Finding Aria EXTRA

Birthday Wishes

Finding Aria Extra- Birthday Wishes           

           I lean against the doorway, watching Teegan face his phone, the headset on his ears as he speaks into the phone.

            “Dude, get ready, we’re heading to Chicago,” the words type onto the phone and when I glance at the right hand corner, I know he’s talking to Zach.

            Teegan takes a moment to read the words. “I am. I just need to tell Aria.”

            There were days when I got jealous of all the cool gadgets Teegan got to have now that he was deaf.

            For example, his phone. It was the smartest of smart phones- or at least that’s what the sales lady said. Teegan could literally answer phones and whatever the person on the other end said, their words would then be read by Teegan on his phone.

            Teegan could then respond back, like a normal phone conversation with his words flashing against his screen to make sure he was saying it correctly.

            It was pretty amazing.

            “Let her down lightly, bro,” Zach says. I read the words flying across Teegan’s phone and I cross my arms.

            Let me down lightly?

            I was pissed.

            Beyond pissed really.

            “Listen,” Teegan sighs, rubbing his eyes with his hand. “I got to go. I’ll meet you guys at the airport in a half hour.”
            “See you,” Zach replies.

            The phone call ends and I just stare at Teegan as he sits in his chair, his shoulders slumped, his face in his hands.

            I feel a tug of sympathy for Teegan despite feeling like I wanted to ram my fist into a wall.

            He was leaving for a trip, again.

            “I’m sorry,” Teegan says, without looking up. Even though he couldn’t hear me, he always knew when I was there. He called it his spidey senses.

            Sighing, I sit across from him, sitting on the floor.

            Teegan sits in his desk chair, his face still in his hands.

            I nudge his leg with my foot and when he doesn’t look at me, I nudge him harder, knowing that he was trying to postpone this moment for as long as he could.

            I growl in frustration when he ignores me.

            Standing up, I walk away.

            Things were getting harder for Teegan and I with our busy schedules. I was stuck in New York teaching several classes in the arts program and Teegan was busy getting signed and prepped for a record deal in Chicago.

            Sometimes he went twice a month, for a week each time before coming back home.

            That was half of the month spent by myself.

            I can feel the tears building and I feel more hurt than angry. Out of all the days, he was leaving today.

            “Angel,” Teegan says, grabbing my wrist.