Page 26 of Never Quiet

“Happy to help. Sometimes, you just need to talk it out. I do that with my mom.” She shrugged. “She doesn’t understand a lot of the science but she asks questions that make me question how I was looking at it. It helps.”

Turning his head slowly, he murmured, “Thanks, Mandy. It’s been dragging me in a circle for a week.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I fucking love your brain.”

“I’m rather fond of yours as well.” Sterling pulled himself up on the edge and sat beside her. She grinned. “Is Davis alive?”

“Don’t know but he’s making the sundaes.”

“Well done, Sterling.”

“I like to impress you.”

She laughed. “Well, you do. Heather is very calm and quiet. She doesn’t have your energy or fearlessness.”

He tilted his head. “Does she talk?”

“She does. We have a wonderful woman who works with her on speech and signing. Her voice sounds a little different than yours or mine but she’s very bright.” She bumped his shoulder. “You have that in common.”

“Is she pretty like you?”

“Goodness, Sterling. You’re such a charmer. She’s lovely. She looks like our mom. Would you like to see her picture?” He nodded. “Will you get my phone? It’s under my towel.”

The little boy was up and back in seconds. She scrolled through photos of her, their family, and stopped when she passed a closeup of her sister.

“There. That’s my sister Heather.”

He took the phone. “She’s pretty. Different than you but…really pretty.”

“Inside and out.” She clicked a couple of buttons and played a video of them signing and reciting a rhyme she’d recently learned. Heather danced around, laughing in between the lyrics. “I love her very much.”

“You know sign language?” Mandy nodded. “You don’t use it here.”

“Noel reads lips and she doesn’t like to draw attention.”

He handed her back the phone. “Teach me.”

“Teach you…sign language?”

He grinned. “I want to know it. Mom said you have four deaf people in your family.”

“Yes.”

“If I’m going to marry you one day, I should know it so I can talk to your family, too.”

“Oh, Sterling…”

“I’m gonna ask but you’re gonna say yes. I mean, you’re pretty and everyone says I’m cute. You’re already like a member of the family. I’m crazy and you’re calm. Perfect. Right?”

“Hmm. I tell you what. I’ll teach you the alphabet this time and send you a video tutorial for sign language. If you can focus when someone else is showing you, I’ll teach you a lot more next summer. Deal?”

He stared at her intently. “Deal.” He stood up and dove into the water without another word.

“You’re amazing with him. He doesn’t talk to anyone like that.” Erick was waiting for her when she turned to him. “How do you have such patience?”

“I don’t know.”

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