Mother: Lisa (48)
Daughter: Gianna (22)
Chicago, IL
“Mom Enforcement”
When Lisa got pregnant at 16, she thought for sure she was having a girl. She bought little pink dresses and sparkly bows, and decided on the name Gianna. But when her baby girl turned out to be a boy, Lisa didn’t know what to do. For months, she called him Gianna, and dreamed of the day she would have a daughter. Then on March 2, 1997, the real Gianna was born and she had a closet full of onesies waiting for her. Like most moms, Lisa would breastfeed Gianna and when she was done, she’d put her on her lap and gently pat her back to help her digest. To this day, 22-year-old Gianna still sits on Lisa’s lap after every meal, even when they go out to eat.
Gianna has always been a “mommy’s girl.” Lisa and Gianna slept in the same bed until Gianna was 20. When Gianna’s parents got divorced, Gianna’s father blamed the break up on Gianna, claiming her tight bond with Lisa made it impossible for him to have a healthy marriage. Lisa says their divorce had nothing to do with Gianna. Her ex was a musician who would go on tour for months at a time, and they grew apart. Lisa and Gianna would still be sharing a bed to this day if Gianna hadn’t moved out and gotten married. While Gianna sleeps over on weekends, Lisa is hoping she will eventually move back in with her. Gianna and her husband Dorde (pronounced JOR-JAY), 25, live about seven minutes away, which is just too far for Lisa!
Gianna has two brothers, but it’s no secret that she is her mom’s favorite. Lisa and Gianna are basically “two peas in a pod.” They share the same clothes, eat the same food, and even have the same career! They are both police officers. Lisa is a sergeant at Cook County Jail and Gianna is an officer for the Chicago PD. Gianna works the night shift so her mom insists she check in with her every hour that she’s on duty. If Lisa doesn’t hear from Gianna, she will head down to the station to check on her.
The longest Gianna and Lisa have ever been apart is five days. Gianna was supposed to go on a two-week vacation to Miami with her husband Dorde. However, when Lisa found out how long her trip was, she bought Gianna a new plane ticket so that she’d only be gone for a few days. Dorde was really upset that he couldn’t get more time with Gianna. Gianna met Dorde – who is from Serbia – at a nightclub in Italy. He left his entire family in Serbia to be with Gianna. So, he doesn’t understand why Gianna won’t put his needs before her mother’s. They have been married for two and half years. Gianna would like to start trying for a baby. She has named her unborn daughter “Valentina” and regularly buys cute outfits for her as yet to be conceived future daughter.
Gianna’s Aunt Gina, 50, lives a couple of houses down from Lisa. But because Lisa and Gianna are attached at the hip, Aunt Gina rarely gets quality time with her sister. Aunt Gina is constantly competing with Gianna for Lisa’s attention. Aunt Gina is also a sergeant with the Chicago PD. While she and Gianna don’t work the same shift, they do run into each other at the station sometimes. Gianna believes her aunt is “jealous” of her relationship with Lisa. She often tells Aunt Gina to “spend time with her own kids.”
Gianna also isn’t a huge fan of Lisa’s boyfriend Tony. Lisa has been dating Tony for about a year. While Gianna wants Lisa to be happy, she doesn’t like having to share her with someone else. Tony believes Lisa and Gianna are too close. He is tired of going on double dates with Gianna and Dorde. Tony loves Lisa and believes that she is the one for him and he wants to propose in the next year. It’s unclear if Gianna would be supportive of her mom getting married to Tony, especially given the fact that they’ve only dated for such a short amount of time. The fact that Lisa puts Gianna before him has caused a strain on their relationship. Lisa sees nothing wrong with making her daughter her number one priority.
Rituals:
· They eat the same food and strive to be the same weight so that they can share each other’s clothes. If one gains weight, the other follows suit. The same goes for losing weight.
· Gianna sits on Lisa’s lap after every meal because it helps her digest
· They go to the shooting range together
· They sleep in the same bed on weekends
· They hold hands and cuddle when they are together
· Lisa texts Gianna every hour during her night shift at the police station
· They go on double dates
· They go to baby boutiques to buy outfits for Valentina, Gianna has also began building out an entire walk-in closet for Valentina
· They call and FaceTime each other multiple times a day
Tension:
· Lisa wants Gianna to move back in with her, but Gianna is required to live in the city of Chicago while working for the Chicago PD. Will Gianna quit her job as a police officer to be closer to Lisa? Will Lisa sell her house to move in with Gianna? Will Dorde have a say if Gianna or Lisa pursues a new living arrangement?
· Lisa and Gianna are obsessed with Valentina, Gianna’s imaginary baby. How does Dorde feel about having kids? Are he and Gianna on the same page?
· Lisa has a serious boyfriend, but Gianna has made it clear she wants Lisa all to herself. Will Lisa be able to juggle her relationship with Tony and Gianna? Who will ultimately win over Lisa’s heart?
· Gianna always puts Lisa ahead of Dorde. Will Dorde get tired of being sloppy seconds?
· Aunt Gina has been very vocal about her disapproval of Gianna and Lisa’s relationship. Will Lisa continue to let Gianna get in the way of her relationship with her sister?