The Loving Silence

Chapter 6

When Rick reached the bottom of the staircase, he looked shattered. But the guys figured it was because he had heard the pot falling and was disappointed in them. Little did they know that that was nowhere close to where his mind was at in that moment.

"What happened?" he urged them, using the voice he only used when asserting himself as their boss.

"I bumped into the... and then the... it broke," Arlo confessed, deeply ashamed.

Rick grimaced. He hadn't referred to that, in fact he had forgotten all about that noise that heard earlier. But when his eyes wandered behind them, he was beside himself. He saw what had fallen, and despite their best efforts, it was indeed broken beyond repair. It was the pot that Rue had spoken animatedly about the last time they met. The one that he had worked on for so long. The design had come to him in a dream, and he was sure it had a special significance. He felt so connected to it that he did not intend to sell it. It was too big for his shelves and too important to him to separate with. He wanted to think carefully about how he was to design it further with colours or texture or if he ought to keep it as is. Because to him, it had to be perfect. He loved that piece.

This day really couldn't get any worse. It's true what they say: when it rains, it really fucking pours. He dragged a hand across his face, knowing he had to figure this out. Rick picked up his phone and called his wife. He knew she had a very widespread friend circle, and he wanted to ask her if she knew someone who could help.

"Hi, love. I have a problem."

They spoke for a while, and the others stood there, barely daring to breathe, expecting him to scream at them, at best. Or, if worse came to worst, fire them, which at the moment seemed more likely.

After 10-15 minutes, he hung up, and he seemed to look a little relieved. But none of them dared trust that that was how he really felt, so it was too soon to relax.

"Regarding the pot. My wife happened to know someone who studied pottery in Japan. Over there, when something is broken, they fill in the cracks with gold and deem that piece to be more precious than the others. They see the broken one as a gift of sorts." He shook his head as he continued, "Think what we will of that, but my wife's friend has learned that technique of mending, if you will, and according to my wife, he can put together just about anything. Now, he may not require a fee, but if he does, it will be divided between all of you and deducted from your paychecks. Understood?"

Rick was very authoritative, and there was no way to disagree with him when he asserted himself like that. Not that they would. They wanted to make this right for Rue.

"Understood,", They all said at the same time, except for Austen, who nodded.

"Now then, back to more important matters. I need you to tell me quickly, and I need you to tell me now. What happened earlier?"

When they were done explaining, Rick wasn't feeling any better about the situation. He was still upset with Arlo and he would need to speak with him alone back at the restaurant, or in the car on the way back, he hadn't decided yet. But what made him more concerned at this moment was what Rue had admitted to the others. First, he knew sign language. That in itself wasn't a big deal, but it made Rick feel like he didn't know Rue as well as he thought he did. He hadn't done as good a job as he thought in making Rue trust him. But what worried him the most was what Rue had let slip about his childhood. He said that he hadn't started talking until he was five. It was an eye-opening reminder. Whatever had happened to Rue in the past, it ran a lot deeper than he had previously let on.

Something caused Rue to be mute for his first five years, and whatever it was, Rick knew that something or someone must have hurt him badly. Had it been anyone else, he'd think it was simply due to being late in development, but knowing it was Rue... Perhaps it was because Rick was becoming a father soon, but the thoughts that came to mind of what could have happened to make Rue grow up like that, without speaking... Or perhaps daring to speak. It broke his heart and made him feel incredibly protective over him. Even more than usual.