My mind was still whirring, trying to process everything, so a lot of what Nina was trying to tell me was completely flying over my head. But of course Mom was somehow involved with this belated birthday present.

DON’T UNDERSTAND, I signed, and Melissa just signed back, HAPPY! and jabbed a finger at me as if to say just go with it!

That was something I could definitely do, because it didn’t really matter in the end, did it? Two of my best friends were here with me, and so was my boyfriend. I was going to have to soak up as much time with them as I possibly could.

When I looked over at Beau he was smiling, dimples flashing, and I felt my stomach do one of those stupid flips. Funny that we’d been together a year now and his smile still got to me.

“Are . . . happy?” he asked, tucking a strand of my hair carefully behind my ear, making sure not to get it tangled around my hearing aid.

“Well, duh!” I said, fighting the urge to pull all three of them in for a lame group hug.

WE THINK BETTER BIRTHDAY GIFT, Beau signed to me, and immediately I knew what he was getting at.

Last year’s birthday “gift” didn’t even come close to this one. This one was much better. After that little heart-to-heart we had in the hallway at Engelmann, Beau and I hadn’t once discussed cochlear implants, and I think we both wanted to keep it that way. We were on equal footing now, no matter my deafness or his hearing.

YES, I agreed, breaking into a smile of my own.

Nina stepped up and signed to us that we were supposed to be meeting my mom and Connor at the nearby Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I wound up squished between Melissa and Beau in the backseat of the car after I jogged back up to the clinic to say good-bye to Liz.

I kept one hand curled around Beau’s as Nina pulled out of the parking lot, but I couldn’t stop looking at him or Melissa. Two of my most important people had just met, and knowing their lively personalities, they’d be friends as well in no time.

And now two different parts of my life—Deaf and hearing—were connecting even more.

CUTE, Melissa was signing to me, nodding toward Beau. He was purposefully looking out the window, but I caught him grinning. SIGN GOOD.

GOOD TEACHER, I signed, gesturing at myself.

Melissa cracked a smirk and I knew she was starting to giggle. MAYBE FIND HEARING BOY MYSELF, she signed, and she pretended to give Beau a longing look as she batted her eyelashes.

MINE, I signed with a huff, though I knew she was just teasing.

I KNOW, Melissa signed, giving me a playful nudge. HAPPY FOR YOU.