Listen to Your Heart

Part 7

Justin and Molly sat across from each other at the table in the small breakfast nook of the Malibu house. Both were reading through their email on laptops propped open in front of them. Hannah was in the media room watching TV with the closed caption on and Brian was in the office working on a campaign for Kinnetic. Molly eyed her brother then logged onto the instant message program they both used. <Justin?>

Justin smiled at his sister and typed back, <Yeah?>

This had quickly become a favorite form of communication for Brian and Justin lately. Brian could type faster than he could write so he had set up the computers this way. Though Hannah and Molly had been working on teaching them both sign language it was still slow going so the computers were the most efficient form of communication for now.

<Are you mad at me?>

Justin looked puzzled, <no, why would you think that?>

Molly shifted a bit in her chair, <because of Dad. I mean because I still see him and stuff.>

Justin frowned and rubbed a hand over his face. Christ. This was not the conversation he was expecting to have with his little sister. He thought for a moment then answered, <of course I’m not mad. I don’t ever want our problems to come between you two.>

Molly smiled a little; <he threw a shit fit when I told him I was coming here. He threatened to try and keep me in Pittsburgh this summer.>

Justin sighed thinking of how his father’s attitude toward him and Brian had never changed; <well you’re here. What did you do?>

<I told him to get over himself and if he didn’t want to lose both his kids he better lay off you and Brian.>

Justin stared for a moment, <you did not.>

<Oh yes I did. I’m sick of his shit Justin. He asks about you and stuff but I know why you don’t speak to each other. I know you and mom tried to protect me from all that stuff when you left home, but I’m not stupid. I love you and Brian so he just needs to accept it. I‘m not going to stay away from you guys.>

<Thanks Mollusk,> Justin smiled at his spunky sister then became more serious, <I always thought you blamed me for the divorce.>

<Maybe I did like a million years ago. I was just a kid you know? I didn’t want anything to change and then mom and dad were fighting all the time and mostly it was about you. Of course I laid the blame on you but once I grew up a bit and really heard all the things Dad was saying I knew it was him Justin. It’s his problem and it’s him that’s missing out.>

Justin smiled; <who would have ever thought you would feel that way about me?>

<I know after all the torture you used to put me through,> she smiled back. <Jus?>

<Yeah Moll?>

<Do you ever miss him? Dad, I mean like how it was with you before? I think I would miss him.>

Justin sighed again and leaned back in his chair. His blue eyes caught his sister’s and for a moment he thought about how they were the same color, even their hair had the same golden hue. He and Molly were a lot alike actually he realized, but with one big difference. One of them had a father and one of them no longer did. For a moment he felt a pang of jealousy raise its ugly head, then pushed it back down. It wasn’t Molly’s fault after all and a girl needs her daddy. Finally he felt the tears well up as he answered her question; “I miss him all the fucking time,” he spoke aloud.

<Oh Justin,> Molly signed, then got up and moved to where her brother was sitting. She pulled him into a long hug then pushed him away a little so she could give a quick <I love you,> sign.

Justin returned the gesture along with a thank you.

“OK kiddies,” Brian came barging into the room leading Hannah by the hand; “it’s time to celebrate.”

Molly stood and signed to Brian while she spoke, <“Uh, remember half of this room is deaf, you need to say it so everyone can understand.”>

Hannah had taken Molly’s position at the laptop opposite Justin and was typing his sister’s words as she spoke. They had discovered this was the swiftest teaching tool for Brian and Justin to have a conversation. Molly would sign while Hannah watched her and typed the conversation for Justin to read. It was slow going, but seeing the signs while reading them had proven to be the quickest way for Justin to pick up conversational sign language.

Justin was the only one who saw the flash of annoyance in Brian’s eyes when the girls insisted that he conduct his news in sign language. Brian had been really wonderful about all of this, more than wonderful actually, but patience was not his strong point and learning a new language took a lot of patience on all of their parts. Justin often secretly pondered how long it would be before Brian lost all patience and kicked him to the curb, of course making it look like it was for Justin’s own good.

<“Pay attention Sunshine,”> Justin was awoken from his reverie by Brian waving his hand in front of his face. When Brian saw that Justin was looking at him he signed again, <pay attention.>

Justin rolled his eyes, <“OK.”> He spoke as well as signed.

Hannah had encouraged him to speak out loud knowing how much easier it would make it to get along in the hearing world. Justin remembered that Hannah herself often spoke aloud while she was signing; though her speech had always sounded odd and muted to him. His mom had explained to he and Molly when she had first met the girl that Hannah sounded different because she had been born deaf and had never heard her own voice. She had told them that the fact that Hannah could speak out loud at all was amazing.

He knew that deep down it was his memory of listening to Hannah’s speech that made him so reluctant to speak out loud after the accident. Even though Brian assured him repeatedly that he sounded fine it took Molly’s reassurance (plus her exasperated plea to get over it) and Hannah’s example before he felt really comfortable about it.

Justin looked up to see all three of them staring at him while Brian had his arms crossed tapping his foot in impatience, <“sorry,”> he said as he grinned sheepishly at all of them.

<“Anyway as I was saying,”> Brian signed very slowly with Molly’s help; <“we need to celebrate.”>

<“Why?”> Justin smiled.

<“Well with the help of your fabulous artwork, I just landed the Schaeffer account.”>

<“That’s great Brian.”>

Brian noticed how fluidly Justin’s signing was becoming. He was amazed at how fast the young man was picking it up. <“Thank you. Now about the celebration. I’ve decided to grant the three of you a wish. What have you all been annoying me about since the girls arrived?”> This was all very stilted and slow with a lot of help from Molly.

<“Disneyland!”> Was shouted and signed simultaneously.

Brian hung his head in defeat before he spoke again, <“yes, against my better judgment I’m taking all of us to Disneyland. I just booked three nights at the Grand Californian Hotel so we don’t have to drive back and forth in that fucking (one of the first words Brian had learned to sign) L.A. traffic. We leave tomorrow morning.”>

Justin jumped up and moved into Brian‘s waiting arms, <“thank you so much. I know this is the last thing you want to do,”> he whispered in the older man’s ear as he moved to plant a firm kiss on Brian’s lips.

Molly and Hannah then smothered a reluctant Brian with hugs and thank yous before they ran off to pack.

Molly turned back into the room to say something else but stopped short when she saw her brother and his lover standing with foreheads touching, gazing into each other’s eyes, obviously holding a silent conversation. She wondered why these two were bothering to learn sign language at all, they were so connected.

She sighed and wished for the millionth time that her father would get past his prejudice and take the time to see this; to really see his son and how happy he was with Brian and how much Brian loved him. Molly knew she would be incredibly lucky to ever find a man who could be for her what Brian was for her brother.

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