Page 60 of Born into Darkness

Simona notices and waits for Bran to look back over. When she’s sure he can see her, she says, “I’m going to learn to sign. I’m sorry I don’t know anything right now.”

Bran shakes his head and looks at me.Tell her she doesn’t have to,he signs.

I tell Simona, but she’s already shaking her head no. “Tell him that of course we’re going to learn. We all are.”

I interpret as Niki says, “I’ve already talked to our cousins. They want to learn it to.”

“We’re going to hire a tutor to help us,” Max’s dad says. He gives a soft laugh. “I’m getting older. I might not catch on as easily as the kids do.”

“Tell me about it,” my dad says with a grin. He points at my brothers and me. “They picked it up like it was nothing, but my brothers and I struggled with it. It was a little embarrassing to be outdone so easily by a couple of three-year-olds and a seven-year-old.”

“That sounds about right,” Max’s mom says. “All the kids picked up Russian and English without any trouble, but it took me years to learn Russian. They were baby-talking it like pros, and I could barely put together a sentence.” She laughs at the memory. “It was a good motivator to study harder.”

I sign everything to Bran as my eyes start to burn. They’re accepting my brother, not expecting him to just fade into the background like so many people would. It’s unreal how often Bran and I have been out and he’s just been completely ignored or looked over because he can’t hear.

Learning ASL isn’t easy. It takes hard work and a lot of time, but they’re not acting like it’s a burden. Hell, they seem excited about it. They want him to feel included because they know that our families are going to be joining together soon and they want to get to know my brother. They want him to be a part of their family, too. When I meet my mom’s eyes, they’re just as watery as mine.

I’ll be proud to call him my son-in-law, she signs, and my dad squeezes her thigh and gives her a smile.

Thank you, Bran signs, and when I tell them what it means, Niki mimics the movement.

He smiles and says, “One down, just a few thousand more to go. I actually found some great online programs and signed up for one. Maybe I’ll learn enough to have a small conversation soon.”

Bran nods and then takes out his phone, typing a message for Niki before handing it over. Niki grins and nods before typing something back. I know my brother’s just offered to give him a few lessons before he has to leave. Bran doesn’t typically put himself out there like that, and I know he’s doing it because he can see how much Max means to me.

“I think our families like each other,” Max whispers.

“I do, too. It helps that you saved my life. My dad instantly approved of you after that,” I whisper back.

Max smiles down at me. “That did work out nicely in my favor, but it’s you who saved me, and we both know it.”

I meet his gorgeous eyes and say, “I think we saved each other.”

He grins and kisses my forehead, and when I turn back to look at the others, I notice that both our moms are giving us big, sappy smiles. Max lets out a soft laugh and sinks back into the couch, holding me against him until I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.

I must fall asleep at some point, because the next thing I know, Max is whispering that I need to get some sleep in a real bed. My brain is still fuzzy, and I almost ask him if that’s an invitation to join him, but then my mom is wrapping an arm around me while my dad kisses me goodnight. Simona leads us down the hall that has Max’s bedroom, and she doesn’t even try to hide her smile when she opens the door right next to his and says, “We thought this spare room would work for you. There’s an attached bathroom, and your mom already unpacked your things in here, but let me know if you need anything else.”

Before she leaves, she gives me another hug and wishes me a goodnight. After she’s gone, my mom cups my face and looks me over.

“Are you okay?” she asks. “I know there’s a lot going on and that you’ve been through hell. We’re going to find you a really good therapist to talk to, and if you want to go home, we can leave tomorrow. Your dad and I want to do whatever is going to be best for you. If you want to stay here, we’re happy with that, too, but we know how much you love your home, and Max is more than welcome to join us, or you could just come back for a few weeks and then fly back here to see him.”

Her eyes study mine, worried and searching for the answers to all the questions she has. I give her a smile and say, “Relax, Mom. I really am fine, and I’d like to stay here, if that’s okay. I want to be here for Max as his hand heals.” And because she’s always been able to read me like an open book, I don’t bother hiding anything and add, “And I really don’t want to leave him.”

She gives me a very knowing smile and cups my face. “I knew you’d say that, but I wanted to ask anyway. We really like him. Your dad isn’t thrilled about losing you, but we all see the way you two look at each other.”

“Dad isn’t losing me, none of you are. I’m not sure how this is going to work, but I know that it will.”

She smiles and nods in agreement. “Of course we’ll make it work.” Looking around at the large room, she asks, “Do you need any help with anything?”

“No, I’m good. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m going to brush my teeth and crawl into bed.”

“Me too. I think we could all use a good night of sleep.” She gives me a big hug and kisses my cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you home. I was so scared, so afraid they’d hurt you.”

“I’m fine, Mom, I swear they didn’t touch me like that.”

I hear her quiet sob as she squeezes me tighter. “I couldn’t bear it if you had to go through that,” she whispers, and the pain in her voice goes beyond just worry. There’s something there, something buried deep within those words that she’s not telling me.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

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