“Deaf Pride, baby.”
Evan must have voiced this as he signed because Mercedes flinched. Evan couldn’t always control how loud he was, and with her processors off, she couldn’t hear anything. Mercedes rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face. Her roommate had known the whole family since they were kids and got along with Evan really well, hence the fact they were hanging out tonight, even when Carli wasn’t here. Mercedes had confided in her that Evan sometimes asked her to help him with some pronunciations. Most of the time, he didn’t care what other people thought of his “deaf voice”, but communication was needed on the construction sites he worked at, and that Deaf Pride spilled into being able to understand his job requirements.
I’ve got to go.Evan stepped toward Mercedes and cupped her face, his pale, work-roughened hands contrasting against her silky, light brown skin, then kissed her forehead. An incurable flirt he was. Especially with her roommate.
Turning toward Carli, he signed,Can you lower yourself to kiss me goodbye?
Stop it. She only used her hands. No sense letting Mercedes hear the hurt tone of her voice if she spoke.I didn’t get CIs to make myself better than anyone else.
Evan kissed her cheek.Love you, sis.
“I love you, too, you big idiot. Now, go home and bug someone else.”
After Evan left, she scurried into her bedroom so Mercedes wouldn’t start her version of the Inquisition. Being with Blake had been enjoyable, but her brother’s attitude always rankled. He was her big brother, and it was his job to tease her, but she couldn’t say it didn’t hurt.
Many of her Deaf friends considered her a traitor for succumbing to the “hearing world”, yet most of the hearing people she knew and worked with still saw her as Deaf. It was like she was straddling a bridge between worlds, not being welcome in either. Wheredidshe belong?
“Did you want to take the Audi tonight? We’ll have to put the car seat in it.”
Harrison Wentworth looked up at his wife, Annie, as she asked the question. Pushing away from the dinner table, he calmly set his napkin down.
“Why do I need the car seat in my car?” Maybe if he acted surprised, she’d drop the subject.
“The Baby Sign class is tonight.”
“Oh, I have too much work to do tonight.” There was always work to do for Wentworth Industries. That much was true.
“Harry, I told you about it when I signed up last week.” No one but his wife got away with calling him Harry. His mother would have a fit if she heard it. Luckily, Annie only called him that in private.
She grabbed a washcloth from the counter, wet it, and began wiping their son’s hands and face clean. He’d started baby food recently and wore it better than he ate it. Something orange this time.
“I’ve got too much to do.”
Her mouth tightened, and her eyes grew cold. “Things that are more important than our son?”
Yeah, he knew she’d throw that out. “Nothing’s more important than Parker. But this sign language thing isn’t necessary. Once he’s got the implants, he won’t need to sign. He’ll learn to talk like a normal baby.”
“Didn’t you hear what Carli said? Babies need a language rich environment. All kinds of language.”
He’d heard her. He’d also heard his parents. Continuously.Get that child fixed. He needs to be able to reach his full potential.Heaven forbid a Wentworth not be the best at everything.
“Isn’t Blake going with you? You don’t need me.”
Annie frowned. “Blake is on call tonight and can’t be that far from the hospital. He’s got a patient in critical condition at the moment.”
“If Blake doesn’t think it’s important enough or worth his time, then there’s no reason for me to go either.”
Annie pulled a now clean Parker from his highchair and set him on her hip. “Blake’s schedule isn’t as flexible as yours, and he doesn’t own the hospital. Plus, Parker isn’t his child. He’s already done so much just setting us up with the audiologist and with Carli.”
Yep, once again Blake rides to the rescue and comes out the hero, saving his brother’s child from being abnormal. Just what their parents needed. One more reason to applaud their firstborn son. Harrison was second best, again.
“I can’t believe you don’t want to do everything you can to make Parker’s life easier,” Annie accused. “He’s your son.”
“I know he’s my son,” he roared, pushing back from the table and standing. How could he forget the fact he’d fathered a child that wasn’t perfect? His own father reminded him day after day. “And his lifewillbe easier as soon as we get these darn implants into him. Then, he can hear and talk like a regular kid.”
“Do I have to remind you that implants aren’t a cure? We’ve been told that numerous times.”
“You don’t need to remind me. But the younger a child gets them, the more they’ll be able to learn how to talk. I remember that much. Now, I have to get some work done.”
