Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

13. Brendon

Once John left, we tidied up a little, put away the papers we'd signed for the equipment being installed. The doorbell rang and Zack and Kala walked in.

"We may have to change your habit of walking in unannounced," I said. "You might freak Callie out."

"Aren't you getting lights and stuff?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, but she's going to know someone is at the door, not that they're walking in the house."

"Can't we just tell her I just walk in the house after I ring the bell?" Zack asked.

"Sure. Just keep in mind that if Callie doesn't notice the light you're going to freak her out if we don't know you're coming over."

"Noted," Zack said.

Callie was flipping channels on the TV with the sound off looking for something to watch.

"How does she watch TV?" Zack asked.

"With captions, you dolt," I replied.

Sarah was near Callie and got her attention and pointed over at Zack and Kala and I. She turned around, smiled and waved. Zack waved back and smiled at Callie. I watched his face soften. He'd already fallen for her.

"She's really cute," Zack said. I nodded. Zack's phone dinged and he checked it. It was a text from Callie.

'Hey Uncle Zack. How are you?'

He smiled and typed back.

'Doing well, kiddo. How are you?'

She turned around and gave him a thumbs up. Zack returned it.

Kala had gone to sit with Sarah and Callie on the couch. The doorbell rang again and this time it was the instructor.

"Hi. My name is Elena. I'm your ASL instructor,"

"Nice to meet you, Elena. I'm Brendon. My wife, Sarah is inside along with our daughter and our friends. We're expecting about six or seven more people in the next few minutes."

"Okay. I'd love to meet your wife and daughter," Elena smiled.

I led her into the house and Sarah got Callie's attention again and pointed over to Elena. Elena signed hello to Callie and Sarah and explained who she is.

Callie signed back to her with a smile.

The rest of the group showed up a few minutes later and after saying hello to Callie, we went into the dining room and sat around the table. Callie had found a movie on TV and was watching that. I texted her to let her know if she wanted a snack, where to find one.

In the dining room, Elena started the lesson by introducing herself and laying out what she would teach us today. Mostly the alphabet and some general signs for greetings.

She handed us out a sheet with the alphabet on it and we emulated her as she demonstrated the letters.

Callie came through about five minute later looking for a drink and a snack. She watched us trying to make our fingers spell our names. I was trying mine and she laughed.

"What?" I said. Elena signed for her what I'd said.

Callie signed back.

'You spelled your name wrong,' Elena translated. 'You spelled it B-R-E-M-D-O-M.' She then showed me the difference between N and M, which really is obvious, but I'd messed up. I smiled. I was okay with my kid correcting me.

'Don't worry,' Callie signed. 'I'll give you a sign name eventually and then you won't have to spell your name every time.'

"What's a sign name?" I asked.

'It's a sign that represents your name. Mine is,' Callie signed, and then made her hand into a 'C' and moved it with what would look like curls, I guess. 'I had really curly hair as a baby. It got straighter when I got older.'

Elena smiled and told Callie she liked her sign name. We copied it and Callie smiled and nodded. She went into the kitchen and came back with yogourt and strawberries. She pointed at them and looked questioningly at us giving us a thumbs up, thumbs down. We both gave her a thumbs up. She smiled and went into the family room to continue her movie.

For the next hour we practiced spelling our names and greeting each other. We learned the five 'Ws' - who, what, where, when, why. And how.

We had fun with it. We were laughing while we tried to not talk.

At the end of the hour, we were able to spell our names, ask how each other was and where they were, and say 'nice to meet you'. We set a schedule with the teacher. Sarah and I asked for more lessons since we wanted to learn as fast as possible. So we'd have 3 classes a week as feasible and we'd have everyone at one of the classes. It would sort of be a review class for us while our friends learned more.

Callie was immersed in her movie when everyone started leaving, so she sort of waved back at them when we texted that everyone was leaving. I had to laugh because of course she couldn't see them waving back with her eyes glued to the screen.

Once everyone had left, I tried to get Callie's attention to ask if she wanted to go swimming.

"After the movie," she signed at me. Which I understood. Because it made sense. And she was trying to see around me.

I ruffled her hair and sat beside her to watch the end of the movie with her.

When it was done I asked her about swimming again. She signed 'ok' and ran upstairs to get her bathing suit on. I went upstairs as well to change.

Callie beat me downstairs and was playing with Penny and Bogart when I came into the living room.

Callie saw me and smiled. We went outside and I cannonballed into the pool. Callie was laughing when I came up. And a bit drenched, since she'd been at the edge of the pool when I jumped in.

We splashed around and she floated on the pizza floaty. She taught me a few more signs. Water, hot and cold, pizza and pool. I practiced spelling my name. Callie clapped because I'd stopped using 'M' instead of 'N'.

Then she rolled off the pizza floaty, swam underwater and surfaced behind me, splashing me as she did. I chased her around the pool, as Sarah looked on, laughing and taking pictures.

It really was a perfect day.