for asking me to come.”

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They sat nervously and watched the ducks approach them in hopes that they
brought food. When they saw they were empty handed, they angrily waddled
away as they loudly quacked their disappointment.

Dan started their first date by asking Teri to tell him all about herself, to hide
nothing.

He turned sideways so she could look at Teri and said, “Tell me all about
yourself. And what’s your last name? I only know your first name from your name
tag.”

“I’m Teri Peterson.”

“That’s a nice name. How old are you Teri Peterson?”

“I’m 23. How old are you Dan whatever your last name is?”

“My last name is Curry and I’m an old man. I’m 38.”

“Teri, tell me all about yourself. I want to get to know the real Teri Peterson
who I think is a very special person.”

Teri spoke without interruption for 20 minutes. She told him things she had
never disclosed to anyone, not even her parents. She felt a lightening of her body
as she revealed significant details of her life. She didn’t know the word catharsis,
but that is what she experienced as she talked. She felt like she had shared
traumatic experiences with a therapist.

“I live at home with my parents Amy and Keith Peterson and my seven-
year-old daughter Tammy. She’s the brightest star in my life. I adore her. She’s
perfect in every way. I love my parents dearly. They’ve been my support. I’ve had
a happy family life which is rare these days. I’m lucky.

You probably wonder why I work at McDonald’s, why I don’t have a better
job. Well, I don’t have a high school diploma, so my job possibilities aren’t too
good. And I feel safe there, especially because my manager Juan is so good to me.
He makes me feel safe even when I get attacked by idiots like the guy who blamed
me for giving him the wrong order. I feel I can cover up the real Teri by smiling
and being efficient. The real Teri is someone who feels inferior to everyone else in
the world. The real Teri is stupid, dumb, retarded!!”

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Dan interrupted, “Hey, no, you’re not. I don’t know how you can say that.
You’re not any different from me. We’re the same.”

“Let me finish and maybe you’ll understand. We’re not the same. Let me
start with my birth. I was born two months early and I had a brain bleed which
caused me to have brain damage. So my brain is different from a normal brain,
from your brain. When I was a baby, I had trouble learning to walk and talk. I
overcame these but I’ve always had big problems in school. I was in special ed
which I hated more than anything in the world. It was the place where the rejects
were sent. I felt like I was the dumbest person in the school. I felt so inferior to
everyone else. I still do. I felt inferior to the autistic kids who didn’t talk and hit
people. I felt inferior to the Down’s kids who had to be helped with everything,
even eating and going to the toilet. I felt inferior to the deaf kids who couldn’t hear
the teacher and to the blind kids who couldn’t see the teacher. I was the lowest of
the low. I could hardly read and couldn’t remember the multiplication facts no
matter how hard I worked on them.

My seven-year-old daughter is very smart, and is better at reading, writing,
and math than me. I try not to let her see these differences between us, but I think
she knows and tries to protect me from being hurt by this. When she needs help
with her homework, she asks my dad for help so I won’t be embarrassed. I try to
make up for being dumb by being nice. I think I’m a very kind person. But I still
feel that I’m not as good as everyone else. I’ll always feel that way. No matter
what.”

Dan interrupted her and said “No you won’t. I’ll change that. I’ll help you
see the real Teri that I see – someone beautiful, kind, loving, and as smart as
everybody else.”

Teri fought back tears and continued reciting her life history. She couldn’t
look at Dan so she looked straight ahead at the ducks smoothly gliding in the pond.
They soothed her and gave her courage to continue.

“When I was 15, I went to a wild party at Sasha’s house. Sasha - she was my
only friend. She turned out not to be a friend. Of course, my parents didn’t know
about it. They thought I was at a sleepover just with her. I got drunk. I don’t
remember much of what happened that night. That’s good in away. I would hate to
remember what happened. I do know that I drank cans of brown stuff – beer, I

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suppose. It made me woozy. I’d never had beer before, and I’ve never had it since.
I hated it, but the boys pushed me to drink it. Sasha’s brother was a football star
and the guys from the team were there. I had sex with some guys. I don’t know
why I did it or how many guys I did it with. I wanted to be liked even if it meant
having sex. I don’t remember much about the sex thanks to being drunk, or maybe
I just blocked everything out. Anyhow, I got pregnant. I don’t know who the father
is, and I don’t care. Tammy belongs only to me and my parents.

I had sex because I thought it would be a way of being normal and being
accepted. How wrong I was. Being taken advantage of when you’re drunk isn’t
normal. Having sex with drunk slobs isn’t a way to be accepted. Those boys were
terrible. They were supposedly normal. They just saw a drunk retarded kid who
wanted to be accepted even if it meant letting guys do terrible things to her. They
took advantage of me. They probably should have been arrested and tried for rape,
but my parents didn’t want to do that. They felt the publicity would destroy me
more than the boys. They were probably right.

I haven’t had sex since then. I haven’t even kissed a boy. I haven’t really
been attracted to guys because I feel that they want only one thing – sex.

Dan, you’re the first person I ever told this to. I didn’t even tell my parents
everything. They just figured it out.”

She turned to Dan and looked into his eyes. She was searching for how he
was reacting to her secrets. She saw that his look was one of acceptance and
understanding, especially when he took her hand and squeezed it. Then he brought
it to his lips and kissed it.

“My parents have helped me raise Tammy and have supported me because I
don’t make much money at McDonald’s. Just minimum wage. They are the best
parents in the world. I don’t know where I’d be without them. And Tammy is the
person I love most in the world. I adore her and I’d do anything for her. And I’m
so blessed because she’s an awesome kid – perfect in every way.

You may have heard of my mom – Amy Peterson. She’s sorta famous in a
way. But not in a good way. She’s the nurse who found out that a patient at Shady
Oaks Home where she works was raped. She was in the papers and on TV. They
never caught the guy so we’re very careful at home because my parents are afraid
that the rapist will find us and try to get revenge for what Mom did.

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So what do you think about what I told you?”

Teri looked into Dan’s eyes searching for acceptance of the secrets she had
revealed about herself.

Dan leaned into her and gently kissed her lips and said, “I think you’re the
most fantastic woman I’ve ever met and I’m falling in love with you and I hope to
marry you someday. You have strengths that you don’t know about. I want to
show them to you so you realize that you’re not inferior to anyone in this world. In
fact, you’re better than most people in the world. You’re special in a good way.
And you are also one of the most gorgeous girls I’ve ever seen. I can’t stop looking
at you. And I can’t stop asking myself how a pretty girl like you might be
interested in an ugly bum like me.”

