North Star (Manxman) 5.

Wren and I. . .

My husband and I. . .

After that day, my husband and I did not start sitting side by side on the train, he instead sat across from me and each day it seemed like he was learning more and more signed words. It was very wonderful to see and it made my heart race. Well, more than it already was.

To be honest, I have been attracted to people. I have dated in the past. More with people who are deaf like me. I have only gone on one date with a hearing person and that was a total bust. People like to say that they look past the disabilities, the disability doesn’t make or create the person and all that other bullshit that we see online but in real life, it’s a different story altogether.

Today though, I didn’t have to go to work. It was my day off and I was not going to see my husband.

It quite feels like the saddest day of my life, not to be dramatic.

I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, just blinking and looking at the white paint. My tummy was rumbling and I didn’t even know what to do. Do I make something to eat? Go out and grab something to eat?

I felt a vibration on the bed and turned onto my side so I could get my phone. There was a message from Wren on it.

Didn’t see you on the train this morning. You okay?

I couldn’t help but smile to myself, my cheeks heating up.

It’s my day off. Aw, did you someone miss me?

Immediately I sent off the message, I sat up, phone clenched tightly in my hand as I read the text over and over again. Was I too early? Was our friendship not there yet? Oh god!

I let out a loud shout as the phone vibrated in my hand and another message popped up.

Who knows? Maybe. Want to get breakfast with me? I can come and pick you up?

Wren wanted to come and pick me up. Wasn’t it going out of his way? Did he really want to see me that badly? Should I say yes? I really wanted to see him. I didn’t know a lot about him and I wanted to know everything and anything about him. Like what does he do? Does he have siblings? Where does he live? What was his favourite color? You know, all the important things.

Before I could overthink this, I texted him my address.

And then proceeded to freak out again.

Was he going to have to take the train back and walk over to my apartment? Oh god. Oh god. I couldn’t take it back though. It would look weird. Ah shit. I haven’t even showered yet. What? What??

I got up from the bed and showered, I pulled on a white shirt, tucked into black jeans and a gray sweatshirt. I grabbed a plain black knee-length coat and my phone. It had taken me thirty minutes to get wet, my hair was tucked underneath the beanie and I couldn’t stop biting my lip. What were we going to do after breakfast? Was I wearing too much black? Nah, there is no such thing.

The red lights in my apartment flash and my heart skipped a beat. I cleared my throat and wiped my hand down my jeans. Fuck, when did they get so sweaty?

I grabbed my phone and wallet and rushed over to the door, looking through the little peephole. I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“Hi.” Wren signed, a small smile on his face.

My husband was at my door. My husband was almost in my flat. My husband looked ridiculously handsome standing there. He had on a matching grey turtleneck and coat, blue jeans and brunette hair styled off his face. There was a sparkle in his eyes and for a brief second, I think he is as excited as I am that he is here, two steps away from entering my home.

“Hey, Wren.” I signed. We had both come up with a way for us to sign his name. Pinching my fingers twice and touching my face. He liked it very much.

He tapped on his lip, drawing my attention to them. They were so perfectly curved but he was also saying the words, “Shall we?”

I took two steps out, made sure to lock my door and then together, we walked out of my apartment building. Thankfully, I lived on the second floor but the stairs weren’t long, which I was grateful for. Outside my building was a black range rover.

Since Wren was not quite as fluent in signing, I gestured, using my thumb, towards the car and he nodded. To my great surprise, he held the door open for me, shutting it once I was seated and then making his way over to the other side.

I grabbed his hand with my right hand and raised my left up, telling him to wait. When he does, I take out my phone and type out the words. . .

“Is this car yours?” I typed, holding the phone out to Wren.

Wren takes the phone from me, his fingers moving on the screen before holding out the phone to me. “It’s mine. I lost interest in driving a while ago but I am getting back my interest.” he typed. “What do you think about spending the day with me? But we’ll have to stop by my work for a bit.”

I reached for the phone but he quickly typed out more words before handing the phone back to me.

“No pressure. You can say no.”

I smiled as I read the words all over again. I typed out my response, smiling when I saw the look of uncertainty on his face.

“It would be nice to spend time with you.” I had replied and he grinned.

