Teaser Now, Video on Thursday

Chase and that chick from the cover, Melinda Hathaway.

EDIT: because it isn't really clear in context, the bolded words are in sign language, between Chase and his little brother Gideon.

--

Cake.

I sign tomorrow, not that time means anything to a six-year old.

Cake now.

Birthday tomorrow.

I try to distract Gideon with the sunset over the ocean, but he’s not having any of that. Then Shannon and Noah run past with the dogs at their heels, and his hands scream at me to let him down so he can chase them.

“Be careful!” I yell after him.

From behind me, Melinda laughs. “All these years and you still shout at him.”

I turn around and watch her walk towards me, long arms swinging against the hem of her skirt. I look away. My siblings and her siblings are all running around barefoot together. “Habit, I guess. I have two other siblings to yell at.”

“And number three on her way. You excited?”

“Yeah, totally. Hoping it’ll. . . ” I drift off, my eyes following Bella as she collects seashells down by the shore.

“Was there a sentence to be completed there?”

I smile. “Put us back together. I’m hoping it’ll put us back together.”

She puts her hand in my hair. “Something got you down, Chasey?”

“I was just telling Claudia about how stuff used to be, and it’s just so. . . used to be.”

She nods and slips her hand back into the kangaroo pocket of her hoodie. “Noah used to be around more.” But she’s not with Noah now, even though he’s here. She’s standing here with me, and I don’t know why.

I say, “Noah used to be around a lot more. But that feels forever ago.” I rub my hair. It’s dry as dust. “Before we knew that Gid was deaf, I guess. Made stuff get complicated.”

She says, “You guys do okay, though. I mean, he’s happy. Playing with Bella and Shannon.”

“He can’t talk to them. We can barely talk to him.”

“What’s the point of talking?”

“We’re talking right now.”

“But we’re not saying anything.”

There’s a particularly loud wave, and I watch them all stay on their feet before I breathe. I wish Noah would get the dogs further away from the water, so I could relax for a minute, enjoy the smell of Melinda’s perfume.

“What you just said,” I say. “Was that Camus?”

“No, silly.” Her fingernails stroke my cheek, and then her lips press onto their tracks. “That was Hathaway,” she whispers.