Clara wrote the order on her notepad, her heart beating faster than usual.
As she turned to leave, Isabel gently touched her sleeve and signed again.
Thank you for speaking to me.
Clara swallowed the sudden emotion rising in her chest.
She signed back softly:
Everyone deserves to be heard.
Then she walked toward the bar before her feelings betrayed her.
Behind her, Adrian sat completely still.
For years he had believed his mother ignored conversations out of stubborn silence.
Doctors had told him she could hear perfectly. They blamed her behavior on grief after his father’s death.
No one had ever told him the truth.
At the bar, Clara prepared the drinks carefully. The crystal glasses clinked softly as she placed them on a tray.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
But from the strange feeling that something in her life had just shifted.
When she returned, Isabel was watching the doorway anxiously, as if afraid Clara might not come back.
Clara placed the wine gently before her.
If you need anything, she signed, just tell me.
Isabel nodded gratefully.
Across the table, Adrian leaned forward.
“Excuse me,” he said cautiously. “You… know sign language?”