Page 20 of Echoes of Obsession

“Obviously not, big guy,” she shrugs. “Anyway, we’ll talk more about him later. Do you work?”

“I do,” I say after chewing a bite of the potato salad. It really is delicious. “I’m an editor.”

“For books?” Sophie asks, eyes wide. “Romance books? The juicy kind?”

“For the most part,” I laugh. “It’s my dream job, and it doesn’t cause me too much stress. Which is perfect for my condition.”

I hear the unique sound of my daughter’s voice as she comes running into the room calling for me. She can’t mimic sounds the way they’re supposed to sound, but she can say words enough that I can easily understand what she’s trying to say.

I’m surprised that she’s even sayingmommyout loud where others can hear. She normally never speaks aloud unless we’re home alone.

I’m fully prepared to kick some serious ass if a single person here makes fun of the way she sounds. I take the time to look around at everyone and only see kindness as they look at my daughter.

Ghost is standing leaning against the wall, looking at Zoe with a small smile on his face.

Shaking my head to get back to reality, I wait until Zoe can fully see me before talking.

“Everything okay?”I say and sign.

“Can me and Allie have a sleepover this weekend? Please, mommy? Pretty please?”

Sky causally walks past Zoe and licks her exposed leg with a solitary swipe of his tongue before continuing on his way to explore some more.

Between Zoe’s begging and Sky’s silliness, I can’t help but chuckle.

“That’s something that we will have to discuss with Allie’s mom,” I respond.

“That’s me,” Sophia smiles brightly as a pretty little girl stops beside Zoe.

“Oh,” I laugh. “Zoe wants to have a sleepover with Allie this weekend,” I explain.

“Please,” Allie begs. “I promise we’ll be super good. We’ll be so quiet that we won’t wake up Hope.”

“And I promise not to make a single sound.”

Everyone laughs when I translate my goofy girls’ message.

“What do you say, mom?” Sophie asks me.

“Please, Mrs. Dove’s mommy,” Allie begs, falling to her knees with her hands clasped together. Zoe follows suit, causing us all to, once again, laugh at their antics. “We can stay at my housethis weekend and then at her house the next weekend. We can switch back and forth forever and ever.”

“At least she’s planning for the future,” someone laughs.

“I’m okay with it if you are,” I tell Sophie.

Allie jumps to her feet, cheering, and Zoe looks at me for an answer.

“Sorry,” I apologize for not signing as I spoke. “I told her that I was okay with it. But you’re going to have to take your tablet in case you need to communicate something big to Allie’s parents, alright?”

Nodding her head, the girls skip excitedly back to wherever it is they came from.

“Has she always been deaf?” Someone asks.

“Mind your business, Jax,” Ghost says.

“Sorry, Pres.”

“I don’t mind,” I smile. “Uhm, no, she hasn’t. I don’t mind telling if you don’t mind the details.”

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