by Sandi Lynn
“We were and he wouldn’t listen or accept what I was telling him. He just got angrier when I told him I didn’t want it. He can’t respect my decision.”
“Listen, Ellie, I love you. But he does have a point. Technology is more advanced since you last had it done twenty-two years ago.”
“Oh, so now you think I should get it?”
“I don’t know. It’s up to you, and only you can make that decision. You were never the type of person to let other people influence you. It’s late, go get some rest and in the morning, you’ll have a clearer head, and you can go back home and talk to him once you’ve both calmed down.”
I threw myself on the bed in her guestroom and stared up at the ceiling. I had never been an impulsive person, but in this case, I did an impulsive thing. Grabbing my phone, and without any thought, I booked a flight to California. I needed to get out of the city and away from everyone.
Chapter 37
Ellie
I snuck out of my mom’s apartment in the middle of the night and stayed at the airport until my flight boarded at 5:30 a.m. As soon as the plane landed and I was in the cab on my way to the Malibu house, I turned on my phone and found I had a few text messages from Henry.
“Please come home so we can talk.”
“Why are my messages being sent as text messages instead of iMessage’s? You better not have blocked me, Ellie. That’s really immature.”
“????????”
“Damnit, Ellie. Answer me!”
“I didn’t block you. My phone was off. I don’t want to talk to you right now. When I’m ready I will.”
“That’s not fair. We need to talk.”
“No! What’s not fair is you no longer wanting to accept me for who I am!”
“Oh my God. That is not true! Stop being a spoiled brat!”
“A spoiled brat? Now you’re blocked, asshole!”
I inserted the key into the lock, opened the door and immediately punched in the alarm code to turn the alarm off. As angry as I was at him, a sense of peace washed over me as I stood in the house. After taking my suitcase upstairs, I opened the closet, changed into a sundress, and went down to the beach.
Henry
I couldn’t believe she was behaving the way she was. She totally took everything I’d said out of context. I never should have brought it up, but I felt as if I had to. It was the one thing I didn’t know about her, and I wanted to know everything. I figured it would be a sensitive subject, but I had no idea it would escalate into her leaving the penthouse.
I had Christian drive me over to her mom’s apartment. When Dani opened the door, I wasn’t prepared for what she’d told me.
“Hi, Dani. I need to see Ellie.”
“Come on in, Henry. Ellie isn’t here.”
“What do you mean? She said she was coming here last night.”
“She did, but when I woke up this morning, she was gone and so was her suitcase.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. I tried to text her, but my messages wouldn’t go through.”
“I spoke with her earlier and she said she had her phone off. But she didn’t say she wasn’t here.”
“I really wish you would have talked to me first before bringing up the cochlear implant to her,” she said.
“I didn’t plan on talking to her about it last night, but when we were at the fundraiser, I could tell she was overwhelmed. If she had the implant, she could engage more, and it wouldn’t be so hard for her.”
“You mean it wouldn’t be so hard on you to see it.” Her brow arched.
“Why does everyone think I want this for me? I want it for her.”
“I know you do. I’ve wanted it for her for so many years. When she had the first implant, it was such a struggle. She became a depressed and a withdrawn child. But the moment that implant malfunctioned and the doctor’s removed it, she was back to her old self. It doesn’t matter what we want, Henry. We can’t let our wants be for our own selfish reasons. It’s what Ellie wants that truly matters.”
“I know that, Dani. I feel like such an asshole for even bringing it up.”
“Well, you’re not. You were expressing your feelings and she expressed hers. You can’t fight her on this matter. So, you either surrender or you’ll possibly lose her.”
“I need to know where she went.”
“Check with Joni and Pete. Maybe she went over there.”
“Thanks. I will.” I kissed her cheek.
After checking with Joni, I found out she wasn’t there, and panic settled inside me. Where the hell did she go? As I sat in the back of the limo, I called Addison.
“Hey, big bro. What’s up?”
“Hey, sis. You haven’t by chance heard from Ellie, have you?”
“Uh, no. Why? Did something happen?”
“We got into an argument last night and she took off.”
“Nice, Henry. What the hell did you do?”
“It’s complicated, and I need to find her. She said she was going to her mom’s apartment, and she did. But Dani said when she woke up this morning, Ellie was gone and so was her suitcase.”
“My guess is she probably hopped on a plane and headed to Malibu to get away from your dumb ass.”
“Shit. I didn’t even think about Malibu. Do you think she would actually do that? She didn’t pack much.”
“Don’t the two of you keep a closet full of clothes there?”
“Yeah. We do. We keep just about everything there.”
“This sounds pretty serious if she got on a plane after an argument. What was it about?”
“I asked her if she ever thought about getting a cochlear implant.”
“Nice, Henry. Now you’re trying to change who she is?”
I could sense the attitude in her tone, and I wasn’t in the mood.
“No, Addison. I’m not. It was a question which escalated into a huge fight.”
