Page 12 of The Love Duet
“Well, she threatened him, so...”I shrugged.
Mom laughed.“Leave it to Pepper.”
“So, did he drive you home?”Dad asked.
I nodded.“When he pulled up to the house, we stayed in his car for a while, talking and getting to know each other.”I smiled.“He’s learning how to sign.He’s not very good, but he tries.He said that he’s been taking classes for a few months now.”
My mom’s hands came up to cover her gasp, her eyes watering immediately.Dad’s entire face softened, his eyes shining right at me.“He has, has he?”
I nodded at my dad again.“I think...”I shrugged.“I think it’s sweet.”
“It’s more than sweet,” Mom said after getting her emotions under control.“It’s admirable.”
“He asked if he could pick me up for school on Monday,” I told them.“I said that it’d be okay.”
“Good,” Dad said.“I’d like to meet this young man.”
“Don’t you have to be at the office before then?”I asked.
“I do,” he admitted.“However, I want to meet Royce Cameron more.”
“Okay,” I said.
My mom started clapping like a loon, and I had no idea why.Royce wasn’t the first boy to ever show interest in me, and I’d had boyfriends before.Two decent ones, but I’d met them both during my early years of taking ASL classes, and both boys had also been deaf.At the time, it had seemed easier to date someone who’d been dealing with the same struggles that I’d been, but it wasn’t long before I realized that I didn’t want easy.I wanted real, no matter how hard that might be.
“Okay, okay,” I teased.“Can we get back to our Saturday morning without Royce Cameron?”
Both my parents smiled, but Mom wasn’t giving up so easily.“Of course,” she said.“After I text your brother and tell him that you have a boyfriend.”
I shook my head, then went back to watching television.Before Mom had walked in, demanding answers for my smile, I’d just started a Halloween marathon.While I loved rom-com movies, sometimes I got burnt out on all that emotional drama.With scary movies, there was no drama.All you had was blood and guts, and sometimes that’s all a girl needed on a relaxing Saturday.
Halfway through the first movie, I got a text on my phone.Pepper was probably sleeping in, but she’d gotten all the answers to her questions last night.As soon as Royce had walked me to my door, then left, I’d been on the phone with Pepper.
AJ:Heard u have a bf?
I laughed.
Mom hadn’t been joking.
Me:Maybe.I don’t know 4 sure yet
AJ:Let me know when u do
Hopefully, I’d find out soon.