“You’re not ugly. How can you think that?’

“And that was your first kiss from me, and it certainly won’t be your last.”

Teri looked at him with amazement and joy. She then kissed him
passionately as she laughed.

“I’m the happiest person in the world! I have to get home.” She said good-
bye as she pecked him on the lips and then hurried off.

Teri wasn’t ready to tell her parents about Dan, so she had to temper her
jubilation when she got home. It was hard for her not to break into song and start
singing, “I’m in love. I’m in love with a wonderful guy,” from South Pacific even if
she didn’t know the song or the play or the movie.

Two days later, Teri and Dan again met at the pond. Now it was Dan’s turn
to tell Teri about his life.

“Well here goes. I’ve never told anyone as much as I’m going to tell you.
It’s my turn to play - This is your life – Dan Curry.

I was born to a drug addicted mother living in southern Ohio. She was white.
I never saw her because I was taken away from her as soon as I was born. I was
born addicted to heroin, so I was kept in the hospital while I went through
withdrawal. Of course, I don’t know the specifics, but I mentally picture a newborn
baby violently shaking.

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I don’t know anything about my father other than he was black, which you
can tell by just looking at me.”

Teri carefully examined Dan. She had looked at him many times, but this
was the first time she actually studied him. He was short, just an inch or two taller
than her. He was powerfully built from working out at the rescue squad gym
between calls. He looked off-balance because he had short legs which didn’t seem
to fit with the rest of his body. It was as if he was meant to be tall from the legs up,
but somehow short legs got attached to his body.

He had light eyes which he inherited from his mother and kinky black hair,
a wide flat nose, and full lips which he inherited from his father. His skin was a
medium brown, cocoa, resulting from the mix of his white and black skin genes.

But what Teri found most distinctive about Dan was the look on his face
which was a combination of caution and confidence. Caution so people wouldn’t
try getting too close to him emotionally. Confidence because he knew that he was a
strong person – both physically and emotionally. Overall, Teri thought Dan was
gorgeous although that would not be an adjective people would use to describe
him. Only smitten young women, like Teri, would.

“As I said before, when I was born, I was addicted to drugs. I was in the
hospital for months while I went through withdrawal. That’s when the drugs are
washed out of your body. It has to happen naturally, and it takes time.

At nine months I was put in foster care. I was in and out of foster care
placements for the next 17 years. I was lucky though to have one really good, even
loving placement from when I was 5 to 14, but then my foster mother had a stroke
and died. She disappeared from my life so fast. Her name was Cora Hurley, and
she was black. I don’t know if I loved her because she was black or because she
was a good person. Probably both. She was the only person I loved when I was
growing up, so I decided not to get close to anyone else. I was afraid they would
die and disappear from my life like she did. That way I wouldn’t get hurt again. I
think being loved at that age was important because my self-concept was being
formed. She believed in me and made me strong. But having her die unexpectedly
and leaving me alone has made me a very cautious person.

The other placements I had were okay. I was lucky because they weren’t
abusive or anything. The people just fostered me for the money. It was a job to

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them. Some of the people were white. I don’t know if that made any difference.
They were nice, but distant. I did ok in school, but I was great at wrestling,
baseball, and football so my team members became my brothers. Because I’m
multi-racial, I was never completely accepted by the white kids or the black kids.
But I suppose you can say that I grew up without a family. But somehow I made it.
I didn’t become a serial killer. Maybe that’s why I became a medic in the army. I
wanted to do something good with my life. To somehow make the world a better
place for everybody.

As soon as I graduated from high school, I enlisted in the army. I trained as a
medic. I served in two Middle East wars and saved guys injured in combat. I loved
the feeling of saving them. I felt like superman flying in with my cape. I saw some
really ugly things that I don’t like to talk about, but maybe I’ll tell you about them
someday in the future. Now isn’t the time. I served my last four years in a military
hospital in Germany. Overall, I served 20 years in the army so I could get a good
pension. When I got out, I decided to use my skills as an EMT. And that’s how I
ended up here on this park bench with you.

I’ve never been married or had kids. Or at least kids that I know of. I slept
with lots of women in Germany. German women like black guys so I was popular.
I also got lots of STDs.”

“What’s STDs?”

“Sexually transmitted diseases.”

Teri made a face of disgust. Dan laughed.

“Don’t worry. I’m clean now. I won’t infect you.”

“Well, we have to have sex first.”

“Oh we will and it will be great because it will be part of our love for each
other.”

“Do you love me?”

“I think so. I’ll let you know for sure after I get to know you better. Do you
love me?”

“I don’t know yet. Same for me. I need to know you better. But right now, I
would say yes.”

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“How can you love me?”

“Because I see a good person inside a pretty face and sexy body, and I want
to share my life with that person. How could you love me?”

“Because I see a man who could protect me and appreciate me for who I
am.”

Teri laughed nervously and then kissed Dan passionately. She took his hand
and placed it on her breast. She felt as if she’d been burned. Then she placed her
hand on his penis which immediately became erect.

“Hey, we can’t have sex on a park bench. We’ll get arrested. But we can
have sex in my apartment. I live in the Ravenswood Apartments on Main Street.
Do you know where they are?”

“Yes, but I can’t go now. I have to be home. Can we meet there tomorrow at
this time.?”

“Yes. I’m in apartment 113. Let me put my phone and address in your
phone.”

He took her phone and bonded with her digitally.

He said, “I can’t wait until tomorrow. I think that’s when our future together
is going to officially begin.”

Teri was a nervous wreck the next day until 3:50 when she knocked at the
door of apartment 113. Dan opened the door and pulled her in. He started kissing
her immediately. He pulled her into his bedroom and they both laid on the bed. He
took off his clothes and then he undressed Teri. After that things went quickly. But
before Dan entered her, he put on a condom which was on his bedside table. Then
Dan entered her and climaxed. They silently laid in each other’s arms for 20
minutes and then they had sex again, but not before Dan put on another condom.
Afterwards, Dan joked, “I’m going to have to buy a king-sized box of rubbers if
we keep having sex like this.”

Afterwards, Teri said, “That is the best thing that I’ve ever done. I never
thought I could feel like this. My body had a mind of its own. It did things I didn’t
know it could do.

