Page 281 of Champagne Nights

“Exactly! It’s my choice.” I pushed my finger into my chest.

I saw his lips moving as he turned away from me. Grabbing his arm, I turned him around.

“You know you can’t turn away from me when you’re talking! What the hell did you just say?”

“If you had the implant, you would have heard what I said,” he signed and walked out of the bedroom.

I stood in the middle of the room as anger and hurt consumed me. It felt as if the walls were caving in, and I couldn’t breathe. I grabbed my suitcase from the closet and threw some clothes into it. Henry walked back into the room and lightly took hold of my arm.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going to stay with my mom. I can’t be here with you right now!”

“So you’re just going to run instead of talking about it?” he signed.

“There’s nothing to talk about! What don’t you understand? I am who I am, and you’re trying to change me.”

“I am not trying to change you, Ellie. I’m trying to help you.”

“I don’t need help, Henry! Nothing is wrong with me!”

“Fine. Go to your mom’s then.” He threw his hands up in the air and walked out of the room.

Tears started streaming down my face as I grabbed my phone and got an Uber. After zipping my suitcase, I took it from the bed, grabbed my laptop, went downstairs, and walked out the door. It was late, so I texted my mom to let her know I was coming over instead of just showing up.

“I’m on my way over. Can I stay with you? Henry and I got into a fight, and I left.”

“Of course, you can. What did you fight about?”

“I’ll tell you when I get there.”

The moment I stepped through the door of her apartment, tears streamed down my face. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me for a few moments before we started to talk.

“What happened?”

“Henry wants me to get a cochlear implant.”

“Oh. Did you tell him you tried that already?”

“Yes. But he wouldn’t stop going on and on about modern technology and how things are different now. He wants me to be able to hear him.”

“In all honesty, honey, I was waiting for that, and I think you were too.”

“He’s trying to change me and change who I am.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t think he’s trying to change you.”

“He actually compared my deafness to cancer and broken bones.”

“I don’t think he meant it the way you took it.”

“Are you being serious right now? Why are you defending him?!”

“I’m not defending him. But you can’t just run away, Ellie. The two of you need to talk about how you both feel about it.”

“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.”

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