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