Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

18. Brendon

I had to do some work in the morning, so I went out into my studio, leaving my girls asleep in the house. Sarah came into the studio about an hour later. She said John was expected around 9:30 and that Callie was still asleep.

"I wonder what her nightmare was about. She was spooked," I said.

"I don't know. She wouldn't say," Sarah said. 

Sarah went back into the house to make breakfast for herself.

Around 9:30, Callie texted me.

"John's here, Dad."

I smiled. 'Dad'. I'm a dad. I have a beautiful daughter.

I texted I'd be right in, finished up a couple of things and went inside.

We talked with John about the equipment and he and his assistant, technician, whatever, went and got to work installing things.

When it was time to install the light in Callie's room John asked her if she wanted to be in the room too. She said it was fine for them to go into her room without her. John reminded her she'd need to be around for when we set the sequences for each alert. She nodded.

We went around with John and into Callie's room. John thought installing the light by her bed was the most logical spot. The direction she'd most likely be facing at any given time.

Finally, it was time to set the sequences. I texted Callie to come upstairs and she texted back she'd be up in a minute. We waited.

I heard her feet on the stairs, as well as the sounds of paws climbing the stairs. Bogart and Callie came into her room.

"Okay, Callie," John said. "We're going to set the sequences. I'll set them and tell you what they're for."

Callie nodded. John and the technician started with the door alert in Callie's room. They set it to three pulses of light, as if someone was knocking.

John signed something at Callie and she nodded.

We all went downstairs and set the ones for the smoke detector, carbon monoxide, doorbell and even one in case the dogs started barking.

All told, John was there for almost three hours.

When he was done, he checked with Callie that she was clear on what was what, and she said she was.

John left and she texted asking what we were doing today.

'Mom and I have another sign language class. You can watch TV, read, go to the park, if you want.'

'I don't know where the park is,' Callie texted. 'Can I sit outside and read?'

'Sure, darling. Just please don't go near the pool without us. Okay?''

She nodded and went upstairs to grab a book and came back downstairs and went outside. Bogart followed her out.

Our instructor showed up on time and we started our lesson. We went over what she'd taught us already and she introduced some new signs that we learned to use in constricted sentences.

I thought we were coming along well. I hoped Callie did, too.

Once we were done our lesson, we called Callie in for lunch. Sarah made sandwiches, and Callie took one and sat and ate with us. We practiced our signs with her and actually managed something of a conversation. Callie smiled the whole time.

'Do we want to go out for dinner tonight?' I texted both Sarah and Callie.

Callie's face fell.

'We can try again,' I said. 'We won't go to the same restaurant, but I want to take you for sushi.'

Callie shrugged.

'Ok. I guess,' she texted.

We spent the afternoon in the pool again. Callie was a good swimmer and enjoyed herself.

Before we left for dinner, the two of us dried off and went upstairs to change.

Once we were all ready, we went into the car and to a restaurant that I thought Callie might find easier to manoeuvre in.

We pulled in and Callie looked skeptical. I pulled her to me and gave her a hug.

"It's okay," I signed.

We went in and were seated. The server handed me an iPad. The entire menu was on it and we'd order from that. Drinks as well. I showed Callie. She smiled and asked us about the different dishes.

In the end, we ordered her mostly vegetable and cooked foods, and she did try some actual raw fish. She made the funniest face and I had to take a picture.

When we got home, we sat to watch a movie.

'Callie,' I texted. 'We need to discuss school.'

'Ok,' Callie said.

'Where did you go before?'

'Regular hearing school.'

'How did That work out?'

'Ok. Sometimes they'd have an interpreter for me.'

'Would you want to go to school with other Deaf kids?' I asked.

Callie looked at me and shrugged.

'Do schools like that exist?' She asked.

'Of course they do,' I said. 'How did you learn sign?'

'My mom got us someone to teach us. My dad wouldn't learn. And I went to a preschool at the association for Deaf kids. Or kids with Deaf family.'

'But what about when you went to school?'

'My mom died before I started grade one. So the foster homes just sent me to the local school. Sometimes they helped.'

I frowned. Callie seemed to be very smart. How had she learned without proper education?

'Mom and I were thinking we could start looking at schools for you. I heard the Merton School is good.'

Callie shrugged. She didn't seem to care one way or the other.

'Why don't we make some appointments to see some schools?'

Callie shrugged again.