Dan, I have no doubt that I love you. I LOVE YOU!”

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Dan laughed and said, “I love you too Teri. We’ll be together forever. I
never thought I’d be lucky enough to fall in love, especially with such a gorgeous
woman like you. And pure sweetness. I think my dream is going to come true –
I’m going to have a happy family. I can’t believe it.”

Teri realized it was 7:00 and she hadn’t contacted her parents. She had told
them she had to work late. She hated to lie, but she wasn’t ready to tell them about
Dan. But now she was.

“I’ve got to go. I’m going to tell my parents about you. Are you working this
weekend?”

“Not on Sunday.”

“I want you to come to my house and meet my parents. I don’t want to hide
you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me other than my family. You’re
tied at number 4, but you may become tied at number 1 with Tammy.

Can I come back tomorrow so we can make love again. I want to make love
to you every time I look at you.”

“I’ve created a sex monster. Yes. Come again at 4:00.”

When Teri got home, she found Keith at the kitchen table working with
Tammy on a social studies assignment on oceans of the world. Amy was ironing
and watching TV.

“Hey folks, can we talk when you all have a chance? I have something
important to tell you.”

Three pairs of eyes focused on Teri. They had all known that something
different was going on in Teri’s life, something good. She had radiated happiness
the last few weeks. Now they would find out what it was, and they couldn’t wait.

Keith said, “Tammy, we’ll finish your homework tomorrow. Amy, shut the
iron and let’s go in the living room.”

They all took seats in the living room and eagerly waited for Teri to disclose
her big secret. They could never have predicted what she told them.

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“Mom, Dad, Tammy, I’m in love with the best man in the world and we
want to get married. He’s my Prince Charming. Do you know what a Prince
Charming is?”

Keith, Amy, and Tammy nodded their heads. Then there were several
seconds of silence as they tried to decipher Teri’s message. They couldn’t believe
what Teri had told them.

Finally, Keith said, “Well tell us who this special guy is and where did you
find him? Tell us about your Prince Charming.”

“His name is Dan Curry. He’s an EMT at the rescue squad down the street
from work. He comes in every day for his lunch and to flirt with me. One day a
customer got mean to me and embarrassed me and Dan saved me. He got the
customer thrown out by the manager. That’s when he said he was my Prince
Charming. We started meeting at the park on the bench by the duck pond after
work. This week we’ve been meeting at his apartment.”

When she said this, her face turned crimson. She didn’t have to tell her
parents what transpired at his apartment. It was evident.

“I invited him over to meet you on Sunday. I think we might get married.”

Amy asked, “Teri, do you love him?”

“Yes. Yes. With all my heart.”

“How can you know that if you’ve only been together for a few weeks.”

“I know because I told him everything about myself. He knows I was in
special ed. He knows I have trouble with academics. He knows what happened
with Tammy. But he thinks I’m the most wonderful person he’s ever met. And I
feel the same way about him.”

Tammy asked, “Will he be my daddy?”

“If you want him to be.”

“Tell us about him.”

“Well he’s a lot older than me. He’s 38. But he doesn’t look old. He was an
army medic for 20 years. He retired from the military, so he makes good money

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when you combine his pension with his EMT salary. He has no family. His mother
was a drug-addict, and he was born addicted to drugs.”

Tammy asked, “How can a baby be addicted to drugs?”

“Well when the mother takes drugs, they pass from her blood into the blood
of the baby she’s carrying in her belly. When the baby is born, they have to help
the baby go through withdrawal to get the drugs out of his blood.”

“What about his father?”

“He doesn’t know who his father is. He knows he was black, and his mother
was white. He was raised in foster homes until he was 17 when he enlisted in the
army.”

“So he’s mixed race.”

“Yes. I forgot to mention that. Does that matter?”

“Absolutely not. The only thing that matters is that he is a good man who
loves you and wants to make you happy.”

Suddenly Amy started laughing.

Teri asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“I’m thinking about my parents and the hatred they have for blacks. I’ve told
you that’s one of the reasons I haven’t been in contact with them since I was 18.
They would die if they found out that their granddaughter was marrying a black
man.”

Everyone smiled, but Amy continued laughing loudly.

When everyone went to sleep that night, they were different people. Teri
was a woman in love. Tammy was a child unsure that she would be the center of
her mother’s life any longer. Amy and Keith were parents whose child had grown
into a mature woman before their eyes.

Chapter 18

You would think that the president, the pope, or Queen Elizabeth was
visiting on Sunday by the Peterson family’s nervous preparations in anticipation of
Dan’s visit. There was a heated debate about the menu for the lunch. Would it be

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turkey, ham, or both? Would it be mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, or
both? Would it be apple pie, chocolate cake, or both? It was finally decided to
choose both and have leftovers to send home with Dan and to feed the Petersons
for a week.

Then there were discussions about what everyone would wear. Teri, Tammy,
and Amy decided to wear what they wore for Easter. Keith would wear a jacket,
but no tie.

Teri cleaned the inside of the house. To say it was immaculate was an
understatement. She helped Keith with the outside. All weeds were banished from
their yard. Even Tammy helped pull weeds. Colorful geraniums in full bloom were
placed in pots on the front porch.

The morning of Dan’s visit, Tammy broke out in tears at breakfast.

“What if he doesn’t like me? What if he and Mommy get married and move
away and they don’t want me and they leave me with Nana and Popa?”

Teri hugged Tammy tightly. She hadn’t realized the insecure feelings Dan
was causing in Tammy.

“I’ll never leave you my darling baby. You’ll be part of the new Curry
family – father Dan, mother Teri, and daughter Tammy.”

Outwardly, Tammy appeared less anxious, but inside, little had changed.
She still feared that her mother would desert her. She also feared that Teri wouldn’t
love her as much because now she was siphoning off some of her love for Dan.
She didn’t realize that love comes in unlimited quantities. She later learned that
there is no end to the love a person can feel.

On Sunday at 12:59 Dan rang the doorbell of the Peterson house and stepped
into his future. He, too, was nervous. He realized that this was the first real
possibility that he had for what he wanted most in life - a loving, stable family with
good people. He had thought that he would live his entire life without a family.
Now his hopes and dreams were hopefully being fulfilled.

When Teri opened the door, he presented her with a huge bouquet of spring
flowers.

“Beautiful flowers for the beautiful Peterson family.”