“Well, you better find her and make things right. Listen, I love you and everything, but I’m on my way to class for a mid-term. Keep me updated.”
“I will. Thanks, sis.”
After ending the call, I had thought about how my parents had been in California for the past two weeks vacationing with some friends of theirs. Bringing up my contact list, I gave my father a call.
“Hello, son.”
“Hey, Dad. I need you to do me a huge favor.”
“What do you need?”
“Can you go over to my house in Malibu and see if Ellie is there? It’s only about an hour drive from where you’re at.”
“I know where Malibu is, son. What happened?”
“We got into a fight last night and she left. I can’t seem to find her in New York, and I don’t want to hop on a plane if she’s not there. I’m really worried.”
“Did you text her?”
“Yeah, and she blocked me.”
“Oh boy.” He sighed. “Your mother and I are just finishing up our golf game at the country club. We’ll head over there soon.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Chapter 38
Ellie
I had placed an order for some groceries since I didn’t feel like going out. When the light in the kitchen flashed and signaled someone had rang the doorbell, I assumed it was my grocery order. But I was wrong when I opened the door and saw Carlyle standing there.
“Hello, Ellie.” He smiled as he signed.
“Carlyle. I forgot you were in California. I’m guessing Henry sent you here?”
“You are correct. May I come in?”
“Yes, of course. Where’s Lillian?”
“She was going to come, but she has a bad migraine. We were at the country club playing golf when it came on. Henry didn’t give me any details about what happened between the two of you, so how about you fill me in? It must be pretty serious for you to hop on a plane across the country to get away from him.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it. Can I get you something
to drink? I just made some fresh lemonade.”
“That sounds good.” He smiled. “But I didn’t drive all the way out here for you not to tell me what happened,” he signed.
I poured him a glass of lemonade and handed it to him. The light in the kitchen flashed again.
“That’s my grocery order. I’ll be right back.”
“You stay here,” he signed. “I’ll bring them in.”
He set the few bags on the counter and went out onto the patio. As soon as I finished putting the groceries away, I poured myself some lemonade and joined him outside.
“Henry wants me to get a cochlear implant,” I said as I sat down in the lounge chair next to him.
“Interesting. And I suppose you don’t want one?”
“I explained to him that I had one when I was seven and it malfunctioned, so they had to remove it. I never wanted one again after that.”
“Why? Because you’re more comfortable living in a world of silence?” he signed. “I’ll admit, it’s less scary that way. You can’t hear thunderstorms, people yelling and screaming, ambulances, cop cars, firetrucks, or all the noises of the city. I guess it would be pretty peaceful to live like that. Being deaf is your safety net from all the chaos in the world.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” I said.
“Then what’s your reason for not wanting the implant besides the bad experience you had twenty some years ago? Does being deaf define the person you are? Because if it does, then okay.”
“No. Of course not.”
“So then what’s the big deal if medical technology can help you hear?”
“Like I told Henry, I would be in between worlds. The deaf world and the hearing world.”
“Sweetheart, you’ll always be deaf, even with the implant. That won’t change that fact, but it will give you access to sounds that you, right now, can’t hear at all. You’ll have the best of both worlds because you can take the damn thing off whenever you want. If you don’t want to hear something, bam. If you do, put it back on. Do you know what I would give to be able to turn off my hearing sometimes? Especially when I have to sit and listen to Lillian? That’s like a superpower.”
I let out a laugh.
“But seriously, I think what rattled you the most was the fact that the man you love brought it up. You feel like he wants to change you. Am I right?”
“Something like that.”
“I get it. I can see how you’d feel that way. I have this friend. His name is Raphael, and we grew up together. For years, he was way overweight, and he always had been since we were kids. He married the woman of his dreams, and they were happy. We met for lunch one day and he told me that his wife, Candace, had talked to him about how he might want to lose some weight and that he was seriously thinking about it. I asked him why and he said as much as he loved his life as it was, he knew that just by losing some pounds, it could be a little bit better. He could do more things and he’d be healthier. What I’m saying is his wife saw the struggles he had with certain things and threw the idea out there. She wasn’t trying to change him. She loved him exactly how he was. Henry fell in love with the woman you are. He didn’t fall in love with you because you’re deaf. Deaf or not, he still would have fallen in love. If he’d met you, and you had hearing and then went deaf, that would change nothing for him. Just some food for thought.” He gave me a wink as he held out his hand to me.
“Thank you, Carlyle.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. He’s on his way here, just so you know. I sent him a text message while you were putting the groceries away, and I will not apologize for that.”
“I figured as much.” I smiled.
“I need to get back to Lillian and make sure she’s okay,” he signed as he got up from the lounge chair.
“Tell her I hope she feels better.”
“I will.” He kissed my cheek.
As I walked him to the front door, he stopped and looked at me.
