Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

106. Brendon

"Callie has about ten percent hearing in one ear and five percent in the other," I explained to my parents when we got home. Sarah, Callie and I sat them down to discuss this. "Now, at the end of the day, the decision is 100% Callie's. The doctor said she might benefit some from
hearing aids, but that will be her decision. We just want you both to know where we're at and what we're discussing. Not that you don't get an opinion, but Callie gets the final say."

I smiled at my daughter while my parents took in what I'd just told them.

My dad got up and walked away from the table without saying a word. Callie looked at me with such sadness in her eyes. I shrugged. I didn't know what my dad was up to.

A couple of minutes later, he came back downstairs with a book and a card. He put the card in front of Callie and sat down, holding the book on his lap so we couldn't see it. Now I was curious.

Callie opened the card and a piece of folded paper fell out. She picked it up and opened it. It was a printed page from a web page from the Hearing Society. Callie frowned at it, then read it. I read over her shoulder. It was a list of groups for grandparents with deaf grandchildren to get support and learn sign language together. In Las Vegas. And one was circled with a smiley face beside it.

Callie opened the card again and started reading. Again, I read over her shoulder.

"Our dearest Callie,

Granny and I know you're concerned about your hearing test. We know you're scared your parents would want to give you back to the Children's Home but we're not sure why since they are so hopelessly in love with you (it's a little nauseating if you ask me 🤪)."

I looked at my dad and he winked. Callie was smiling.

"What I can tell you is that you are a Urie. Through and through. It doesn't matter how you came to us. It doesn't matter what your past has held. You're a Urie. And this family does what it can to support each other.

Granny and I, your PopPop, have signed up for a group back home where we can learn sign language and talk with other people who are lucky enough to have Deaf grandchildren and get to learn about a whole new community.

I doubt we will ever get as fluent as we'd like but we're going to try. We also bought a book to help us learn when we aren't learning with other people.

You are so loved, Callie Urie.

Love, Granny and PopPop."

Callie's eyes filled with tears again. To be honest, so did mine. My parents have always been amazingly supportive.

Callie jumped up and ran to my father, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her onto his lap after moving the book onto the table and hugged my daughter tight to him.

I looked at the book.

'The Joy of Signing,'.

My dad showed it to Callie.

"The lady at the bookstore said it's a good one to use to supplement lessons," my dad said, which I signed for Callie.

She shrugged and nodded. And hugged my dad again. She turned to my mom and hugged her, too.

"We love you very much, Callie," my mom signed.

"I love you, too," Callie responded.

With that out of the way, my parents and Callie started going through the book they'd bought. Callie would show them the sign they were trying. It was adorable.

With Callie being on her Christmas break from school, we were more lax about bedtimes and routines. We stayed up watching movies with her and her grandparents.

A couple of days had passed since the hearing test and we didn't push Callie to make a decision on getting hearing aids. We made it clear to her that it was 100% her decision and we would support whatever she decided.

That afternoon as we were lounging around the back yard, she came up to me and sat on the foot of my lounger where I was relaxing after having been in the pool.

"Dad?" She signed. I sat up and smiled at her. She looked a little nervous.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I think," she started. "Maybe I want to try hearing aids. But I'm afraid if I do and I don't like them you and Mom will be mad."

"Callie," I smiled. "If you want to try them and they don't work out, that's okay. Like we said, it's 100% your choice."

She smiled shyly at me and we made a note to call the doctor in the morning. It wasn't something that couldn't wait a little while.

I gave her a hug, ruffled her wet hair and smiled at her.

"Go swim with PopPop," I smiled, my dad waving to Callie from the pool. She smiled and nodded, going back into the pool. She cannonballed, splashing my dad in the face. He looked at her with a stern look when she surfaced, but even Callie could tell it wasn't a real stern look. Both of them broke down into laughter.

"She's so special, Brendon," my mom said, coming to sit beside me. I was texting the doctor to get the hearing aids we'd looked at ordered.

"She really is," I said as I sent off the text and approvals. "And I think she's starting to finally realize we have no plans to get rid of her."

"You even consider that for a second and your father and I will be up here to take her home with us so fast, your heads will spin," my mom smiled at me.

Sarah brought lunch out to the back and we all sat and ate and chatted. A text came through telling me we could bring Callie to be fitted for her hearing aids on the day after tomorrow, since tomorrow was Christmas. Callie had no idea what she was about to get.  I was hoping this would be her best Christmas ever.

Somehow we convinced Callie to go to bed a little earlier than she had been, but it took some negotiation. Once we were sure she was asleep, Sarah and I, with my parents brought Callie's Christmas gifts downstairs and carefully placed them under the tree.  Penny Lane and Bogart sniffed at them for a few minutes.

"There's nothing in there for you two," I laughed.

Smiling at the pile of presents under the tree, I put my arm around my wife and kissed the side of her head.

"She's going to be so overwhelmed," Sarah smiled up at me.

"At least it'll be a good overwhelmed," I said.

My parents said good night to us and headed upstairs.  We followed a few minutes later, checking in on Callie, who was asleep.

I couldn't wait to see the look on her face in the morning.