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After he entered, Amy, Keith, and Tammy introduced themselves. Then Dan
introduced himself and gave each of them a stilted hug. No one recognized the
humor of introducing themselves since there was no possibility that they could be
anyone other than who they were.

When Dan turned to Tammy, he said, “I have something special for this
gorgeous girl who looks just like her gorgeous mom.”

He handed Tammy a gift bag. She opened it to find what she dearly wanted
– the newest Barbie classroom teacher doll. Although Tammy played school with
her Barbies, she didn’t have the teacher doll. She had wanted it so much and now
she had it. Teri knew this and when Dan asked what he should bring for Tammy,
she suggested the Barbie teacher doll.

“Thank you so much. I wanted this so much. I’m so happy.”

Then she did something unexpected. She hugged Dan tightly to shut out the
tears of relief at what Dan was like. Dan had to do the same. He had never been
hugged by a child like this before.

Keith said, “Let’s go out on the porch and chat for a while before we sit
down to eat. It may take us four hours to eat all the food we have, so let’s start with
empty stomachs.”

What should have been a conversation turned into an interrogation with
Amy and Keith asking Dan questions about his job and his experiences in the
military. He asked a few questions too, but they were reluctant to talk about
themselves. This was Dan’s time to sell himself, to prove that he was the right
person for Teri and Tammy.

The afternoon went well, especially the lunch. Everyone ate enormous
amounts of food.

“You know I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal like
this. I think it was last Christmas when I went for dinner at one of my co-worker’s
house. There were about 15 people, but they didn’t have as much food as you had
today. Everything was delicious. More than delicious if that’s possible. What did
you help make Tammy?”

“I helped make the sweet potato casserole and the desserts. I was in charge
of setting the table.”

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“I’ve never seen a prettier table. I hope I used the right forks.”

“You did. Don’t worry. I would have secretly told you what to use if you
used the wrong ones. I wouldn’t say anything out loud because I wouldn’t want to
embarrass you.”

“You’re a very kind person. Thank you, Tammy.”

Dan was overcome with emotion at how caring this seven-year-old child
was.

To work off all the food they’d eaten, they walked six blocks to a nearby
park. Tammy ran to the swings and yelled, “Someone push me.”

Dan didn’t hesitate to push Tammy. After 15 minutes Keith took over. Teri
and Dan then walked off alone to watch a softball game.

“Well, how am I doing?”

“Perfectly. I think everyone loves you, especially Tammy. I was so worried
about her because she’s been so anxious that you’d take me away from her and that
you wouldn’t like her.”

“Teri, I want to be part of your family. I’ve never experienced so much love.
This is what I’ve dreamed about all my life. I never thought it would be possible.”
Dan held back tears.

“When we get back to the house, I’m going to ask your dad’s permission to
marry you.”

“Great. Just like in a story book.” Teri beamed.

When they got home, everyone went out in the yard. Dan immediately spoke
up. He was twitching with nervousness.

“I have something I want to say to all of you. I’m in love with Teri. She’s
the most wonderful person in the world and I want to marry her. But I want each of
you to approve. I want your permission. I know Teri will never be happy with me
unless you all approve.”

Keith spoke first. “Well, as Teri’s dad I give you permission to marry Teri. I
think you’re a good man and you’ll be a good husband.”

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“As Teri’s mom, I give my permission too. I think the two of you will be
very happy together. Tammy, how do you feel?”

“I give you permission to marry my mommy as long as we can all live
together.”

“Of course, we will. I promise. We’ll be a family with a mom, a dad, a
fantastic daughter, and lots of Barbie dolls.

I suppose it’s official now. Teri and I will be getting married. We’ll have to
find a date for the wedding. I’d like to arrange it for a time when Terri, Tammy,
and I can go on a honeymoon.”

“You mean you’re going to take me on your honeymoon?” She looked
incredulous that she was to be included in the honeymoon.

“Of course.”

Tammy gave a sob that was a mixture of happiness and relief. Dan and Teri
both hugged her.

Dan said, “I suppose there are some things we should talk about before we
go too much farther. Probably one of the most important is the fact that I’m
biracial in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Everyone laughed at his lame joke.

“How do you feel about that?”

Keith spoke up first. “It doesn’t matter. We’re only concerned with what’s
inside you and not what’s outside. You seem to be a good, kind person inside and
that’s all that matters.”

Amy said, “I agree 100%.”

Tammy asked, “What should I tell people when they ask me why my daddy
is black?”

Dan said, “Tell them I’m not your biological dad, but I love you as much as
a dad could love his daughter. And tell them that my mother was white and my
father was black. I’m like an oreo cookie, part chocolate and part vanilla.”

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Teri said, “Dan’s race has never been an issue for me. Dan is the man I love
whether he’s black, white, or purple.”

Tammy laughed. “I’m just thinking of how he would look if he was purple”

Amy beamed as she said, “Teri, you have a way of saying things perfectly.”

Teri beamed with pride at Amy’s compliment.

“You should know that Teri and I have talked about having kids. We’d like
to give you more grandkids and give Tammy a brother and maybe a sister too.”

With all the excitement of Teri and Dan marrying, Amy and Keith hadn’t
considered the possibility of them having children. Amy sent an almost
imperceptible message to Keith about how this would be impossible since Teri had
her tubes tied. They had to talk about how they would tell Teri and Dan, and what
they had to do to reverse what they had secretly done to her. Suddenly there was a
dark cloud over the Peterson house, one that would rain down sadness and anger.

Dan left at 8:00 since he had an early shift the next day. Before he left, he
and Teri spent time on the porch kissing and basking in the positive feelings they
had felt all day. They thought that everything had gone perfectly. They couldn’t
imagine the problems that would be unleashed with their desire to have kids.

By the time, everyone cleaned up the dishes and stored the left-over food, it
was bedtime.

Teri asked, “Did you all really like Dan?”

Keith replied, “Of course, we liked Dan. I think he’s going to be perfect for
you, Tammy, and us. We’ll look at the calendar and see when it would be a good
time for a wedding.”

“I don’t want a big wedding. Just our family and the Teppers and the Silvers
and maybe a few of Dan’s friends and Juan and some of the people from work. I
want Lillian to marry us. She’s always been so nice to me. She’s always treated me
like I was normal.”

