I Am Deaf

Chapter 21

Rin POV

Dad let Len and... Lola in. They sat on a couch, observing everything awkwardly. The house was in shambles. Everything was a wreck.

"Hello, er, Mr. Kagine." Lola began. "I'm Len's mother."

"You're my daughter's tutor." Dad said bluntly to Len.

"Yes... and well, your daughter's deaf, right? So..."

"Wait, what?" Dad turned to me. "You're deaf?"

My voice felt controlled. "Yes, Dad. You made me deaf." I held my hand up to stop Lola from speaking. "You tore my ears, remember?"

"Well. You're of no use to me, then." He looked almost amused.

Lola gasped. "You don't care about your own child?"

"She can't work. If she's deaf, no one will take her. She can't make money."

I stood, anger burning in me. "You would work me to death, like Rinto. Oh, Rinto's dead, or have you noticed already? You... You don't work... You stay here, laze around, drink, and abuse me. You don't make money; We're falling apart. In a while, you're gonna lose this house. You hate me; You'll eventually lose me, like Mom. You're almost always drunk. You haven't seen the bills that are always in the mail, you don't know they all have to be paid. In a while, people are gonna start calling you. You'll be hunted down by tax collectors. You don't have insurance; you can barely care for me. You empty all our food- I eat almost once in three days. You're going to kill yourself, but for the sake of everyone, please leave me out of this." It all came out, every problem that, for the life of me, I'd been carrying. Everyone's mouths were agape.

Dad's mouth was on the floor.

"You... You brat..." He lunged for me, and I stood frozen. Suddenly, Len was there, in front of me.

"Wait!" he yelled. My dad stopped, rage in his eyes.

"Let us take her; You won't have to worry about her. Can we please, please, adopt her? We have papers here. She'll be off your hands, and we'll leave you alone." Len pleaded. "And I love her." I had moved to see what he was saying. With his words, a little thrill ran through me.

Adoption?

Could it be done?

Could I really start a new life?

Lola and Dad stepped into the dining room to talk. After a while, Lola came out, a tired but huge smile on her face. She opened her arms to both of us. We raced into them, Len laughing, me crying.

Dad-Er, Dad, glowered at me.

"A few arrangements need to be made, Social Security, stuff like that, but soon..."

Len pulled me to him and kissed me right there.

After that, we danced around giddily.

"Rin!" He mouthed, saying words so fast, I could barely keep up. "If your last name is gonna become Kagamine, can I pretend we're married?"

I hit him, giggling away. "Oh, Len. You and your childishness."

"Can I?"

"Maybe."

He touched his nose to mine. "You're finally mine."

"I love you." I said seriously.

"I know. I love me, too." He said, striking a pose full of bravado. After I was done laughing, he pulled me into a hug, looking down at me joyfully.

"I love you too."

We cracked up, suddenly.

"Listen, Rin." I caught Dad mouthing the words.

I paused, turning to him.

"Hai?"

"I'm sorry. I hope you have a g-good life from now on." He said it meaningfully, and not sarcastically.

"Thanks... and good luck." I briefly paused, waiting for an answer. When none came, I raised my hand, as if to wave, clenched my hands into fists, then walked out without looking back.

Len, Lola, and I went to the ice-cream shop for a treat. Lola commented on the fact that I looked almost exactly like Len, with my blond hair, blue eyes, and dimples.

Len kissed me on the head, and then dropped his ice cream.

Of course, the sweet moment couldn't end just then, so I shared mine with him. He looked like a dog, lapping his ice cream up. In fact, he looked so much like one that I couldn't help but giggle. Then he looked up, a confused look on his face, and cocked his head, clueless. I burst out laughing.

Len shot me a small, sweet, but confused smile, but Lola caught on, realized why I was laughing, and cracked up too.

I hoped this day would never end.

I hoped.