You made me believe again

Chapter 1

Alexia woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring. Groaning, she reached out to silence it, her hand fumbling clumsily in the darkness of her room. As she blinked her eyes open, she realized she was greeted not by the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee, but by the dull ache in her knee, a constant reminder of her recent injury.

Dragging herself out of bed, Alexia shuffled towards the kitchen, her movements slow and uncoordinated. It was only when she reached for the coffee jar that she remembered – she had run out of coffee the previous evening. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the countertop, rubbing her temples in annoyance.

"Great, just great," she muttered to herself, the lack of caffeine already starting to take its toll on her mood. With a resigned sigh, she realized she would have to venture out to the cafe down the street if she wanted her morning fix.

Grumbling under her breath, Alexia quickly got dressed, wincing slightly as she struggled to pull on her jeans over her bandaged knee. Every movement was a reminder of her injury, a constant presence that seemed to weigh her down.

Hobbling into the cafe on her crutches, Alexia's irritation was palpable. The ache in her knee seemed to intensify with each step, mirroring the frustration building up inside her. She scanned the crowded space, her eyes settling on a blonde woman standing at the ordering line. The woman seemed lost in thought, not moving to place her order, which only fueled Alexia's annoyance.

Approaching the woman, Alexia cleared her throat impatiently, expecting her to snap out of her reverie and make way for the queue to move forward. However, the woman turned to her with a puzzled expression, her blue eyes flickering with confusion.

"Can I help you?" the woman signed, her hands moving gracefully as she communicated.

Caught off guard, Alexia's frown deepened. She glanced at the woman's ears and noticed the small hearing aids tucked behind her lobes. Suddenly, Alexia's irritation shifted to bewilderment. Why wasn't the woman responding verbally? And why was she gesturing towards a notepad on the counter?

Realization dawned on Alexia as she connected the dots. The woman was deaf, and the notepad was her means of communication. Feeling a pang of guilt for her earlier impatience, Alexia picked up the notepad and pen, hastily scribbling down her order.

"Large black coffee," she wrote, handing the notepad back to the woman.

The woman smiled warmly, taking the notepad and nodding in acknowledgment. She gestured for Alexia to wait as she turned to place the order with the barista, her movements fluid and confident despite the lack of sound.

As Alexia watched the woman, a sense of admiration welled up inside her. Despite facing a communication barrier that many would find daunting, the woman navigated the world with grace and determination. Alexia couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at her resilience.

When the woman returned with Alexia's coffee, she handed her the notepad once again, a questioning look in her eyes. Alexia hesitated for a moment before scribbling a message of thanks.

"Thank you," she wrote, her handwriting slightly shaky.

The woman's smile widened, and she gave Alexia a thumbs-up before turning to attend to the next customer. As Alexia hobbled away from the counter, crutches clutched tightly in hand, she couldn't shake off the feeling of gratitude that filled her heart.

The encounter with the deaf woman had softened Alexia's grumpy demeanor, replacing it with a newfound sense of humility and appreciation. As she settled into a corner booth with her coffee, she reflected on the lesson she had learned – that kindness and understanding transcended language barriers, and that sometimes, it took a simple gesture to bridge the gap between strangers.

Sitting in the corner booth of the cafe, Alexia nursed her coffee, her mood still grumpy despite the caffeine infusion. She scrolled through her phone absently, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of her injury and the recent breakup with her girlfriend. The chatter of other patrons around her seemed distant, mere background noise to her troubled thoughts.

Lost in her own world, Alexia didn't notice the deaf woman approaching until she felt a tap on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to see the woman standing beside her, a notepad in hand. Confusion flickered across Alexia's face as she tried to comprehend what the woman wanted.

"Is everything alright?" the woman wrote on the notepad, her expression kind and concerned.

"I'm fine," Alexia wrote on the notepad, though the words felt hollow even to her.

The woman studied her for a moment before scribbling another message.

"Are you sure? You seem upset," she wrote, her penmanship neat and precise.

Alexia sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for burdening a stranger with her problems. But there was something comforting about the woman's presence, a sense of understanding that she couldn't quite explain.

"It's just been a rough day," Alexia admitted, her fingers hesitating over the keys of her phone.

The woman nodded sympathetically, her eyes filled with empathy. And then, to Alexia's surprise, she gestured towards the notepad, offering it to her.

"Is there anything else you'd like?" she wrote, a small smile playing on her lips.

Alexia blinked in surprise, touched by the woman's gesture of generosity. Despite her initial grumpiness, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards this stranger who had taken the time to reach out to her.

"Another coffee, please," Alexia wrote on the notepad, handing it back to the woman with a grateful smile.

The woman nodded, her smile widening as she took the notepad and headed towards the counter. As Alexia watched her go, a wave of warmth washed over her, replacing the heaviness in her heart with a glimmer of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, today wasn't so bad after all. And perhaps, in the kindness of strangers, she could find solace and comfort amidst the chaos of her own emotions.