Keith said, “Teri, you are normal! You’re going to be a normal married
lady. I can see that Dan thinks you’re normal. You’re the only one who thinks
you’re not, and we have to find a way to convince you that you’re wrong and we’re
all right.

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We all have weaknesses. You can’t do academic stuff well. I can’t dance. In
fact, people turn away with embarrassment when I try to dance. Your mom is the
worst seamstress in the world. She can’t even sew a button on without making all
her fingers bleed. You have to sew for her. Being normal means having strong and
weak points. Your strong points are your kindness and your love of people and
your inner happiness. You also dance better than me and sew better than your
mom. In fact, you do all the sewing in this house. We’d all be buttonless without
you.”

Everyone hugged and laughed as they said their good-nights.

When Amy and Keith were alone in their bedroom, they immediately went
to the topic that had haunted them since Dan mentioned having kids.

“Keith, what are we going to do? We have to tell them, and we have to do it
right away.”

“Before we tell them, we need to talk to Dr. Kahn. Let’s go on-line and see
if the surgery can be easily reversed. I remember her saying that it could be, but we
didn’t think we’d ever want that. Who knew what the future would bring? We
could never have predicted Dan would come into Teri’s life and they would want
kids.”

Keith googled tubal ligation and found that it could be readily reversed. In
fact, there were a number of ads for doctors who did this.

“I can’t help thinking about how Teri will react to this. She’ll feel totally
betrayed. How could we do this to her? How could we take away her right to have
a child? Remember how happy she was when she was pregnant and when she had
Teri?”

“She can’t understand what the situation was like back then. We were
devastated by what had happened to her and afraid that it could happen again. I
don’t think she’ll understand. I don’t know about Dan though. He might.”

“I’ll call Dr. Kahn in the morning.”

Amy and Keith slept poorly anticipating the difficult steps they had to take
and the possible impact all this might have on everyone’s lives. Teri and Dan slept
peacefully, envisioning their bright future of marriage and children.

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The next morning Amy made an appointment to see Dr. Kahn. She couldn’t
see them for two days. They were both in a state of fearful anticipation until the
appointment.

As soon as they entered Dr. Kahn’s office, Amy blurted out why they were
there.

“Dr. Kahn, I never thought we would be in a position to ask if you could
reverse the tubal ligation you did on Teri. Over the years you’ve taken care of her,
you’ve seen the progress she’s made in her personal life and in work. She’s a
responsible person who takes great care of her daughter. Something unexpected
happened though. She’s fallen in love and wants to get married. She found a
wonderful man. She and Dan, her future husband, want to have children. We never
told her about the surgery. She doesn’t know that she can’t have kids. What should
we do?”

She asked this question with a sob in her voice.

“Obviously you have to tell her. I know it will be hard for her to accept but
you have to make it clear why you did it and why it was right at the time. I’ll be
glad to be there when you tell her if you think it would help.”

“No. I think it would make it worse.”

“I read a lot about reversal surgery on-line and everything said that there
aren’t many risks.”

“There aren’t. They usually make a small incision and attach the tubes where
they were severed. She won’t even have to stay in the hospital overnight. The
success rate is quite high depending upon the age and state of reproductive health
of the woman. Considering Teri, I would say there would be 80 to 90% success
rate. I would suggest she go to a doctor who specializes in reversal surgery. I’ve
referred a number of patients before to Dr. Herman Schlossberg who has quite a
good success rate.”

“Do you have any recommendations for how we should tell her?”

“Just be totally honest and loving. I know she’ll be devastated, but
hopefully her fiancé can help her through this. This will be a true test of his love
for her. If he stays with her through this, then he definitely loves her.”

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Amy and Keith wanted to tell Teri and Dan as soon as possible. They knew
that delaying would only make matters worse. They knew that they would need the
Teppers and Silvers to help so they arranged to go to brunch with them after
church. Teri was taking Tammy to a birthday party so they could talk openly.

Joe asked, “How was Dan?”

Keith said, “Perfect. He seems like a really great guy and did a fantastic job
of calming Tammy who was worried that he was going to take Teri away from her.
I think Tammy fell in love with him.

Dan asked each of us to give our permission for him to marry Teri. It was
beautiful. Something out of a fairy tale. Then he said that he and Teri wanted to
have kids. And that’s the problem. And that’s why we asked you to join us to help
figure out what to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“When Teri had Tammy, we asked the doctor to tie her tubes so she couldn’t
have any more kids. Remember she’d just had unprotected sex with more than one
guy, and she was only 15. We didn’t know if this was going to happen again. We
consulted a lawyer and did the paperwork to make the tubal ligation legally
possible. Of course, we never told Teri. We never thought she would want to have
kids. Back then, we could never have predicted that she would grow up to be so
responsible and fall in love with such a wonderful guy.”

“This can be reversed, can’t it?” Ira asked.

“Yes. We consulted her gynecologist and asked her about this. She said that
it’s usually successful and she gave us the name of a doctor who specializes in this
type of surgery.”

“Oh my God. Teri’s dream will turn into a nightmare. I hope she can handle
this. I know she’s done so well psychologically. I hope she doesn’t regress.”

“What little I know about Dan, I think he’ll get her through this. But I’m
afraid that this will damage our relationship. I’m so afraid that she will reject us for
what we did. I don’t think I can live with that. Teri has been the central part of our
lives. We couldn’t live without her or Tammy.”

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Amy broke down and cried uncontrollably. Keith struggled to hold back
tears.

Joe said, “Don’t put it off. You need to take care of this as soon as possible.

I saw that there’s a circus coming to town next weekend. How about if we
take Tommy and Tammy. That way you’d be free to talk. Tell them to come over
to start making wedding plans so they don’t suspect anything else.”

“Good idea. I don’t know what we’d do without you guys.”

They all held hands and prayed to God for guidance on this treacherous path
they were about to embark on.

Chapter 19

Amy and Keith asked Teri and Dan to come over on Saturday to plan the
wedding, but really intending to spring the bombshell about Teri’s tubal ligation.
They were in a state of panic, not knowing how Teri would react. Would she hate
them forever? Would she reject them – banishing them from her life? They loved
Teri so completely and had to make her understand that they did this terrible act to
protect her. They were haunted by fears of a future without Teri and Tammy.

