Page 23 of Beginning Fate

That's when it dawned on me that it was morning and she wasn't here.

“Oh my gosh. Where are you? Are you okay? What time is it?” I started frantically signing.

Modern technology was a wonderful thing. Video calls could be run through a dozen different applications, allowing us to communicate easily. Well, as long as I remembered to stay back enough for her to see my hands. Before that, in order to use a phone, deaf people had to use special equipment and call into a translator who would then call and relay the message for them. Options like that were still available and when calling people outside the deaf community Kylie sometimes had to use it, but with features like texting those times were rare.

“Lauren? Are you there?” she signed, catching my attention.

“Sorry. Where are you? I thought you were coming back here to sleep.”

“I was, but it was late, and Autumn and I swapped assigned roommates so we could be together.”

That warmed my heart to hear. She made a friend. It took a weight off my shoulders, and I knew I could go home more easily now.

Mate,my wolf growled in my head at the thought.

More easily where Kylie was concerned. I feared Denny may be a whole different battle.

“But you're okay?” I signed.

“Great.”

She genuinely looked happy.

“What's on the agenda today?”

Kylie rolled her eyes. “I thought you had it memorized.”

She was right. I did, but now I couldn't remember a damn thing on it.

“Just refresh my memory.”

She laughed. “Free day to roam campus. There will be volunteers out to talk with. They are everywhere.”

“Did you have breakfast yet?”

The look on her face made me laugh.

“Lauren, it's almost noon. We're heading over to the cafeteria for lunch.”

Another face appeared over her shoulder. Autumn.

“Hi Lauren. Want to meet us for lunch?” she asked.

I looked down at my pajamas and blushed.

“Um, sure. I'll need a few minutes to get ready.”

Kylie turned toward her and made some weird gestures that were not normal signs, but even from her back I saw the classic motion of sleeping and knew she was making fun of me sleeping in late just in a way that Autumn could understand.

Then she turned back to me and used ASL instead. “Well, come on if you're coming.”

“You want me to?”

“Yes. I need a translator. The gang wants to talk to the teacher about offering basic ASL so they can understand me better. Everyone from yesterday wants to do it.”

Tears pricked my eyes, but I didn't wipe them away, trying not to draw attention to it.

“I'll be there soon.” I was signing and speaking now that I knew Autumn was there listening in too.

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