I carefully set my backpack on the floor next to the oxygen tank and climbed in beside Connor. He jerked awake as I buckled myself in and looked around sleepily.

“Hi, buddy,” I said with a smile. “Sorry to wake you up.”

He didn’t respond. He put his head on my lap instead and was out again in a matter of seconds.

When we got to the house, I had to gently coax Connor from the car while he struggled to keep his eyes open, unsteady on his feet. Mom carried the oxygen tank and my backpack, one step behind us as Connor leaned heavily against me while I led him into the house. Melissa had texted me about Beau again, but I didn’t reply. There was only one hearing boy in my life I cared about, and it wasn’t the one with dimples and green eyes.

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

On Friday, Mom took a half day at work and came home early, leaving the car up for grabs. I figured it might just have been the universe’s way of telling me I needed to go to the student club fair after school.

I’d told Beau that maybe I would come. Well, maybe this was the motivation I’d been waiting for.

Mom straightened up where she sat at the kitchen table pouring over some work documents when I signed, HEY, at her, followed by, BORROW CAR?

She looked equal parts suspicious and excited when she signed, WHY?

I had to fight to keep back the frustrated sigh threatening to break loose while I signed, STUDENT EVENT . . . THING. FOR SCHOOL.

Mom spent about thirty seconds signing, YAY! with such a happy smile on her face it was a wee bit difficult not to start feeling better about my decision to go to this thing at Engelmann in the first place.

WITH FRIEND? she signed in question, leaning forward with interest.

I had to take a second to think about that. I decided that ultimately, yes, I could call Nina a friend. She’d done so much to make me feel welcome at Engelmann—even if she didn’t know half the signs Beau seemed to have picked up in two weeks—and she hadn’t even batted an eyelash when she heard me use my voice for the first time, which was a major thing for me.

So I signed, YES, to Mom, but quickly added, I THINK.

This time she signed, YAY! for about a minute straight.

I was smiling and groaning in exasperation. If nothing else, at least my mother was thrilled I was being somewhat social now since the move.

NOT STAY LATE, I signed to Mom as I grabbed the car keys from her purse on the chair next to her.

MAYBE YOU GO WITH BROTHER? Mom signed, jabbing a thumb toward the living room where Connor lay sprawled out on the couch.