Just as Lois came to get Tammy to go to the circus, Teri and Dan arrived.
Teri had been staying with Dan most of the time now. There was only one
bedroom in his apartment so there was no room for Tammy. She didn’t mind
because she knew that eventually she would live in a house with both Teri and
Dan. They planned to buy a house as soon as they married. They were considering
buying a house in a new development about ten minutes from the Peterson’s house.
They wanted to be close to Amy and Keith because they knew they would have to
rely on them for baby sitting and they also wanted to be able to spend time with
them since they considered them their closest friends. They were looking at a four-
bedroom house so they would have room for future children they planned on
having.

Dan was especially excited because he had never anticipated living in a
house of his own. As an adult, he had always lived in apartments or at military
installations.

Tammy was thrilled when they took her to tour their prospective purchase
and asked how she would decorate her room. She no longer had doubts that she

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would be included in the Curry family. She was overjoyed when Dan asked her if
she would mind calling him “Daddy.” She screamed “Daddy” over and over as she
hugged him tightly. Whenever Tammy said “Daddy,” Dan radiated happiness as if
he had just been called “Daddy” for the first time by his baby.

After Tammy and Lois left for the circus, everyone went into the living
room. Teri asked if anyone wanted a drink, but no one did. They were eager to
talk, Teri and Dan about the wedding and Amy and Keith about the secret they’d
harbored for seven years.

Teri asked. “Why do you both look so worried? I thought we were going to
plan the wedding, not a funeral. What’s up?”

Amy tried to talk but choked on her words. Keith said, “Teri and Dan,
there’s something we have to tell you before we get to work on the wedding. This
is something we never thought we’d ever have to tell you Teri or in fact tell
anybody. It’s something terrible.”

Teri looked at them with horror, envisioning dreadful possibilities for what
Keith was about to tell them: one of her parent’s was dying; the rapist had been
seen in town; or Tammy had a serious illness. On and on, but she could never have
predicted anything like she was about to hear.

Keith gulped for air, and said, “Teri, when you had Tammy you were put to
sleep. That was so that the doctor could tie your tubes. Do you know what that
means?”

“No. What is it?”

“The doctor ties your tubes so you can’t have any more babies. The tubes are
where the eggs travel from the ovary to be fertilized by the sperm. If there are no
eggs, there can be no babies.”

Teri looked totally bewildered. “Why did you do that?”

“You’d just gone through an unbelievably traumatic experience. You’d had
sex with people you didn’t know. We couldn’t even find out who the father of your
baby was. You were in a crazy, uncontrollable state. We were all like that back
then. We were worried that this might happen again, and we didn’t know if you’d
be able to handle it. Or if we’d be able to handle it. That was the worst time of our

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lives. You were a very different person then. You were confused, out of control,
and emotionally unstable. You weren’t the Teri you are now.”

“So you mean I can’t have any more babies?” She asked incredulously. She
was visibly confused by all the information that was being thrown at her.

“Yes. We can reverse it. It can be changed. It doesn’t have to be permanent.
You can have an operation so you can have a baby.”

She stared at them as if they were strangers, not the loving parents who’d
always been the center of her life, who’d always protected her and done what was
best for her. These people had destroyed her womanhood.

After more than a minute of stunned silence, she asked, “How could you do
that to me?”

“We got a lawyer to allow us to legally do this because you were underage
and because you were ruled mentally incompetent by a judge.”

“Oh my God. Mentally incompetent. I am a hopeless retard. No matter what
you say, I am. Legally I am retarded! Mentally incompetent is just a fancy way of
saying retarded. Teri the retard. Teri the retard.”

Teri’s body collapsed as if she was shriveling up from what she was hearing.

“No, you’re not. Now you’re a competent adult. We would have done this
even if you weren’t special. It was because of your mental state, not because you
were considered mentally retarded. That was the worst point in your life and in
our lives. We couldn’t know that you would turn your life around and become
competent; that you would become successful in all ways – as a mother, as a
worker, as a functioning adult. We couldn’t have predicted that you would fall in
love with a wonderful man who would make all of our lives better.”

Teri stood up and screamed. “I hate you. I hate you. I want you to die.This is
the worst thing that ever happened to me. I’m not a woman. I don’t know what I
am. Now Dan won’t marry me. He wants kids. Dan is the best thing that ever
happened to me and now you’ve ruined everything. He’ll never marry me. I’m not
a woman. I’m a dumb animal. Retard. Retard. That’s what I am and that’s what I’ll
always be.”

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No matter how much Amy and Keith tried in the past to convince Teri that
she was competent and normal, this confirmed her deepest fears that she really was
incompetent and abnormal. She had been declared legally incompetent. What more
evidence did she need!

Dan said, “Of course, I’ll marry you Teri. I love you if you can have kids or
not. I know you can have this operation to reverse this and then we’ll have kids just
like we planned.”

“No. No. No.”

Her face was contorted into a painful mask of sorrow and horror. She ran to
her room and locked the door.

Dan said, “Let me talk to her.”

He repeatedly knocked on the door and said, “Teri baby, let me in. We need
to talk. Come on, please sweetheart.”

He pleaded with Teri for several minutes until she finally unlocked the door.
He stayed in her room for two hours.

Amy and Keith cried the entire time. They didn’t talk. They couldn’t find
words to express their sorrow.

Finally, Amy said, “It was worse than I thought. But I think Dan will get her
through this. I hope he doesn’t change his mind.”

“I don’t think he will. He loves Teri very much and he’ll stay with her
through this whole mess. Here’s this stranger who just came out of nowhere, and
he’ll probably be the one who’ll save us all. How lucky we are that Teri found him.
Maybe it’s not luck. Maybe he was sent by God.”

When they finally came out of Teri’s room, Teri’s face was swollen and red
from crying. She had trouble walking. Dan helped her to the kitchen where she and
Dan had cokes. Amy tried to get them to eat something, but they refused.

Dan said, “Teri can’t talk to you right now. She’s too confused and angry so
I’ll do the talking if that’s okay with you. She’d like to see this doctor and have the
surgery before we get married. I told her that I would marry her if she could have
kids or not, but she said that she needed the surgery to make her a whole woman.
She wants to be normal. I told her that she is normal if she can have kids or not, but

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she doesn’t believe me. You know how stubborn your daughter and my future wife
can be.”

He paused and squeezed her hand and kissed her tear-soaked cheek.

“Meanwhile, I’ll do some research on the surgery. What’s the doctor’s name
who does this?”

Amy responded. “Dr. Schlossberg. He’s part of the OB-GYN group next to
First National Bank on Fifth Street. I’ll make an appointment for all of us to see
him as soon as possible.”

