Page 50 of Quiet Beautiful Things

“What?”

Ellie: I forgot to tell you earlier. Something great happened today. Maisy got her name sign.

I’ve read about name signs and how they are a shortened version of a person’s name, usually representing a physical characteristic, personality trait, or hobby. “Name sign?” I ask, wanting to learn more.

Ellie’s right hand comes up next to her hair, and with her pointer finger facing upward, she spirals it down the side of her head.

Ellie: It’s because of her spiral curls.

“You came up with it?” I ask.

“No. Children at school.”

I look at her sideways, trying to get a better grip on the concept.“Youhave a name sign, don’t you? I vaguely remember you telling me so the first time we met.”

With her palm open and facing toward her face, she taps her middle finger twice on her cheek.

“What does that mean?”

She fingerspells ‘freckles’ and does the ASL sign for it.

“Makes sense,” I say. “Your freckles definitely come out when you blush. Your parents must have noticed that early on.”

Ellie: My parents didn’t give me the name sign. Name signs can only be given by Deaf, not the hearing. It’s a rite of passage. I went to a public school where I was the only deaf student, so I didn’t get my name sign until college.

“Tell me how.”

She rolls her eyes. Then she blushes, her freckles appearing as if to validate the meaning of her name sign. Oh, this is going to be good.

I raise my brows, waiting.

She scoffs, then starts texting.

Ellie: It was given to me my freshman year at Gallaudet. I had a professor who was very handsome. Younger than most. And every time he called on me, I’d blush. It didn’t take long for me to be given the name sign. About Maisy, though, this is a big deal. It means she’s part of the Deaf community. Youshould be happy her peers have taken to her so well. She’s doing better than any of us anticipated.

I look at my sleeping daughter, wishing she could understand just how proud of her I am.

I turn back to Ellie. “You had a crush on your teacher?”

She shrugs.

I laugh. “I completely understand. I seem to be having the same issue.”

She blushes.

I laugh again and do her name sign.

I nod to Maisy. “She’s had a long day. I’m going to put her to bed. Wait here?”

She signs, “I’ll wait here,” and raises a challenging brow.

I know this look. It means she wants me to sign. So I do. “You wait here.”

Her satisfied grin tells me she’s happy with that.

I wake Maisy enough to get her to use the toilet, brush her teeth, and change into pajamas. Once in bed, she’s asleep before I get to page five in her favorite picture book.

When I go back out, I find Ellie staring at all the new drawings on the dining room table. Maisy loves to draw cats. She loves to watch videos about cats. She loves to play with her stuffed cat.

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