Unspoken

Chapter 5

Mia stared out the window of the car, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"You're nervous," Jake signed after catching her attention.

"Is it that obvious?" she signed back, offering a tight smile.

"They'll love you," he reassured her. "Just be yourself."

Mia nodded but didn't reply. She was confident in most situations, but meeting Jake's family felt monumental. For starters, anybody would be nervous, but Mia remembered how he had said that they were hearing, unfamiliar with Deaf culture or sign language. She remembered how Jake talked about his childhood with a family he couldn't fully communicate with.

As they pulled up to the modest two-story home, Jake turned off the car and gave her a look that melted some of her anxiety. "Ready?"

"Not even a little," she teased with a sigh.

The door opened to reveal Ryan, a tall man with a broad smile that mirrored Jake's. He greeted his son with a hearty pat on the back before turning his attention to Mia.

"You must be Mia," Ryan said warmly, extending a hand.

Mia hesitated. She didn't love verbally speaking. Never being comfortable not being able to tell how she sounded. Before Jake could jump in she responded, hoping her voice would be the right volume and clear. "Hi. It's nice to meet you." She paired her words with signs for Jake's benefit.

Jake did a quick double take, so subtle that most people wouldn't catch it but she did. She'd caught the flicker of shock in his expression and gave him a subtle shrug, her cheeks coloring.

Ryan blinked, seemingly caught off guard but recovered quickly. "It's nice to meet you too. Come on in—everyone's waiting."

Inside, the living room was a flurry of activity. Jake's mom bustled over with a warm smile, while his younger siblings, Luke and Emma, lounged on the couch, occasionally tossing teasing comments back and forth.

Jake introduced everyone, his hands moving fluidly as he signed alongside his speech. "Mom, Dad, Luke, Emma—this is Mia."

Mia offered a small wave, unsure how to greet them all at once.

Jake's mom stepped forward, pulling Mia into a gentle hug. "Welcome, Mia! It's so good to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you."

"Thank you," Mia said aloud, her hands continuing to sign. Her nerves bubbled beneath her calm exterior, and she caught Jake watching her again, still processing her choice to speak.

At the dinner table, the conversation flowed easily among Jake's family, but Mia quickly felt the effort of trying to keep up. She wasn't a strong lipreader, and her attention bounced between faces, trying to catch key words.

"So, Mia," Ryan began, drawing her focus. "Jake tells us you're an art history major. That's fascinating. What got you into that?"

Mia hesitated for a moment, glancing at Jake. "I've always loved art, not creating it—I'm terrible at drawing—but studying it."

Luke smirked, leaning forward. "An art lover who can't draw? Isn't that kind of ironic?"

Jake chuckled, joining in. "Hey, I said the same thing when we met."

The room chuckled lightly, but Mia's nerves eased just a bit at the familiar teasing.

"Mia," Jake's mom said, her tone warm, "tell us about your family. What do they do?"

Mia stiffened slightly, her hands pausing in her lap. Jake and almost began interpreting for her, but Mia quietly waved him off.

"My mom and dad met in college during a rough time for my mom. They both graduated and then had my brother and then me." Mia said slowly, pairing the words with signs. "Mom's and editor for a publishing company and dad does contracting work. Max is about a year older than me and always off traveling and going on adventures. He's a photographer." she finished with a smile.

Emma, who had been mostly quiet, suddenly leaned forward. "So, you're deaf, right? Like Jake?"

Mia nodded, having almost missed the question but she appreciated the straightforwardness of it. "Yes. But I was born deaf."

Emma frowned thoughtfully. "Is your whole family deaf too? "

Jake's mom started to intervene, but Mia waved her off with a soft smile.

"No, not everyone in my family is deaf," Mia said. "My dad and brother are hearing, but my mom is hard of hearing. She started losing her hearing in college, so my dad learned sign language with her. When Max was born, they kept using it, and then it just became our family language when I was born."

Jake's dad tapped the table after a brief awkward lull in the conversation. "Ready for dessert?"

After dinner, the group moved to the living room. Coffee and dessert were passed around, and Jake's dad leaned back in his chair, studying Mia.

Luke waived his hand catching Mia's attention, "So how did you and Jake meet?"

Mia glanced at Jake smiling. "At an art exhibit."

Jake smiled. "She almost ignored me."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did you say something dumb?"

Mia laughed, shaking her head. "No, I didn't realize he was talking to me!"

Luke flushed slightly. "Right. Sorry."

Mia waived it off smiling showing that she wasn't bothered. And the night continued on with mostly comfortable conversation.

Later, as they walked back to the car, Jake broke the silence. "You are amazing!"

Mia glanced at him, biting her lip. "Really? Man that felt rough, it wasn't just me who felt that right?"

Jake shook his head, his expression softening. "No that's how it usually goes but you did great! I was prepared to interpret the entire night."

"Yeah. Being oral is never my favorite thing, but I wanted to meet them halfway." Mia shrugged

"I thought SimCom'ing would make things easier for them. Did it... bother you?"

"No! I just... I didn't expect it. I've never seen you be verbal, like at all." He stopped, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you. I know that wasn't easy."

Mia smiled against his chest. "You're worth it." She thought happily.