“What?”Luke glares.I think it’s time for me to head upstairs as both brothers make faces at one another.
“Come on, we have grocery shopping to do.”Warren speaks at the same time he signs, knowing he’s out of my view.
I turn as the stairs curve back towards them and reply both in speaking and signing,“Oh, I’m going later. If you want to write down what you need, I can get it.”
“No,” Warren says sternly.
Frustration fills my chest, and I let the energy out through an exasperated sigh as I follow the rest of the steps to my room.Warren is such an asshole.Then again, most good-looking men tend to be. They’re granted the permission, apparently, when they hit the age of maturity. I throw my headphones on and get back to my work assignment, a boring but well-paying job for a local tech company looking for new business cards.
Hours pass as I complete three style options. I send the mock-ups over and check the time. Before my brain has registered that it’s 8 p.m., my stomach signals it.
I take my headphones out and listen to the apartment below. No one seems to be around. I make my way downstairs and begin assembling ingredients for dinner from a now fully stocked fridge. I notice a lot ofLandWscribbles written on several of the contents. Sharing is also off the table, I presume. Luke knocks on the cabinet, and I turn to him, feeling myself easily slip back into the routines of living with a deaf household member again.
“What are you making?”Luke signs.
“Taco bowl.”I shimmy in excitement.
“Nice.”Luke doesn’t move. I’m not sure if he is looking for company or food.
“Am I in the way? Did you need the fridge?”
“No, thanks.”
“Want one?”I gesture to the ingredients.
“Sure.”
“Cut the peppers?”I ask.
“Okay.”Luke sets himself up next to me, and I pass him a knife and a cutting board, along with the red peppers.“Sorry Warren was such an ass earlier.”
I wince. I wish he didn’t feel likehehad to apologise.“You don’t need to be sorry.”
“He is a good guy, really.”Luke offers me a genuine smile, his eyes curving into crescent moons.
“He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
“It isn’t you. I actually think he does like you. He hates that this is the only way I could live with him.”He shrugs and pushes the core of a pepper to the side of the cutting board.“Not a big fan of CPS or their rules.”
Luke reminds me a lot of myself at his age. Eerily aware of the world around him and intent on keeping the peace—a skill children shouldn’t have to learn so young.
“What about you? Rachel mentioned your group home staff didn’t speak ASL… that must have sucked.”
“Well, my handwriting definitely improved.”Luke grins, but his eyes hold the weight of his words.
“Right.”Oof.We both pick up our ingredients and get to work.
As Luke places the last piece of pepper into the hot pan, he turns to me.“If my brother hasn’t already said it—thank you.”
“Don’t. Please don’t. I needed you guys just as much, probably more.”
We both nod and go about our tasks for a few moments. I shred some cheese as the veggies cook.
“Your sister is Willow, right?”Luke signs.
“Yeah.”
“Warren said she’s moving in sometime next week.”
