Chapter 16
It was my last day in Lake Hill before I headed back to school. My parents were on their yearly trip out of the country. This year, they chose Rome. Daddy pulled some strings, allowing me to take my courses online while they were away. Instead of having a nanny, I stayed home with the triplets.
They just turned seven but acted like they were going on twenty-one.
It felt good to watch them, but after a while, breaking up the fights was a bit much.
Two boys and a girl, and they were exactly alike.
Brice, Brennon, and Alice were spoiled rotten, but I loved them to death.
I had just finished packing my things when the door to my room opened.
I turned to see one of the trio standing there sadly.
Where are you going? Brennon signed.
I have to go back to school, but I will be back. I promise. I responded as I walked over to him and gave him a tight hug.
Brennon was the youngest of the triplets by twenty-five minutes.
My mother said that with him being in there as long as he was, some of his abilities were affected, and one of them was his hearing.
Brennon was the only one who was deaf. Once my parents realized it, we all learned ASL to better accommodate his needs.
While the other two learned along with him.
A smile eased on my face because I began to think about the guy from the party who used sign language.
It was rare to see a guy like him doing it.
He had a hard exterior, but when he signed, his worries showed a softer side.
It could have been me overthinking it. The first person I thought about was my baby brother because in the future, it would be him too.
I knew I shouldn’t have been in the Cove, but my friends were in town for the Halloween weekend, and they talked me into going to that party.
I had to call the nanny for the night and pay her extra out of the money my parents had given me so that she wouldn’t say anything.
The only thing I was allowed to do outside of watching the trio was my dance classes and even that was a stretch because my mother and father felt like nothing was bigger than an education.
However, many professional dancers make a great deal of money.
I picked up my bags and headed downstairs. The sounds of tiny footsteps following me alerted me that Brennon was close. When I reached the bottom of the steps, Alice zoomed by, screaming as Brice chased her with his Halloween mask. “Slow down!” I yelled.
My phone vibrated with a text from Morgan telling me she wanted to hang out before I took off back to school.
Morgan and I were best friends. We met when her family moved into the neighborhood when she was seven, and years later, we were still close.
The only thing was that Morgan’s family believed in her dance career, as mine didn’t.
Morgan did not have to go to college, so instead she had been taking extra classes until she got a callback from one of the many auditions she had submitted for.
I shot her a quick text and told her I would meet her at the mall. It took another hour or so for my parents to show up. The trio squealed as they came through the door. “Mommy!” they yelled in unison.
She gave them a bright smile as she hugged them tightly. At the same time, I walked over to my dad and hugged him. “How was the trip?” I asked.
Honestly, the answer was always the same. They had a great time, and my mother racked up the credit cards. “We had a blast until your mother thought it was a good idea to max out the credit cards.” He chuckled.
I gave him a weak smile. “Well, you know, mommy, she loves to shop.”
“Now don’t go putting it all on me. I did buy you something, though,” she said as she began going through her bags.
My father played with Brice as he signed at Brennon. “Hope the trio didn’t give you any problems. I know you’re ready to go back to school. You know things get real now that the homecoming period is over with.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I missed the last few performances for the games watching the—”
My mother jumped in, holding a luxury bag. “Here! Hopefully, this makes up for it. Remember, dance is a plus, grades and exams are what’s important.”
They didn’t care that I missed my dance performances for the games.
I knew once I got back to TSU, it was going to be hell to pay.
Meanwhile, my parents were satisfied with knowing they were making me one step closer to getting kicked off the team.
I watched as they both signed at Brennon.
Oftentimes, I felt like Brennon, because although I could hear and talk.
I felt like my voice was hidden and went unheard, just as his.