Page 62 of Surrender

"I am, aren't I?"

I pull out a chair for her while greeting Daniel and Harrison with a nod.

"Not quite, anymore, though," I whisper into the shell of her ear as she sits. I'm not a bachelor anymore, at least not in my mind. It takes her a minute to understand my meaning before a sweet blush creeps across her cheeks.

Daniel engages Serenity in small talk while I head to the bar to get a whiskey for me and a Shirley temple for her. After researching ADHD, we had a conversation about the link between low dopamine and substance abuse. She wondered if that wasn't a contributing factor to her mother's addictions. We haven't heard anything else about her sentencing or her condition, but Serenity knows I'll support her if she ever wants to rebuild a relationship with her parents. Sober, of course.

A tap on my shoulder has me spinning around to find my sister. With both hands full, I can't sign, but she can read lips.

"Hi," I mouth.

"Hi, twerp." She signs back. I may be a grown-ass man, but I'll always be her baby brother. Something she likes to remind me often.

I lift the drinks in apology and tilt my head to the table for her to follow me. Setting the drinks down, I make introductions. She knows Daniel and Harrison, but I have to translate her signing for them. She gives them each a kiss on the cheek before turning her entire attention to Serenity.

"You look gorgeous, tonight, Serenity."She signs.

"She says you..." I begin, but Serenity's already signing and saying. "Thank you, Maria. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Her sign language is slow and clunky, but I can't help but stare at her in shock.

She gives me a quick side-eye and blushes, while my sister beams.

Slowly, so Serenity can watch carefully, my sister signs. "Has Declan behaved himself?"

Serenity repeats the sign for "behaved" with a raised brow, asking for clarification. My sister simply laughs and fingerspells it.

And I watch the entire thing with my heart cleaving my chest in two. I mentioned in passing months ago that my sister was deaf. And Serenity learned ASL in case she ever met her. It's such a small, simple gesture, but it's more than anyone has ever done for me.

And as I watch the two most important women in my life talk to each other and laugh, I realize I'm in love with Serenity. Infatuated, attracted, needy, controlling, and so completely in love with the woman standing in front of me.

We need to talk. I need to tell her how I feel, to lay it all out on the line and pray she feels at all similar. I shake my head. It doesn't matter. I'll love her every day for the rest of my life, whether she ever loves me back or not. I just need to make sure she never leaves me and lets me love her for as long as I can. I'll convince her.

"Declan," a deep voice calls from behind me.

I turn to find my mother and father, standing together in black tie attire.

I stand and shake my father's hand while giving my mother a kiss on the cheek in greeting.

We don't have a terrible relationship, but they hate the fact that I opened The Envelope. They can't brag about their homosexual, deaf daughter or their sexual deviant of a son, no matter how successful I am.

My parents had children to have something more to brag about, to casually drop into conversation how accomplished or how wonderful or how easy we were. My parents exist for external validation, and justice is a cruel mistress. My sister, born deaf, and then later when he was out as a lesbian, was never a source of validation. My mother tried to play the 'woe-is-me' card about having a deaf daughter until another mother in her social circle put her in her place with her deaf sister.

I was born hearing, and a normal enough child, so they were able to weave creative stories about my accomplishments, intelligence, and easiness. That was until my fiancé died, and I opened a sex club. So now, both my sister and I are embodiments of creatures they created and spent money to keep alive only to become disappointments.

But we're in public, so I'll pretend I give a shit about them for appearances sake.

"Declan, it's so good to see you," my mother coos, while looking nonchalantly around us to see who might be listening.Even being featured as DC's most eligible bachelor wasn't enough of an accomplishment for them, because I earned my wealth on the back of a sex club, so clearly, I was an embarrassment.

"Mother, father, how good to see you." I can play the game as good as any of them.

But the instant the words are out of my mouth I can feel Serenity's gaze on me.

Maria taps Ser's elbow to get her attention and signs "mother and father."

Serenity nods and swallows nervously.

Alright then, time to meet the parents. I don't feel like a nervous teenager. I couldn't give a shit about what these two people think about me. They created me, gave birth to me, and that was about the extent of their parenting.

I motion to Serenity to come to me and she obeys beautifully. Yeah, I'm going to reward my good girl for that.

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