Five years have gone by. No longer an innocent, too trusting, sixteen year old, her life at twenty-one is in her own hands. She left behind all that once hurt her. Abira Classur is a deaf, 21 year old woman. Her life is far from perfect, but hey, it...
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I opened the door to three smiling faces. "Auntie Abira!"Caleb jumped from Dustin's arms to mine. Laughing I held my little nephew and tried to understand what he at first said. His words didnt come out correctly yet and it can be hard for a deaf person to understand little kids.
"Hey, preggers." I held Caleb in one arm and hugged Stacy with the other.
"A month in and I'm already fat!" She exclaimed and rubbed her stomach.
Dustin took Caleb from me, and hugged me. "Hey little sis." He'd picked up calling me little sister after awhile.
"Thanks for coming for dinner!" I said. "Come sit at the bar, and Caleb can sit in the high chair I got." I jogged over and pulled out the chair I'd gotten for my nephew.
"Oh you didn't have to get him a high chair for here! That's too sweet of you, Abira." Stacy sat herself at the bar and looked down at her stomach. "Either it's pregnancy cravings or just me, I really hope you have pickles." She smiled.
I laughed and shook my head. "No pickles, so sorry." My hands gripped the oven and I pulled it open. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Caleb reaching for the oven. I grabbed his hand, and he looked up at me in a scared way. "Sorry little Caleb! That's hot!"
Dustin came running over and scooped him up. "Sorry Abira, he is so....Inquisitive, that he's crazy with touching things." Dustin waved his finger at his boy.
"We were all like that as kids, don't worry. He's just hyperactive." I slipped on an oven mitt and pulled out what if been making.
"Za!" Caleb giggled and pointed to what I was pulling out.
"Yes, pizza for you. And salad of course. Don't tell mama but it's gluten free." I set down the home made pizza I'd set up for dinner that night.
"I heard that!" Stacy smiled as I turned to her. "But it's fine trust me, I should eat less gluten anyways." Stacy--without a plate--grabbed a slice and began to eat it right off the bat.
Pregnancy.
"Za please Abira!" Caleb pound his little fists on the tray of his high chair.
"Easy Caleb." Dustin gently rubbed his son's head and smiled at him.
"Please!" He whined with his little cheeks puffing out in a cute chubby way. Nodding I began to cut his pizza into little pieces.
"I can do that," Dustin offered.
"I got it, I already started." I plopped down his plate in front of him and Caleb began to gnaw on a piece.
"How's life, being pregnant, work and all that?" I asked as I sat myself down. Stacy chewed and held up her finger.
"Pregnant is...All too familiar!" She nodded to Caleb and smiled. "It's fine, mostly just cravings so far. Oh but trust me the morning sickness will come." Stacy patted her stomach.
"Work and life is normal, per usual. How about you?" Dustin asked as he took a bite of salad.
"Work is amazing like always. It can be tough and everything but the teens I work with...I don't know it's just so humbling to see them grow." I shrugged.
"I'm so glad, Abira. When you were in school...I don't know I always felt you should've gone to an all deaf school." Stacy had a glimmer of a solemn look but kept on eating.
"Maybe. But hey, my life has lead me here so far." I looked over at Caleb and then to his parents. "You gotta level with me. Is this baby planned?" I gestured to her pregnant belly.
Stacy and Dustin laughed and exchanged looks. "Well kind of. We knew we wanted a second one soon. I don't know if we meant right when we... Decided." Stacy looked a bit uncomfortable.
I laughed out loud and shook my head. "T to the M to the I Stacy!" I continued to shake my head. I saw a small piece of pizza go flying and we all turned our heads.
Caleb looked at us and his eyes widened. He pointed at me and said, "not me!"
Dustin shook his head. "Good try, little mister. What do you want over there kiddo?"
"Aunt Abira!" He said and pointed to me again. I turned fully towards him and nodded. "I want to sleep here." Caleb said in broken words.
"No sleepover tonight, Caleb. You have a play date with Johnny tomorrow morning." Stacy said.
"Aw no!" Caleb continued to whine. I was flattered that he wanted to stay over at his little aunt's house, but it wasn't a great idea. During the day I could watch him but if he needed me in the middle of the night I couldn't hear him if I wanted to.
"And your other friend Zachary will be there. And his sister Zoey..." Stacy snickered.
Caleb nodded. "I love Zachy and Zoey!" He smiled.
"Especially Zoey," Dustin said only to me and Stacy.
"His first little crush, huh?" I asked.
"You wouldn't believe it! They pretend their married! And they often make Zachary play their baby!" Stacy pulled out her phone and slid me a video.
She'd gotten an app where it would put subtitles to all the videos on her phone. It started out with Caleb and the girl who I assumed was Zoey, holding hands. Caleb said "wanna get married like mama and daddy?"
I laughed. Then Zoey turned to another little boy and asked "will you be the baby?" She looked a little bit older than Caleb.
Soon the video ended and I slid back her phone. "He is too cute. I love little Caleb so much." I rubbed Caleb's cheek and he giggled.
"You'll love being a mother, Abira, whenever you decide to get hitched and have kids." Stacy said and smiled at me.
"Whoa, whoa, that's If I have children and If I get married." I held up my hands and pushed them in the air as if trying to get her to back up.
"When, Abira. You know you want to. It just takes the right guy, you know?" Stacy elbowed Dustin.
"I guess." I shrugged. "Oh I have to take the afternoon off of work tomorrow. I have to run an errand and I just figured I'd come home after that. So if you need me to watch Caleb for a bit I can." I offered.
"Eh, maybe. Depends on nap time and his play date."
