“Who’s Deanna?” Annie asked, juggling Parker in her arms. The child was getting antsy. Harrison was, too.
“Carli’s sister. I’ve met her a few times in the last couple of weeks.”
Once they’d gone through the gym and cafeteria and made their way back to the office, Hannah asked if they had any questions she hadn’t already answered.
“When did you get your implants?” He was curious if she’d gotten them young. If so, that would be more ammunition to get Parker to have his once this six-month hearing aid thing was over.
“I got them at ten. That was six years ago.”
“And you speak beautifully. Doesn’t she Harrison?” Annie was trying to make him see they didn’t need the implants this young.
“What I don’t understand is why you still come here? I would assume you can hear us well enough to answer our questions, and you certainly can be understood by others. Wouldn’t you be able to go to a regular school?”
“I could, sure.” Hannah’s mouth twisted in a grin.“But here is where I thrive and do my best. If I went to public school, I’d struggle just to learn. I’d be singled out and have pull-out services. I wouldn’t be able to play my favorite sports. In hearing schools, they want athletes that can hear all the calls and passes. I might not even make the team, and I certainly wouldn’t have my personal best.”
“So you stay here for sports?”
“Not just sports. For the social opportunities and the fact that here I’m normal. I use sign language, and no one looks at me funny or stays away because they don’t know how to communicate. I’m bilingual. ASL and English. At a hearing school, I’d be the odd one. The one who needs accommodations. Here, I’m one of the gang. I fit in here.”
As Annie and Blake asked a few more questions, Harrison took Parker from his wife and bounced him in his arms. If Parker was at a hearing school, he’d make sure no one made fun of him. Who would do that to a Wentworth? His parents would never allow it. Of course, they’d never allow their grandson to go to a school like this. Most likely, he’d be at the private academy he and Blake had gone to. Charles and Audrey Wentworth donated enough money to ensure their grandchild had the best of everything.
Watching Blake with Carli, he could tell his brother was enamored with the woman. Annie was, too. Thought she could walk on water. She had been very helpful and had given them lots of information they wouldn’t have otherwise known about, but this Deaf school and therapy stuff he wasn’t sure about.
On the other hand, if Carli and this girl had gotten implants later in life, and they looked and sounded normal, then maybe Parker would be okay. If he got them soon. And then maybe his parents wouldn’t see him as doing something unforgivable like producing an imperfect child.
Carli read her text from Blake and smiled.
—Can you come to room 412? Maddie wants to see you before we go.—
The little girl had fractured her arm in several places and had been here for almost a week after surgery to repair it. Carli had met her after a lunch lesson and had gone to visit her a few more times. The precocious eight-year-old wasn’t letting her injury get her down.
Rolling her chair back, she texted that she’d be up soon. First, she wanted to comb her hair and touch up the little bit of makeup she’d applied this morning. Mercedes had noticed the extra effort on her appearance and never lost an opportunity to tease her about it. Her friend knew her too well and was aware of why she’d been doing it.
Once she’d tidied up, done a last check of her e-mail, and shut down her computer, she picked up her coat and purse.
“Hot date tonight with the hot doctor?” Joy smirked as Carli passed her desk.
“We aren’t dating. I’m teaching him sign language.”
The look in her co-worker’s eyes said she didn’t believe it. Did Carli? No, they weren’t actually dating, but they had either gone out to lunch or dinner a dozen times in the past two weeks. It was kind of like dating, but Blake hadn’t kissed her or made any moves in any way other than learning ASL.
Except on her birthday at her parents’ house. He’d nibbled on her fingers and kissed her wrist when she’d touched his mouth. What in the world had made her do that? To get him to stop over-emphasizing words, but had there been another reason? Like to get her hands on those perfect lips that she’d been dreaming of kissing for months now?
“I’d like to give him a sign,” Joy said, her lips pursed and eyes dreamy. “If you really don’t want him, can you send him my way?”
Wanting him wasn’t the problem. It was more if he wanted her.
“I’m not a matchmaker. Have a good night.”
“It won’t be as good as yours.”
It took a minute to figure out what Joy had said as she passed by. Would she have a good night? Absolutely. Even if Blake didn’t put the moves on her or act romantically, she still loved being with him. He was smart, fun, and sometimes a little crazy. Mostly around his patients.
Up on the fourth floor, she strode down the hall to Maddie’s room. The little girl and Blake sat around the small table near the window working on something.
“Hey, there.”
“Carli, come see.” Maddie waved her good hand toward them.
