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The wait was torture. Some days there was no significant improvement and she’d wonder, “Is this it? Is this how blind I’ll be?”
Nate and Mandy were unshakeable in their optimism and it was contagious. One small step at a time, her vision returned, and she was able to see the people she loved again.
Her gratitude was indescribable.
As her sight returned, she was able to make out how beautiful Noel and Caroline were. Where she’d once assumed Mandy’s beauty came from her biological mother, she now realized she took after her absolutely stunning aunt and grandmother.
Watching the female members of Nate’s family, she started to wonder at the interactions between Noel and Nate’s best friend Rick. Sometimes, it seemed they wereinvolved. Other times, Nate’s sister acted as if she could barelystandthe ex-military man.
If Mandy caught Zoe staring at the pair, trying to work out the puzzle, she would wink one hazel eye conspiratorially. She couldn’twaitto find out what the observant young woman knew.
As soon as it was certain Zoe would make a full recovery, Megan turned her attention to Rick. Behavior she recognized well from their childhood clearly grated across Noel’s nerves.
Zoe thought she might know why.
MaryAnn spent all her time reading romance novels on her Kindle or trying to flirt with Bill. Caroline’s seemingly unending patience appeared to have an end after all.
How fascinating…
Her mom and sister started making plans to return to Georgia and Zoe felt disloyal that the prospect of their departure made her happy. Being around them for too long becameexhausting.
The first awkward conversation she needed to get out of the way was with her mother. Zoe led her out on the back porch where the sun was brightest.
“You can read my lips?” Zoe nodded and her mother exhaled dramatically. “What a relief! It’s so frustrating not to be able to talk without other people around.”
She didn’t bother to bring up the fact that the people in her life who knew sign language hadn’t had trouble talking to her.
“At least you’re talking again. It was so weird when you didn’t.”
“Thanks, Mom.”Unreal. She needed to end this quickly because she was still a bit on edge and didn’t want to lose her temper. “I need to make it clear that I’m not going back to Georgia.”
“Don’t be hasty, Zoe!” Shaking her head, she grabbed both of Zoe’s hands. Used to signing while she talked, it threw her off for a moment. “Listen, I know you want to pretend that everything is normal. It’s just…honey, you can’t have a regular life. Not now.”
Frowning, she asked, “What are you talking about?”
Looking uncomfortable, MaryAnn said, “You’re deaf.”
“I’m aware. What’s your point?”
“When you and Megan were little, I had my hands full. You were only a couple of years apart. All day, I was answering questions and listening for trouble. It was a lot. That’s why I waited so long before I-I got pregnant again.” She looked away for a moment.
Zoe stared at her, realizing something she hadn’t noticed in all this time. “Until you had Kimmie.”
“I know her name, Zoe. My word, you focus on the most ridiculous things. Anyway…”
“Mom. She’s more than alittle sisteror youryoungest daughter. She had a name. Kimberly Heather Green. From the moment you brought her home from the hospital, Megan and I called her Kimmie.”
MaryAnn dropped her hands. “We were talking about you.”
Shocked that it had taken her so long to realize her mother never said her dead sister’s name, she murmured, “You never say it. It’s like you’ve convinced yourself she didn’t really exist.”
“Fine! If you don’t want to talk about the fact that you can’t possibly raise a child, then we’re done here.”
Zoe reached out to hold the porch rail. “What?” She blinked several times in confusion. Her mother moved to walk around her but Zoe put up her palm to stop her. “Are you saying I can’t be with Nate or be a mother because I’m deaf?” Devastated, she asked in a whisper, “Is that really what you think? That I’m so muchlessnow?”
“You don’t know what it’s like, Zoe! Look what can happen when parents are fully functioning!”
“Mom…no.” She closed her eyes to gather her composure. “What happened to me was an accident. Dad was a good man and a wonderful father. He didn’t mean to fall asleep behind the wheel. That doesn’t mean I can’t raise a child. Caroline raised…”
