Page 108 of Quiet Beautiful Things

She tells him to stay away from the street, especially since there are cars right here. When she sees us staring, she waves.

I smile and sign, “Your boy signs very well.”

Now it’sherjaw on the pavement. For a few seconds, it seems her head is trying to wrap around the situation. She takes the boy’s hand and walks over.

“I’m Kelly Freeman,” she signs, fingerspelling her name slowly. “This is Brayden.”

“I’m Ellie,” I sign.

“Deaf?” she asks, her lips not moving as she signs.

“Yes,” I sign.

Her smile is a mile wide. “Me too.” She turns her head slightly and shows me her cochlear implant. “Brayden too. My husband is hearing. Yours?”

Heat crosses my face. “This is Blake Montana. We’re not married. The house would be for him.”

Her eyes meet the ground for a moment, all excitement having left them.

“This is Kelly and Brayden,” I sign slowly to Blake. “They are both deaf.”

Blake’s eyes seem to dance between them before settling on Brayden, who is half standing behind his mother. “How old are you?” Blake signs.

The boy looks up at his mother who gives him an encouraging nod. Then he holds up five fingers.

I have to bite back tears. Because I couldn’t have scripted anything more perfectly. I mean, Blake might as well sign the contract now, sight unseen. I know anything inside the house he doesn’t like, he can change. But having neighbors like this… it could mean all the difference for Maisy.

“My daughter is four,” he says and signs. “She’s deaf.”

Brayden’s eyes sparkle and he seems to come out of his shell. He tugs on his mom’s shirt to get her attention. I can tell she’s almost as excited as her son. He asks her, “Are they going to live in Mike’s house?”

Kelly signs, “Mike was one of the children who lived here. He and his family moved out last week. We were hoping for another family. But this is beyond our wildest dreams.”

I look at Blake, impressed that he seems to have understood some of what she signed. She’s signing quickly, obviously not knowing Blake’s limitations.

I want to tell her that we haven’t even seen the house yet, but I don’t. I don’t because I know based on Blake’s expression that it won’t matter if it’s covered in dinosaur wallpaper and has a disco ball in the bedroom.

“Is it just the two of them?” Kelly asks.

I nod. I don’t miss the scowl on Blake’s face. Maybe he thinks we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Brayden tugs on Kelly’s shirt again and signs, “Will she play with me?”

Kelly explains to him that Blake hasn’t bought the house, that he’s just looking. That maybe he will, but he might not. Brayden looks at Blake with determination and marches over to him, signing much faster than I know Blake can keep up with. “You live here,” he signs. “She can play with me. Mommy bakes cookies. She can eat them.”

I go to tell Blake what the boy said, but he stops me. “I got this,” he says. Then he signs to Brayden, “You sign very well.”

Brayden beams with pride.

“I don’t sign very well,” Blake signs slowly. “I’m learning. My daughter, Maisy, is learning too.”

“I can teach you,” Brayden signs with enthusiasm.

“We’d like that.”

Blake excuses himself to have a short conversation with Dennis, then motions to the house. We say our goodbyes to Kelly and Brayden and make our way inside. I let Dennis give his spiel to Blake and leave them in the kitchen as I wander the place by myself. It’s completely empty, meticulously clean, and… ticks every single one of Blake’s boxes.

A few minutes later, Blake snakes an arm around me as I look out over the expansive deck, summer kitchen, and backyard that puts all others to shame. There’s no pool, but plenty of room for one. A play structure sits in one corner of the yard. A fire pit in the other. And at least a half-acre of grass in between. I can almost see Maisy and Brayden kicking around a soccer ball.

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