It still surprises me how expressive Wren was with me. He rarely showed any emotion back then, when he’d ride the train as a stranger but now, he would slip up and sometimes, he’d be surprised, like he wasn’t expecting himself to laugh at something I signed or typed. My husband was really adorable.

I forgot to ask where we were going until Wren pulled to a stop at a breakfast bar and pressed the stop button in his car. He points at himself and at the building. I gathered what he was trying to say and I nodded. We both got out of the car, walking side by side to the front of the small space. Wren holds the door open for me, his hand lightly pressed to the small of my back. I smiled before I could even stop myself.

We took a booth on the other side of the breakfast bar, by the wall and it felt like the space was ours. There were a couple of menus on the table and we both grabbed one each. Curiosity got the best of me though and I just had to know. So, I take out my phone and type out a question. . .

“How are you getting better at signing?”

I slid my phone over to him and he picked it up. His brows crease a little and I wonder what he is thinking. I watched his fingers move on my screen and soon enough my phone slid over to me.

“I might have looked up videos on youtube.”

I stared at the words for two, four, six seconds and looked back at him. I felt really special. He was putting all this effort into knowing me and for the umpteenth time I felt like he was as into me as I was with him.

“Want me to teach you more words as well?” I asked, slipping the phone over to him so he could read it. I watched him nod and I grinned, my cheeks hurting from how big it was. We were interrupted by a waitress. I pointed out my order on the menu while Wren tells her his. I noticed her gaze lingering a bit too long on Wren’s face and I understand, really but she should go away now.

When she left, I showed and taught Wren how to sign some words. He was really good at it, repeating the same sign over and over until he got it. My husband was a really smart cookie. After breakfast, we both ordered a smoothie to go, mine oreos and his plain vanilla. He leads me back to the car, opening the door for me just like the last time.

Wren had told me we were going to his office. I was excited to find out what he did for a living. He didn’t want to tell me but show me instead. On the drive, I was able to sign some words to him and lipread as he voiced out his answers. His memory was really good.

We drove by the spot where I was almost mugged and Wren took a hand off the steering wheel and placed it on mine for a brief second before putting it back where it was. We got to Wren’s office and got down. It was a two storey, white building with a large brown door, large windows and plants on the window pane. There was also a dark large wooden panel with the words Alston, in gold curved script.

“It looks so pretty.” I signed.

Wren smiles shyly and signs back, “Thank you.” and then added, “Shall we?”

I chuckled as I remembered Wren asking me for the sign for that. I wondered if he said that a lot. The inside of the building was really nice and airy with a lot of space and it smelt very nice. Downstairs, had four large glass tables with iMacs, there was also a black flat surface that people were moving pens on.

“What is that?” I signed to Wren.

“It’s like an ipad, we use it with a stylus pen to draw designs and it shows up on the iMac.” Wren signed and then he proceeded to spell out the letters, one by one. “It is a W-A-C-O-M.”

Oh. That sounded really cool.

There were also long hanging plants. The second floor had a meeting room, an office for an assistant and then finally we got to Wren’s office. It was just as big, marble floors, large windows with grey curtains, a large oak desk with his own iMac and Wacom. He also had an iPad, drawings of designs that look like flowers and –

“Are they pendants? Do you make jewelry?” I signed, staring at him with wide eyes.

“A little.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and he sighed. I moved over to his desk and stared at all the drawings. Flowers, watch designs, tiaras and even a bejeweled portrait. They looked absolutely fantastic. So so good.

Wren designs jewellery.

I feel him come to stand beside me and I look at him. “These are really good.” I signed and Wren smiled at me. On the table was a velvet box with the gold curvy print of Alston on it. I have seen these before. Desmond took me to one high-end store to get himself a gift and I had seen this box there and various jewelry designs there.

They had cost a fuck ton of money as well. The cheapest design there had still been four figures.

“Wren. . .”

“So. . . this is me. This is what I do. This is my company.” he signed.

I was really impressed. I didn’t have a clue about what his job could have been but I wouldn’t have picked this. Can you imagine it? A bookshop owner and a jeweler? Ugh. Like a fairytale. I licked my lips and I saw Wren’s smile widened a bit more.

“I am really impressed. Your work is fantastic.” I said, my throat feeling a little bit scratchy.

“I’m happy you like it.” he signed. “Want to help me design some more?”

There is nothing in this world that would make me say no to that.

—

Love them so much ❤️

What do you think? ❤️