“There’s a new world out there waiting for you, kid. Not a lot of people get that opportunity. Think about that.”
After I shut the door, I went into the kitchen, grabbed my phone, and texted my mom.
“I’m sorry I left. I’m in Malibu at the beach house, and I’m fine.”
“I know. Henry called me when he found out. He knew I’d be worried.”
“I have to go, Mom. I have a lot of thinking to do before he gets here.”
I went upstairs and laid down on the bed for I was tired from the flight. Not to mention being in the airport all night. Closing my eyes, I fell asleep.
Chapter 39
Henry
When I arrived at the house, my first thought was she went down to the beach. When I didn’t see her, I went upstairs and stood in the doorway of the bedroom as she was asleep on the bed. Relief washed over me that she was safe. I took a seat on the edge of the bed, leaned in, and softly brushed my lips against hers. Her eyes slowly opened, and a soft smile graced her face when she saw me.
“Hi,” I said as I pushed a few strands away from her face.
“Hi.”
“Are you okay?” I signed.
“I’m fine.”
She sat up and I immediately wrapped my arms around her, pulled her into me and held her tight.
“I’m sorry,” she spoke.
I broke our embrace and smiled.
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” I signed. “I never meant—”
“I know, Henry. You don’t need to apologize. I never should have overreacted. Your dad was here earlier.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that,” he signed as he bit down on his bottom lip.
“No. Don’t be. We had a great talk. He helped me see things differently.”
His eye steadily narrowed at me.
“Are you sure we’re talking about my father?”
She playfully slapped my chest and let out a laugh.
“He’s a wise man.”
“If you say so.” I arched my brow at her. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.” She smiled.
“Next time you feel the need to run off, can you pick somewhere a little closer? Like, maybe the Hamptons?”
“Can you buy a house there, so I have a place to run to?”
“Definitely.” I grinned as I kissed her lips.
We spent the next couple hours in bed having sex and talking. It felt good to be back in California since New York was getting very cold. We climbed out of bed, got dressed, made some dinner, and then headed down to the beach to take a walk as the sun was getting ready to set. While we were walking hand in hand, I stopped, pulled the engagement ring I’d bought her from my pocket, and got down on one knee. The moment she saw the ring, she placed her hands over her mouth. I had been waiting for the perfect time to ask her and I’d felt this was it.
“This ring is a symbol of my eternal love and commitment. I love you so much, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Will you marry me, Ellie,” I signed.
“Yes, Henry! I’ll marry you!” She beamed with excitement as she held out her left hand and I slipped the three-carat diamond on her finger.
Standing up, I swooped her in my arms and spun her around as our lips locked in a passionate kiss.
We spent a few days in California before we headed back to New York. As much as we wanted to tell our family and friends about our engagement, we both agreed we wanted to do it in person, so we hosted a dinner at the penthouse for our family and friends. Since mid-terms were over, Addison was able to come home, which made me happy.
After changing my clothes, I went into the kitchen and found Ellie rushing around.
“What is she doing?” I asked Delilah.
“She’s making sure everything is perfect.” She sighed.
“You’re making me nervous,” I signed. “Let’s go into the living room and let Delilah work her magic.”
“Okay. Sorry, Delilah.” She glanced at her.
“It’s okay, Ellie. It will
be a wonderful night. Don’t worry.”
After we shared a wonderful meal with our family and friends, Ellie went upstairs to retrieve her ring.
“Can everyone gather around,” I said. “There’s something we need to tell you,” I spoke. “Ellie.”
“We’re getting married!” she shouted as she held out her hand.
Everyone was shocked as they congratulated us with hugs and kisses.
“Now this one, I agree with,” Frankie said as he patted my back.
“Congrats, bro.” Ben smiled as he shook my hand. “You two are a beautiful couple.”
“Thanks, man.” I hugged him.
I glanced over at Ellie who was in the grips of my mother. Only this time, she had a bright smile on her face.
“Congratulations, son,” my dad said as he gave me a hug.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Looks like we have a wedding to plan. You are going through with it this time, right?”
I let out a chuckle. “Yes. You know I am. By the way, thank you for talking with Ellie. I really appreciate it, even though she wouldn’t tell me what you said.”
“That’s because it’s between her and I. You don’t need to know, son. All you need to do is love her and take care of her for the rest of your life.”
“I’m going to.”
“And the two of you better give me some grandchildren. I’m not seeing that anytime soon from your sister.”
“I’m sure we will, Dad. We both want kids.”
“Well hurry it up. Your mother and I aren’t getting any younger.” He gave me a wink.
“Congrats, big brother.” Addison threw her arms around me.
“Thanks, sis. How is everything going with you and Jack?”
“Great. I think he’s the one.” She grinned.
“I think so too.” I pulled her into me.
“Um, did Ellie tell you what dad said to her?”
“No. Did she tell you?”
“No. The only thing she said was they had a really deep conversation. Is that even possible with him?”
