Laughter Lines

Take It Slow

Kay took the dishes as Gareth handed them to her, scraping bits into the trash and loading plates into the dishwasher. She didn't bother talking yet. Gareth wasn't like Arthur. He had yet to speak a word to her and if she wasn't looking right at him she'd miss what he had to say.

He would turn and respond if someone called his name from behind, so he wasn't deaf. Beyond that, Kay hadn't worked out if he'd just given up talking or wasn't able to speak. Asking usually prompted a mischievous smile and the playfully signed response, What's your guess this time, Miss Kay?

There was no smile today, though. His brows were pulled in tight and his jaw set hard as he handed her the last of the silverware and grabbed a sponge from the sink, scrubbing the counter with short, hard strokes.

Kay waited a couple minutes for a good amount of suds to build up before coming in behind with a fresh dishtowel, wiping the countertop dry. "Thanks for the help. Is something off with Ginny? I haven't seen you two snipe at each other like that."

Gareth rolled his shoulders in a shrug, tossing the sponge back in the sink and trudging to the small living room. He fished around in his backpack, pulling out a notebook and a dog-eared paperback, sitting at the far end of the couch.

Kay couldn't help a wide smile. "Oh, that one! I wasn't sure which of her books you were reading. That's one of my favorites."

Relief softened Gareth's frown and he peeked up, sheepish, setting the books in his lap to sign, Glad to hear you say that. Don't like essay assignments and could use some help.

"What's the essay prompt?" Kay took the opposite end of the couch and lifted the book from his lap, thumbing through the worn pages of A Wrinkle In Time. Used. Probably from the library. Initialed C. K. by a previous owner. Highlighted some, heavily notated in smudged pencil. This book had been well-loved. She glanced back at him.

Teacher didn't care what book we had, just said pick one and discuss influence of family structure on the main character's decisions.

"Hmm." Kay dropped her eyes back down to the pages for a moment. "Interesting choice. You're going with Meg, I assume?"

Well yeah. She's the main character.

"True, she's the central character, but it could be argued that Charles Wallace and Calvin had equal importance and each would be impacted by family structure differently. Which one do you identify more with?"

He squinted at her. It matters who I identify with?

"Well it makes writing an essay easier, that's for sure. You tend to pick up things you might not otherwise notice because you say to yourself, 'that's me!' It gives you that unique perspective on the story that your teacher is probably looking for."

Rolling his eyes, Gareth signed, My teacher is just looking for three grammatically correct pages vaguely proving I read a book.

Kay snorted. "Okay, sure, but obviously you're taking it more seriously or you wouldn't be asking me. So, which one do you identify most with?"

He leaned back on the couch, chewing on his lip. Probably Meg, still.

Kay raised an eyebrow, but grinned. "Let me guess. Oldest child, right?"

He snorted. Good guess, Miss Kay.

"Anything else you see in Meg?" She dangled the book in front of him.

He took it, eyeing her cautiously.

"What about the outlook on parents?" She leaned back, tilting her head to the side. "People around them think Meg was abandoned by her father, that he ran off with someone else, or maybe died."