@spkemuth from --------- x.
Piers is really kind --- it’s almost funny. He acts like such a...hard - ass, for lack of a BETTER TERM. But he’s good. He steals her away when it gets to be too much, is patient with her lack of speech, doesn’t expect her to always be giddy. He’s...really kind. She guesses it would make sense --- he’s had lots of practice with Marnie, right? It would be nice to have a big brother ------ DADS are no good, but a big brother would be nice. And like a big brother, he notices that when they leave the café, she goes anxious. None of the other adults ever seem to. Maybe they just think it’s not important. Her fingers tangle together. She doesn’t want to go back to ------
She sees his hands moving and looks and she’s ------ oh. OH! He’s --- HE’S SIGNING! A little clumsily, but that’s SIGN!! Her eyes go huge, lips parting. He never told her he was learning sign! HE NEVER...
And the more he speaks, the more her heart swells. He learned it for HER! He learned it to make it easier for her! She can’t stop smiling --- she can’t stop laughing. She grabs his hand ------- THANK YOU! Thank you! For her ------ he cared about her enough to do this for her! He bends to kiss her and her cheeks warm and her heart shifts and she’s so happy it almost hurts and ------------
As he turns guide them through the crowd, she realizes that she’s in pain.
He did this for her. He kissed her. Why should that hurt? It’s good, right? He’s good? He wanted to help her. He cares about her. He wanted to communicate on her terms, not force her to communicate on his. He ---
The tears start tracking down her cheeks even as she follows him, but she can’t keep walking for long --- her feet still and she stops him, too, refusing to release his hand even as the other rises to wipe at her eyes. Even as she can’t stop the quiet whimpers from becoming miserable sobs, shoulders trembling, breath coming too short. HE LEARNED FOR HER, BECAUSE HE CARED ABOUT HER, BECAUSE HE THINKS HER SILENCE IS OKAY -------------
that’s more than dad could say.
She feels him turn, though she can’t see properly through her tears --- trembling, she signs, carefully, < i’m sorry ------ >