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Nate’s mother possessed endless patience. “I can’t wait to show you all the embarrassing childhood photos I have of Nate. Naturally, Mandy has no such photos.”
Zoe laughed. “Of course not. What’s happening with your gallery? I hate that you’ve had to put your life on hold…”
“Nonsense. I happen to have an assistant who can run the place indefinitely. I would have landed on Nate’s doorstep earlier but I didn’t want to intrude while things between you were new. No one needs their mother around making things awkward.”
“You could never. I’m glad you’re here. I can see where Nate gets his kindness, his gentleness of spirit. Mandy inherited it as well.”
Caroline stroked her cheek. “You’re a welcome addition, Zoe. This horrible ordeal will be behind you soon enough and you’ll be able to focus on your future with my son and Mandy. I’m thrilled.”
“I love them very much.”
“Anyone can see it as well as their love for you.”
“I need tosee, Caroline…”
“You will. Patience, darling. It will happen faster if you’re not going through each day terrified. Stretch, eat, get plenty of sleep, and let your body heal. It won’t let you down.”
Zoelovedhaving the Lang women in their home and dreaded the day they’d return to Boulder. Caroline’s art gallery was well established and required a city to support it. Noel was always working and traveling.
It wasn’t right to keep them away from their lives for so long but Zoe couldn’t imagine how much worse things would have been for Mandy and Nate if they hadn’t come to stay and help them through the chaos.
Sitting on the porch one afternoon, Zoe dozed off. Coming awake with a jerk, disoriented, she felt around.
Mandy took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She signed, “It’s okay. You took a little nap.”
“I missed your graduation! You’re already out for summer break! I couldn’t put my finger on what was different and…it’s that you’re not going to school every day. Oh, Mandy! I’m so sorry!”
Placing one of Zoe’s hands on her cheek, Mandy pressed her own on top of it. With her other, she signed, “Do you feel me smiling?” With a small laugh, Zoe nodded. “You’re getting better. You’re starting to think about all the little details and that’s a sure sign that your thought processes are returning to normal.”
After a long pause, Zoe replied, “My lord, you are such acleveryoung woman. Have you just been waiting for me to have one of my OCD freak-outs?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s good to have you back, Zoe.” She turned her face and kissed her palm. “I’m starving! No-No left a big bowl of diced fruit and this delicious yogurt. Let’s make parfaits!”
Grinning, she said, “Glad to see your stomach is operating normally.”
Megan and MaryAnn made an effort to learn sign language from Mandy. No one had to tell Zoe that Mandy was the only one with the patience to teach them. The distance that had grown between herself and her female relatives made their idiosyncrasies glaringly obvious.
Until her sight returned so she could read lips, talking to her relatives required a translator. Again, it was Mandy who made herself available. After their first stilted conversation, Zoe thought it was best to avoid her mother until she was feeling less vulnerable.
“Honey, maybe you should come back to Georgia.” The suggestion from MaryAnnstunnedher. “You can’t do anything without help.”
Zoe struggled to control her reaction. “I’m trying not to focus on that, Mom. My vision gets better every day.”
“Still. You shouldn’t have been driving in the first place and now with this new problem on top of not being able to hear…”
“Mother!” Zoe didn’t let Mandy finish signing the woman’s sentence when she shouted. “I have a lifehere. Nate and Mandy arehere. Even if they weren’t, I’m not moving back to Georgia. I don’t need to live with my mother. I’ve done just fine on my own for three years.”
“I don’t think this would be considered just fine, Zoe.”
Blinking at the hazy outline of her mother’s face, she whispered, “You act like the accident was somehow my fault. As if my being deaf had something to do with it.” She frowned. “Haven’t you asked any questions? Do you even know the circumstances?”
“I know you were almost killed and now you’re blind on top of being deaf. Why would I ask for the gory details?”
Zoe stumbled back a step, her mind recoiling in shock. “I’m done talking. When I can read your lips and don’t have to put Mandy through signing on your behalf, we can finish this.”
Holding Mandy’s head, she kissed her temple. “I’m going to lie down for a little while.”
By the end of her second week out of the hospital, she could read lips if the speaker stood in bright light.
