Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

7. Callie

Brendon and Sarah asked me to teach them signs for food during dinner. No one had ever asked me that. I had fun teaching them. And they seemed to be having fun learning.

After dinner we cleaned up and discussed the next day. Sarah said she would come wake me up for breakfast and we talked about which stores to go to. Plus we were going to go to Home Depot for paint for my room. I was really excited. I just hoped this wasn't going to blow up like every other family I'd lived with.

Afterwards, Brendon suggested a movie we found one we agreed on and he made sure to turn on captions. It was nice. We could all enjoy the movie together, and Brendon even connected a small speaker so I could hold it and feel the vibrations when there was music or something. It was pretty incredible.

It had been a really busy and emotional day and I think I fell asleep watching the movie, because I woke up in my bed, and saw my phone was plugged in to charge and there was a paper on top of it. I sat up and read it.

'Dear Callie,

You fell asleep during the movie and we didn't have the heart to wake you up, so Brendon brought you upstairs and put you to bed.

There's shampoo and conditioner and body wash in your bathroom, but we can take you to get ones you might like better. There are towels in the closet in your bathroom if you want to take a shower.

If you wake up before us, feel free to explore the house. Remember - no back yard or studio without us.

Otherwise, think about what you'd like for your room and we'll go shopping later.

Welcome home, sweetheart.

Love,

Sarah and Brendon
(Mom and Dad, whenever, if you're ever, willing)

I smiled. Mom and Dad. That had a nice ring to it. They were really great so far. I thought maybe I'd teach them the signs for that.

I got out of bed and found my toothbrush and hair brush, went into the bathroom and found a towel and took a shower. They had a coconut smelling shampoo and conditioner and a vanilla smelling body wash. I came out of the shower smelling a bit like a cookie. I brushed my teeth and hair and went into my room to get dressed. I put on jeans and one of my new Panic! shirts and my Converse, then checked my phone.

Sarah - or should I say Mom? - had texted while I was in the shower.

'Good morning! I hear you in the shower. We're up, too. When you're dressed, come down for breakfast.'

I smiled. I think I'm going to like it here.

I took my phone off the charger and headed downstairs.

'Good morning, darling!' Brendon, I mean Dad, texted as I came into the kitchen. 'We have eggs, bacon and pancakes. What would you like?'

I thought for a second and signed pancakes and bacon. Let's see if they try to figure it out.

Brendon, ugh! Dad, mimicked me an looked at the food in front of him. He pointed at the pancakes and the bacon. I grinned and nodded. He got it!

Then I signed '2 pancakes, please,'. He put the two pancakes on the plate then pointed at the bacon. I put up four fingers. He took a bottle of syrup out of the fridge and then signed 'drink' and even made a face that showed he was asking a question.

I thought, and signed 'apple juice?' He looked at me quizzically and pulled out orange juice and pointed at it. I shook my head. He looked in the fridge again and pulled out cranberry juice. I shook my head again. He waved me over to see if I could show him what I wanted. I looked in the fridge and didn't see any apple juice. I signed 'no apple juice' and then texted that I'd been looking for apple juice. I took the carton of milk out and showed them the sign for milk, and then signed 'me milk drink' and gave a thumbs up.

Sarah, Mom, was watching and smiling.

She typed to me 'you like apple juice? We'll pick some up today.'

Dad touched my shoulder and showed me his phone. It was a confirmation for sign language classes. They'd be starting tomorrow! I grinned and hugged him.

'Thank you,' I signed. And then texted them.

'Thank you. ASL isn't easy to learn, but I really appreciate you're going to.' Dad hugged me back.

That was when I told them I was going to call them Mom and Dad. I pointed at Dad and did the sign for Dad. Then I pointed at Mom and did the sign for Mom. Dad got a bit teary eyed and started typing on his phone. Mine vibrated a second later.

'I looked up the sign for mom and dad last night, just curious. And I'm so happy you feel comfortable enough already to call us mom and dad. We are so happy to have you as our kid'

And then he hugged me again. I started crying. But because I was so happy. Dad held me away from him and looked at me curiously.

'What's wrong'? He typed.

'Nothing. I'm just really happy. Besides my mom, my first mom, no one has ever tried to learn to communicate in my language. When I taught you 'home' yesterday, you knew more sign language than all my foster parents combined.'

Mom came over and read what I'd written to Dad and pulled me into a hug too.

'Let's eat breakfast and get going. We have people coming over tonight. And stuff to get,' Mom said. In text.

I nodded and sat at the table to eat. Mom and Dad would point at things and I would show them the sign. They'd probably forget a few but I didn't care. I had parents and they both wanted to learn how to sign.