#nana56b
Lines from the story
My wife was born deaf.
We first met at a sign language club.
I was drawn to her bright smile and the earnest
way she tried to communicate through sign
language.
A language barrier existed between us, as I am
hearing.
Still, slowly over time, we connected our hearts
and nurtured our love.
Since getting married, we've studied sign
language together,
consulting dictionaries side by side,
carving out small moments of happiness.
When I come home, the house is always silent—only
“music” plays.
Though she cannot hear, my wife always rushes to
the entrance
to greet me with “Welcome home” in sign language.
Soon, her belly swelled softly, gently cradling
our soon-to-be-born child.
Each time she felt the baby move, she'd stroke her
belly and tell me in sign language.
I quietly etched those signs into my heart, living
each day filled with both joy and anxiety.
She moves her fingers as if speaking to the fetus.
“To you in my belly, grow strong and healthy.
Mommy is right here. I can't wait to meet you.”
And then, I don't know when it started, but we began
to understand what each other wanted to say, even
without using sign language.
On the day of the birth, gentle afternoon sunlight
streamed through the hospital window. Our hands
overlapped, crossing each other.
My wife endured the pain, squeezing my hand back,
confirming each sign one by one.
The quiet of the delivery room soon gave way to
the baby's tiny cry.
But that sound didn't reach my wife's ears as sound.
The setting sun softly outlined her face as she
looked at me with a gentle expression.
I knew exactly what she was trying to say.
That sparkle in her eyes and the look only I could
understand, directed only at me.
After we were discharged, as I sat behind my wife
on the sofa after putting the baby to sleep,
I hugged her from behind.
“Thank you, I love you,” I said only in my heart.
Then my wife signed to me, “Me too” (even though
she shouldn't have been able to hear it).
I asked, “You understood?”
Then my wife signed, “I understand everything
about you.”
Tears began to fall.