Dan clutched Teri’s hand tightly. “I want to tell you that this has broken
Teri. But I’m here to help her through this. She’ll heal. She’ll be fine. We’ll come
through this together. This will make our relationship even stronger.”

She choked out the words, “Thank you God for sending me the best man in
the world.”

She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it over and over. Then she looked
at him with complete adoration, as if he were her idol, and indeed he was.

Amy looked at Dan and said, “I think God sent you to save Teri and all of
us. If I had any doubts about the existence of God, I don’t now.”

Dan kissed Amy and hugged Keith.

“I feel so close to both of you. I know this is probably not the best time to
ask you this, but can I call you Mom and Dad?”

Both Amy and Keith said at the same time. “Yes. We’d be honored.”

Dan’s eyes welled up. “Well, I never thought I’d have two white parents.
One yes, but not two,” he said as he laughed heartily with tears running down his
cheeks.

At five, Lois texted to tell them that she was bringing Tammy home.
Everyone knew that they had to cover up their emotions and act as if a tornado had
not uprooted their lives.

After that, Teri stayed at Dan’s every night. When she was home, she was
distant and rarely spoke to Amy and Keith. When they tried to talk to her, she
ignored them. They asked if they could all discuss the matter with Lillian and

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maybe even with her partner Janet who was a surgeon and probably
knowledgeable about the reversal surgery. Teri said that she didn’t want anyone to
know about her tubal ligation. She was ashamed of what they had done to her and
her perception of herself as an incomplete woman. They wanted her to see a
psychologist, even though they knew that she probably wouldn’t agree to that. She
couldn’t share her deepest feelings with a stranger, no matter how caring and
competent that person might be. Teri was still preoccupied with presenting herself
as a “normal” person in all ways to the outside world. She had to wear a cloak of
competence. Now she felt that not only was she not normal mentally, she was not
normal physically. She saw herself as imperfect, even defective in all ways.

Amy arranged for an appointment with Dr. Schlossberg for the following
Monday. Fortunately, everyone was able to get time off work. It was most
important that Dan be there because it had become apparent to all that Dan had
become Teri’s spokesperson in all matters. She no longer relied on her parents.

Before their appointment with Dr. Schlossberg, they had Teri’s medical
records sent from Dr. Kahn’s office so he could determine whether he could do the
reversal surgery. Dr. Schlossberg looked like a stereotypical version of a loving
grandfather. Although he was only in his early 50’s, he was bald and wrinkly. His
twinkling eyes and perennial smile made people respond positively to him as soon
as they met him. His demeanor engendered trust. And he needed to be trusted by
Teri, Dan, Amy, and Keith for this life-altering surgery.

When he spoke with the family, he focused on Teri. She was the patient. He
held her hand as he looked intently into her eyes. He frequently asked if she
understood what they were talking about, but not in a condescending manner. On
a computer screen, he showed pictures of her fallopian tubes and where they had
been cut with the tubal ligation, and how he planned to connect them. Seeing them
on the screen made the surgery understandable and even easy, if any surgery can
be considered easy. Teri would have a local anesthetic and might be somewhat
woozy after the surgery. She could probably go home after about two hours and
then have a good nap. When she got up, she would be a repaired woman who could
have a child.

Amy looked closely at Teri and saw that she seemed to understand
everything that Dr. Schlossberg had said. At the end of his explanation, Dr.
Schlossberg asked, “Teri, how do you feel?”

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“Good. I want to do this as soon as possible. I wanna have a baby.”

Dr. Schlossberg smiled warmly. “It will all work out and you and Dan will
create a beautiful baby. I hope you send me a picture. I have a collection of
pictures of babies my patients have had after this reversal surgery. Here, I’ll show
you some.” Then he brought up a montage of photos of newborn infants on his
computer.

He said, “They all look alike. If I didn’t have a file with their names, I
wouldn’t know who they were. Newborns look alike to everyone except their
parents. You’ll know your baby as soon as you see him, or maybe her. You’ll even
know the special smell your baby has.”

Teri replied, “When I had my baby Tammy seven years ago I could have
picked her out of a roomful of a hundred babies.

I can’t wait for Dan and me to make a baby.”

An appointment for the surgery was set up for two weeks later. Everyone’s
level of nervousness rose daily until the day of the surgery. The night before no
one slept. Although the surgery was not considered serious, its ramifications were
earth-shattering. If it worked, Teri and Dan could proceed with their plans for a
happy family. If not, who knew?

The surgery went smoothly. Dr. Schlossberg believed it was successful. The
real proof of success though was Teri becoming pregnant.

Teri didn’t want to marry Dan until she knew she could definitely have
children. Dan insisted that it didn’t matter, but it did matter to her. So the wedding
was put on hold. Although they did go ahead and buy a house in the new housing
division near Amy and Keith’s house. It was their dream house and they labored
over every decision – what color tile to put in the bathrooms, whether to finish the
basement now or later, what color to paint Tammy’s room, and on and on. It was a
good mental diversion from constantly worrying about whether the reversal
surgery had been successful.

Teri wanted to find out if it was successful as soon as possible so she and
Dan had sex almost every night. Their sex lives were certainly enhanced. Every
night before bed, Teri would say, “Let’s make a baby tonight.”

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And they were successful. Four months after the surgery, Teri got pregnant.
Dr. Kahn assured her that everything seemed normal and that she didn’t anticipate
any problems with the pregnancy.

As soon as they had confirmation of the baby, Dan and Teri were married by
Lillian in a small ceremony at the church with the Silvers, the Teppers, Tommy,
friends, and some people who Teri, Dan, Amy, and Keith worked with. Teri wore a
loose-fitting dress to cover her emerging baby bump. Amy tried to get her to wear
a white dress, but she didn’t think it was appropriate. She was old-fashioned and
thought only virgins should wear white, and pregnant women should definitely not
wear white. Little did she know few brides would be able to wear white if that
rule was followed. She held a bouquet of yellow roses like Amy had for her
wedding. Dan had a yellow rose pinned to his blue oxford shirt. Tammy, wearing
a bright flowered dress, was the flower girl and dropped flower buds as she walked
down the aisle to the altar.

It was a short, touching ceremony. Teri and Dan had written their vows.

