Blue Eyed Dreamboat | R. Grayson

[04]

Ashton couldn't keep up with the fingers flickering in front of him as Irene explained her day. He was trying to keep up but her hands were moving too fast.

It seemed like she had a lot to tell him and couldn't contain it.

"Slow down," he took her hands, noting the spark in her eyes. Conveying to her that he couldn't understand if she signed too fast, he let go of her hands and she repeated what she had told him, a bit slower that once.

"Everything okay, Ash?" Norah asked, turning to look at the two.

Irene only signed that fast when she was arguing with them or when she read something that she didn't agree with in a book. Her hand movements became too fast whenever she got too passionate about proving a point or if something made her excited.

"Yeah all good," he replied but kept his eyes focused to decipher his sister's hand movements. "She met Richard."

"Oh, alright."

Norah went back to organizing the catalog, removing the books from the list that had been delivered. Running a bookstore was in some ways quite similar to working as a librarian. She had to keep all the stock organized and managed properly.

Irene resumed the conversation, asking Ashton about the boy who came there so often. She pointed to his eyes, putting four fingers up on her right hand, and moved it lightly. Ashton understood, a smile tugging upon his lips as he saw her make the sign of a flower next.

She was describing the shade of his eyes. Blue like a cornflower. 

Perhaps it was his eyes that had seemed most striking to her.

"He is Richard Grayson," Ashton answered her questions, signing where necessary, "he visits often and he loves to read, I guess that's pretty obvious. And yes, his eyes are pretty."

Irene laughed, nudging her brother lightly. It seemed as if her first meeting with Richard had gone really well and knowing how little she got exposed to people, she was no doubt fascinated by him.

"He left early then?" Norah asked as she had finished organizing the catalog, recalling that Irene had been alone at the store when they had returned.

She shrugged having not asked the reason for that. She signed that he hadn't bought anything that day either.

"That's okay. At the rate he finishes the books he takes from here I am very much reminded of our Irene," Norah remarked, "or perhaps he doesn't finish them all before stocking up on new ones. Some people like to build a collection before they sit down to read."

"You spoke to him too? Briefly?" Ashton asked, deciphering what she told him next, "oh, I am sure he understood. Now I have heard enough of Richard, let me tell you about our trip to the school."

She nodded, leaning forward to show that she was enthusiastic to hear how his day went too. Norah smiled slightly, seeing the two communicate with each other rather well.

Ashton had learned to sign from a very early age, probably due to the fact that Norah and Irene usually communicated through sign language and he was in his learning age. Just like he had picked up on their mother's speech, similarly, he had picked up on the different ways to communicate with his sister.

He understood her perfectly by then and she too was more comfortable talking to him than anyone else. The siblings had a strong bond from the start and Norah felt grateful for that because there were times she had gotten worried that she might have to deal with Irene's situation on her own.

But Ashton, despite being just thirteen, was proving to be a great support both for his mother and sister.

A light peel of laughter broke the silence and Norah looked back at her children. To her, Irene's voice was like the peel of windchimes. But she knew the girl found it hard to speak often so she didn't pressurize her into it.