Crystal Eyes

-(08)-

-J a m e s-

      Jade grabbed a Walmart bag filled with cookies, vanilla wafers, chocolate both white and milk and strawberries covered in sugar I'd bought a few moments ago at the store. Mom had just left and the girls wanted to get some snacks for Ellery, although it seemed they wanted to spiral into a sugar coma instead. 

      I doubted Ellery would eat so many sweets, but I didn't know for sure so I got some crackers and cheese just in case she wanted something more...normal. She barely ate at school, I didn't blame her. She mostly picked and prodded at her tray until the next period. 

      They both waddled inside with some bags and heaved them into the kitchen. I scooped up the last of the bags and slammed the trunk closed. My feet shuffled across the gravel as Jade jumped up and down at my feet gleefully. "When is she gonna be here?" Jade whined. They loved it when my friends came over because I'd let them play on my phone and eat sweets until mom came home.

      "Soon. Don't think you get to eat all of this just because she's here. We'll be studying most of the day and you can't bother us."

      I unloaded everything and locked it in the sweets cabinet above the stove. Jude watched mournfully as I clicked the lock shut and sealed in all the candy they'd gotten. Her eyes drew when I pressed my hand on her wavey blonde hair. "What does Ellery look like?" Jude questioned.  

      "You'll see when she gets here. I think you'll both like her. Just talk slow and to her face okay?" She seemed well at lipreading from what I've witnessed but kids pronounce things differently and that may confuse her. Jade and Jude specifically speak very fast and sometimes I myself got confused, so I hoped they were able to tone it down. 

      "Why?" Jade asked suspiciously. I poked her button nose and boosted her into my arms. She jabbed my cheek and tittered. "Because Ellery's deaf. That means she can't hear anything but she can read lips. Just like grandpops." 

      "Oh...so you talk with your hands to her too?" 

      "Exactly," I stated happily. Jude stirred on the couch and peeked her head over the cushion. "So we can scream and shout and she won't hear anything?" 
"No...don't do that. No screaming." Jude pouted. 

      Jade and Jude didn't have many full conversations with Grandpa. His sight was already deteriorating when I began to care for him so he wasn't able to read lips correctly. That was when I realized I needed to learn ASL or I wouldn't be able to care for him properly or communicate. 

      When I finally had learned enough to construct a conversation, his face had lit up. He'd spent the whole day signing stories from his younger years about crazy parties he attended and how he'd met grandma and stories about my mom when she was young. 

      Apparently, she was a wild child back in her days before marrying my dad. Explains her wild-child driving. Even if I wasn't able to pick up one-hundred percent of the stories since I was new at signing, I had still enjoyed that he was up and perky.

      Dad must've straightened her out when they began dating. I still wasn't sure how dad felt about mom going off and getting pregnant with twins. I thought that some part of him was hoping she'd come back and forgive him. 

      Even though she had only visited him twice in the five years he'd been gone. I myself had only visited him a dozen times give or take since he was so far from Hipridge. Mostly around Christmas and his birthday or mine. Despite what he'd done, I didn't want him to be alone.  

      I knew what that was like and I didn't wish that on anyone. 

      Our doorbell rung throughout the house and the after ring clung to my ears. Jade wiggled from my arms and raced to the door. She heaved her head up to the window and peered out doubtingly. Her face lit up "She's here! I see her. She's pretty, Jamie! Look, Jude!"  I smirked and enveloped Jade in my arms comfortingly. "Calm. Speak slow and over pronounce," I whispered with a kiss to her rosy cheek.