Teri looked at Dan with adoration and love as she said, “Dan, I promise to
love you with all my heart and soul until the day I die. I promise to be your best
friend. I promise to keep you and our children as the center of my life. I thank God
for blessing me by giving you to me, Tammy, and my parents. You are truly a gift
from God.”

Then Dan choked out his vows as she looked at Teri and said, “Teri, I
promise to love you completely, without reservation until death parts us. And then
I’ll love you for eternity. I dreamed of having a family, but I never dreamed of
having such a perfect family – a wife who’s an angel, a daughter who fills my heart
with joy every time I look at her, a soon to be born baby, and Amy and Keith who
have become the parents I never had. I thank God for blessing me with endless
joy.”

He could no longer control his tears and they burst forth, flooding his face.

When they kissed, it was as if they were sealed together for life. Afterwards,
everyone went back to the Teppers’ house for lunch.

At 20 weeks, Teri had a sonogram and learned that she and Dan were going
to have a baby boy. That night at dinner, they shared the news with Amy, Keith,

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and Tammy who were ecstatic. They decided that Tammy would come up with a
list of 10 potential names and that Dan would make the final decision from that
list.

With the wedding, the preparations for the baby, and the new house, Teri
warmed toward Amy and Keith. They became close again, but they all knew that
she still harbored buried feelings of anger at what they had secretly done to her.
She would always have those feelings even though she understood why they chose
to have her tubes tied.

During their wait for the baby, Dan, Teri, and Tammy moved into their new
house. Amy and Keith accompanied Dan, Teri, and Tammy on shopping trips for
furniture. They helped them with everything from hanging curtains to planting
trees. Dan acted like he was the first person in the world to ever buy a house. He
labored over every decision. He had never been happier.

Two days before her due date Teri went into labor. She had an easy labor
and delivery. When the nurse gave Dan his son to hold for the first time, he said,
“Of the 10 names that Tammy gave me, I’ve decided to call my son, Teri’s son,
Tammy’s brother, Amy and Keith’s grandson - Adam.”

They all cheered, “Welcome to the world Adam Curry.”

Here was Adam – 8 pounds, 3 ounces; 21 inches long; and light skinned.
Although it was obvious that he was black from his facial features, his skin was
lighter than Dan’s. In fact as he grew older, he looked white and was rarely thought
to be multi-racial. He had Dan’s distinctive short legs so there was no doubt that
Adam was Dan’s genetic offspring.

That was the start of a happy, busy family life for the Curry and Peterson
families. Teri stopped working so she could take care of Adam full time. Amy and
Keith helped out whenever they were needed and visited as often as possible to
delight in their grandson. Life was good for all and little if any thought was given
to Eygeniy Kalashnik until he came back into their lives two years later.

Chapter 20

It had been 3 ½ years since Ashley had been raped and three years since
she’d died. At first, Amy thought about the tragedy almost daily. But as time
passed and nothing was heard about Evgeniy and life filled with the joy of family,

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Amy thought less and less about it. At first, Phil called her once a week to update
her on the search for Evgeniy and then as nothing was heard about him, Phil called
monthly and in the past year he called every three months.

But on October 20th, Phil unexpectedly called.

“Hi Amy. I don’t know if this is good news or bad news. Evgeniy’s been
sighted in town.”

There was a long silence as Amy digested what she had dreaded but had
buried with the passage of time.

“How do you know he’s back?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“Viktor, the bartender at the Russian bar where he used to hang out called to
alert me that he’d come in and was asking if anyone knew of any jobs. His one
contact for a job was Mischa Orlov, but he moved away so there was no one he
knew other than the bartender. The bartender asked for a phone number so he
could call him if he heard of a job. He wouldn’t give him a number. He said that
he’d check back in a few days. He suspected that Viktor might give the number to
us. He acted like nothing had ever happened in the past, like he’d never attacked
Mischa. Viktor called me as soon as Evgeniy left. I told him to try to get a phone
number when he comes back and better yet to somehow find a way to contact us
while he’s in the bar so we can arrest him there. Viktor’s afraid of him because of
how he viciously attacked Mischa. He said that he got a gun and has a permit for
it. He said he wouldn’t hesitate to use it if Evgeniy tried to attack him.

Evgeniy must be desperate to come back here. That makes him even more
dangerous. He didn’t seem to think that Viktor would contact us. He probably felt
that he was afraid of him, which he is. Or, he probably figured all Russians
distrust the police and want nothing to do with us.

I tried to track down his wife again. I found out that she lives near her
relatives in New York. She no longer has the number I had, but I couldn’t get her
new one. I have a call into the Brooklyn police to see if I they can give me any
information on her, but the Russians are a close-knit community so I’m not too
optimistic.”

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“Phil, do you think he’ll want to hurt me? I’m sure he blames me for
everything. Without me going public he would have gotten away. Do you think
he’ll want to get back at me?”

“Honestly Amy, I don’t know, but we’re not taking any chances. We’re
going to post a police car at your house 24/7 until we know where he is, and we
can pick him up. Don’t worry. We’ll get him at your house if he comes around.”

But Amy was more than worried. She was petrified that Evgeniy would get
her at last.

“We have a good alarm system at the house now. After you couldn’t track
him down, Keith decided that we needed a system in case he tried to break in.
We’ve updated it and we even have cameras around the outside of the house.
Hopefully, if he comes near my house, I can let you know and you can pick him
up.”

She thought to herself that if he came near her house, she would shoot him.
She would gladly kill him. She couldn’t believe the feelings of revenge and hatred
that were welling up in her. A new, different Amy was emerging.

“Phil, I haven’t thought about him for a while. My life has been busy. My
life has been so good. So blessed. Now I’m going to be obsessed with him again
until we find him. Evil is back in my life. I feel like the sun has disappeared and
we’re living in darkness. Hopefully this is an eclipse and the sun will be back out,
brighter than ever.”

“Amy, I’ll call you every day to report on our progress.”

“Thanks so much Phil. You’ve been so good to me.”

Amy’s face contorted with terror. Although Phil couldn’t see her, he heard
the horror in her voice. “Phil, I’m petrified. I’m afraid he’ll hurt me or Keith or
my daughter or her family. I can’t believe this is happening again. I want to run
away, but that won’t solve anything. He’ll always try to get me no matter where I
go.”

“Don’t worry Amy. We’ll protect you. I promise.”

She hoped the police would be better at protecting her than how Ashley had
been protected in a locked institution.