Page 36 of Signs and Signals

Indya: No, that is not what I am going to ask or request, you horndog. I wanted to know why you text like you do. You shorthand most of the words. Lol, it kind of drives me crazy, to be honest. Perhaps we can work on texting at the same time we work on your ASL?

I push send, still giggling then I remember my brother and sisters are staying with me next weekend and need to see if he has other plans, since there is no game that weekend.

Indya: Before I forget, Silas, Emerson, and Asia are coming to spend the weekend with us next weekend, I was wondering if you had plans, or if you would be able to meet them while they are here. We could have a cookout at the park or something, if you want.

This time it takes him even longer to respond. I go to the kitchen, making sure I pulled the frozen chicken from the freezer for dinner tomorrow, and make myself some tea. The warmthof the cup in my hands is comforting, but a lingering sense of unease settles in my chest, but deep down, I know it won't be that easy.

Atlas: I’m sorry about the texting style. I guess I am just used to messaging the guys on the team all the time, and it is faster. Just so you know, every Legends player and the coaches type the same way. LOL. I would love to meet the other part of your family, and yes, I think a cookout would be fun, let me see if my buddy is using his house in town, maybe we can have it there. He has a huge backyard with a play set, sandbox, pool, hot tub, grill, anything you can think of, my boy has. Also, if I had plans already, you would be included in them. Okay, I am going to go back to sleep. Goodnight. I love you.

I send back a quick,Sounds good. Night. I love you.

I finish my tea, and head to bed myself, hoping not only the next two days, but next weekend gets here fast.

***

It is finally the day my siblings arrive. They don’t live extremely far away, about an hour and a half outside of town. But with all our schedules, it is hard to get them to line up so we can spend quality time together.

Emerson and Asia are college students at Oregon State, Emerson is just about finished. She is actually going to become an athletic trainer for professional athletes. Asia is just in her freshman year, and she is majoring in Music studies. She says she doesn’t know what she wants to do, all she knows is she wants to have a career in music.

I do love our visits though, because I barely get to see my sisters and I love them something fierce. Hopefully, once they are done with school, they stay close by and we get to spend more time together.

Silas and my sisters pile into my apartment around ten a.m. Emerson said they wanted to spend every moment possible with us they could. I was perfect with that. I miss them so much.

We all just finished eating lunch and Amara walks in the door.

“You’re home early, Amara. Were you too excited to work?” I ask, as she runs to her room to change. When she comes back out in a pair of sweats and a tee, sporting her gray house shoes, she looks less frazzled than when she walked in the door.

“I told the bossman, I had shit to do and needed to be home and not here. I thought he was going to fire me because of all the time I have been taking off. He said, ‘go take care of your shit and be back Monday,’ so I ran the fuck out of there as fast as I could before he could change his mind,” she laughs. “He said he can’t afford to lose me as an employee, because I am more dependable than most people on the payroll.”

Haven hugged everyone at the table, then told Silas they were going to her room for teatime. He let her lead him by the hand without argument. Apparently, the rest of us were not invited for tea and biscuits. It is like no one else exists when Silas is around.

“So, when do we get to meet Atlas?” Asia asks.

“Yeah, I want to see if he is as hot as Amara says he is or if she was just exaggerating when she described him,” Emerson throws in.

“All I said was Atlas was a sexy piece of man-meat. I don’t remember describing him at all, actually. Plus, there is no way you haven’t seen him before, he is an athlete for Pete’s sake, and you are about to be an athletic trainer. I feel as though you should already know who Atlas Kensington is,” Amara tells Emerson.

As if he knew we were talking about him, the buzzer sounds, letting us know we have a visitor. “Yes?” I say, pushing the button on the wall.

“Hey, Indy, it’s me, can I come up?” Atlas voice says coming through the intercom. I press the button to let him in, then go into the hall to wait for him.

He kisses me gently as a greeting and we both walk into the apartment. When we walk in, five pairs of eyes meet ours.

“Teatime over so soon, Silas?” I ask.

“I heard a man. So, we came to check it out.” As he says this, Haven realizes Atlas is here, breaking free from Silas’s hand, running toward Atlas.

Atlas squats down and catches her, tossing her in the air, the same way they always greet each other.

I missed you, Atlas. You staying?

Everyone is quiet, watching the exchange between Atlas and Haven. I take a glimpse at Silas, and he looks confused, almost hurt, but I can still see the happiness as well. Haven has never ran from him to someone else before, so this may be shocking to him.

I miss you, princess. Yes, I stay.

Emerson and Asia giggle, and begin whispering to each other. Probably about the way he signs. But he is getting better, and I remember not too long ago, they were signing exactly the same way.

After introductions are made between my siblings and Atlas, we are all in the living room sitting on the sectional. Haven is in Atlas’s lap, which makes Silas have his grumpy face on, but he is still holding a conversation with Atlas, so I guess that is a win. Asia and Amara are at one end talking about anything and everything, Emerson is on the other side of me, and she is telling me about the applications she has submitted.

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