Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

35. Sarah

Callie was a bit timid when she came downstairs, but came to the table and had breakfast.

Once we were done, I suggested she change into a bathing suit. She said she wasn't in the mood to swim just yet. She went and sat outside.

We decided we'd go out for lunch, and probably dinner, and maybe go to the beach. I figured I'd cut up some fruit and vegetables to snack on at the beach.

I couldn't find my little knife, but figured it was probably in the dishwasher.

I pulled out a different knife and cut some fruits and veggies up, packed them in ziplocks and packed some yogourt and dip. While Brendon and his dad floated in the pool, I watched Callie. She was sitting, curled up, in a lounge chair, watching. I put the snacks in the fridge and went outside.

"You don't want to swim?" I asked. Callie shook her head.

Grace came outside and sat beside us on a different lounger. She pulled out her phone and started typing. Callie's phone vibrated. She read her text and smiled at Grace. Grace returned her smile.

Callie watched her dad and grandfather floating in the pool.

"Go change if you want. It's okay," I said to Callie. She shook her head and said she was okay. I was confused. She'd enjoyed the pool before. Now, suddenly, she wasn't interested? 

Brendon got out of the pool and went over to Callie.

"Come swim," he smiled.

Callie shook her head.

"I'm ok," she said. Brendon frowned in confusion.

"You love swimming," he said.

"I'm okay," she reiterated. Brendon sat on the end of her lounger.

"Are you sure? It's hot out."

Callie nodded. Brendon sighed and looked at me. I shrugged. I didn't have any idea why Callie wasn't interested in swimming.

Grace kept texting Callie and Callie was replying.

"This is one smart and funny kid," Grace said to me, showing me what they'd been texting about. Callie smiled at me.

A little while later Brendon declared he was hungry and we should consider lunch. We spoke to Callie and told her we were going for lunch and then to the beach. She nodded and said she was going to go get a bathing suit and a change of clothes. Callie went up to her room and I did as well.  I got into a bathing suit, threw on shirts and a t-shirt and packed a beach bag.

I met Callie out in the hallway and the two of us went downstairs.

Brendon and his dad came down a couple of minutes later and we got into the car and left. Grace and Boyd sat with Callie in the back, Callie between the two of them. She didn't look comfortable.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She nodded, glancing at Boyd. She still wasn't sure she could trust him.

Brendon seemed somewhat oblivious as we drove towards the restaurant he thought would be nice for lunch. It was a little cafe on the beach that served all sorts of breakfast and lunch foods.  We'd gone there a bunch of times and it. Was nice and relaxing.

Once we got to the restaurant I watched Callie. She got out of the car on Grace's side of the car and stood back from everyone.

"Hungry?" I asked her when I got her attention. She shrugged.

We went into the restaurant and I noticed Callie walked behind all of us.

"Callie, come on," I waved her forward.  She shrugged and caught up a little closer.

"Okay?" I asked her. She nodded.

We went into the restaurant and Brendon took Callie and had her sit beside him and between us. I smiled at her as did Brendon. She smiled back at us, albeit looking very wary.

Unlike our first outing at a restaurant, the staff at this little cafe were much better. When we mentioned that Callie is Deaf, they were attentive to her and would write their questions down for her. She smiled as she watched them accommodate her needs.

"Thank you," I said to our server. "Our first outing to a restaurant with our daughter was not as pleasant as this. Thanks for accommodating her." 

Our server smiled.

"No problem. It's the least we could do," our server said. Callie smiled at her.

"She's nice," Callie said. "I like her."

"She is," I agreed.

'Callie, how nice that the server was able to accommodate you,' Grace texted Callie. Callie nodded with a smile on her face.

'All good, sweet girl?' Boyd texted. She glanced up at him and quickly nodded. I saw her hand reach behind her quickly.

We ordered our food and ate happily when it came. Grace and Boyd tried to talk with Callie while we ate. Boyd texted something to Callie and she laughed.

'If you sign while holding something, is it like talking with your mouth full?'

I looked on and laughed. Callie was also laughing.

"PopPop is funny," she said.

I smiled. I hoped she was warming up to him.

After lunch we went onto the beach and laid out our blankets and towels. Brendon stripped down to his bathing suit right away and ran into the surf. Grace was wearing a sundress and sat on the blanket. I pulled off my t-shirt but kept my shorts on for now. Boyd was in his bathing suit and sitting in one of the chairs we brought. Callie sat on the blanket in her shorts and t-shirt.

"Don't you want to swim with Dad?" I asked her. She shook her head and glanced at Boyd.

I could hear Brendon whooping it up in the water. He was waving for Callie.

"Dad wants you to go swimming," I said. She shrugged and nodded, carefully taking off her shorts and leaving on her t-shirt.

"Did you bring another shirt? Don't you want to take your shirt off to swim?" I asked her.

"I have another shirt. And it's okay. I'll swim in this one."

I was a little confused as to why all of a sudden, Callie was wearing a t-shirt to swim.

I watched as she very carefully folded her shorts and placed them under her backpack.

Brendon came back up the beach as Callie was getting ready.

"Coming in the water?" He asked her. She nodded. Brendon picked her up and she screamed, sort of. Brendon was laughing. I couldn't tell if Callie was laughing or not. But Brendon put her down beside the water. I saw him signing to her but wasn't sure what he was saying. She was nodding though. So I took that as a good sign.

Grace and Boyd and I watched our daughter in the water with her dad.

"He's great with her," Grace said.

"Brendon fell in love with her almost immediately. She's such a sweet girl," I agreed.

We watched and smiled as they chased each other in the water, going further and further out.

We were having a relaxing afternoon.

Until Brendon came running up the beach, screaming to call 911, carrying Callie's limp body in his arms.